Australia vs Ireland Live Score, T20 World Cup 2026: Australia stand-in captain Travis Head won the toss and elected to bat against Ireland in their T20 World Cup match here on Wednesday.
Regular skipper Mitchell Marsh has been ruled out of Australia’s opening fixture after sustaining a groin injury.

Ireland, on the other hand, are unchanged.

Despite entering the tournament on the back of patchy form and significant bowling concerns, Australia remain overwhelming favourites ahead of their T20 World Cup clash against Ireland.

T20 World Cup: Schedule | Points Table

The former champions will be without their celebrated pace trio of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood — with the first two sidelined by injuries and Starc stepping away from the format — leaving the responsibility on Nathan Ellis to spearhead a relatively inexperienced attack.

Ellis himself faces a race against time after a hamstring issue, adding further uncertainty to Australia’s preparations.

In contrast, the spin department looks more settled, with Adam Zampa returning from a groin problem and expected to play a central role alongside Cooper Connolly and Matt Kuhnemann on Sri Lankan surfaces that favour slower bowlers.

Australia’s strength continues to lie in their explosive batting unit, where Travis Head, captain Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell provide firepower, complemented by versatile options like Cameron Green, Josh Inglis and Marcus Stoinis.

Selector George Bailey has emphasised building a squad suited to sub-continent conditions, though several players arrive under fitness clouds.

Recent results have not inspired confidence, with Australia winless in five completed matches, including a 0-3 loss in Pakistan and a defeat to India at home.

Ireland, meanwhile, will draw belief from past giant-killing performances as they look to rebound from an opening defeat to Sri Lanka and challenge a vulnerable yet dangerous Australian side.

Playing XIs:
Australia: Travis Head(c), Josh Inglis(w), Cameron Green, Matt Renshaw, Cooper Connolly, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Nathan Ellis, Xavier Bartlett, Matthew Kuhnemann, Adam Zampa.

Ireland: Paul Stirling(c), Ross Adair, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker(w), Curtis Campher, Benjamin Calitz, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, Matthew Humphreys.

Wrestlers, who protested against ex-WFI chief Brij Bhushan, plan to launch a rebel professional league in November NEW DELHI: Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang Punia and his wrestler wife Sangeeta Phogat, a 2018 Gold Coast CWG medallist – the two prominent faces of the landmark sit-in protest against former national federation (WFI) chief and sexual harassment accused Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, are all set to bring a rebel international wrestling league in November this year. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The professional league, which will be known as ‘Orka Wrestling League’, are likely to feature other notable wrestlers, who were part of the agitating group against Brij Bhushan, including two-time world championships medallist Vinesh Phogat, Rio Olympics bronze winner Sakshi Malik and 2016 Commonwealth champion Satyawart Kadian, among others. Speaking to TOI from Sonepat, Bajrang, who will helm the league as the Chief Wrestling Officer (CWO), informed the eight franchise-based global teams will compete in the inaugural edition in a nearly month-long tournament, tentatively planned to begin around Nov 20. “Yes, it’s true, we (Bajrang and Sangeeta) are coming up with our own international league. It will begin in Nov this year. The registration of wrestlers will open in Aug, and we will have an IPL-style auction event either in Sept end or Oct beginning. All our brothers and sisters from the wrestling community are welcome to play in the league. It will be a big event. There will be huge sponsorship money involved, and the winning team and wrestlers will be handsomely rewarded. It will be a mixed-gender wrestling competition. The inaugural edition is likely to happen in India at one of the major cities. The modalities are being worked out. We will make an announcement soon,” Bajrang, a four-time World Championships medallist, said. “We are not afraid of what the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) thinks about our league. The federation is running its own league, Pro Wrestling League (PWL). They have recognition from the national federation and sport’s global body, UWW. But our league is a global event with a strong India presence. If the WFI wants to look at our league from the point of rivalry or see it as a direct challenge to the PWL…then let it be. They can’t stop us from running our league. Several India wrestlers are in touch, and they have expressed desire to compete. Our doors are open to everyone. Our league provides recognition at professional level and financial security. Let Brij Bhushan or Sanjay Singh (WFI’s current president) think whatever they want to,” he added. A top WFI office-bearer told TOI that the federation is aware of the development and soon a diktat will follow for the country’s wrestlers, who are enrolled with the WFI and are part of the national set-up, to avoid dealing with an “unsanctioned and illegal” league. “We will take appropriate action when the time comes. Let Bajrang or Sangeeta come up with this league. This is an unsanctioned and illegal league. PWL is the WFI backed-official league. We will warn our coaches, technical officials and referees from tying up with that league,” the office-bearer said. According to Bajrang, the total money a franchise can spend on buying a team will be around Rs four crore. “Each franchise will have a total of 12 wrestlers, six men and six women, and all of them will compete in Olympic weight categories. To start with, the league will begin with men’s and women’s freestyle competitions, and greco-roman events will be added later. For men, the competition will happen in 57kg, 65kg, 74kg, 86kg, 97kg and 125kg. The women participants will compete in 50kg, 53kg, 57kg, 62kg, 68kg and 76kg. There will be a total of eight international teams. The USA-based Orka Sports are the major stakeholders. We (Bajrang and Sangeeta) collaborated with them. Sangeeta has joined as a Director, Women’s Wrestling and Athlete Welfare,” he said. Each wrestler will be drawn in an auction pool. The wrestlers will be graded in four categories – Grade A being the highest, and then Grade B, C and D. Grade A will have the highest base price of $35,000, followed by $25,000 (Grade B), $15,000 (Grade C) and $6,000 (Grade D). Bajrang said he himself won’t play in the league, since he is the league’s CWO and part of the organising committee. Bajrang is also facing a four-year ban from the National Anti-Doping Agency (Nada) for refusing to provide his urine sample during the selection trials for the national team held in Sonepat on March 10, 2024. He was banned for four years by Nada’s disciplinary panel (ADDP) on Nov 26, 2024 and his suspension period ended in Nov 2028. He has challenged the ADDP’s decision before the Nada’s Anti-Doping Appeal Panel (ADAP), and the matter is currently being heard. Teams:

The ‘OWL’ Lowdown:

Contracts:

NEW DELHI: Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan has set the tone for a blockbuster showdown against India, promising a fearless and attacking approach when the two arch-rivals meet in Colombo on February 15. After Pakistan called off their boycott of the high-profile fixture late Monday night, the focus has swiftly shifted to preparations for what is expected to be one of the biggest matches of the tournament.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Fresh from a fiery player-of-the-match performance against the USA, Farhan made his intentions clear at the post-match presentation. “We’ll go in with the same mindset as we did in our previous matches against India, including the Asia Cup. We’ll try to stay positive and play attacking cricket,” he said, underlining Pakistan’s aggressive outlook heading into the contest.

Farhan’s confident words came after his blistering 73 laid the foundation for Pakistan’s 32-run win over the USA. The opener revealed he felt in rhythm even before the match began. “The way we practiced yesterday, the ball was coming onto my bat really well in the nets. I had already told our batting coach Hanif Malik that I was getting a good feeling,” he said. Farhan added that he had set himself a personal goal of winning at least two to three player-of-the-match awards during the World Cup.Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha praised the team’s balanced approach, stating that while they enjoy chasing, they are equally comfortable setting a strong total. “We are comfortable chasing, but we try to bat first and put up above par, then defend. We have a flexible order,” he said.

After a narrow escape against the Netherlands in their opener, Pakistan’s clinical display against the USA boosted confidence. However, Agha admitted there is still room for improvement, especially in the powerplay bowling, as Pakistan aim to sharpen their edge ahead of the marquee India clash.

NEW DELHI: India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said on Tuesday the team has always been mentally ready to face Pakistan in their T20 World Cup league match.The two rivals are set to meet on February 15, and Ten Doeschate stressed that off-field issues never distracted the Indian camp from its preparations.

He admitted Pakistan might have a slight advantage since they have already been in Colombo for two weeks, but India are concentrating on delivering its best performance. “It’s going to be a challenge going to Colombo, where Pakistan have been for the last two weeks, and we’re fully focused on just bringing our best game to that fixture next week,” he told the reporters. With India playing Namibia on February 12 in their second encounter of the ongoing T20 World Cup, clarity over Pakistan’s participation means both teams can treat the match purely as a sporting contest. Meanwhile, India opener Abhishek Sharma missed the team’s first training session in New Delhi due to illness and stomach problems, raising doubts about his availability for the Namibia match. He had a poor start to the tournament with a golden duck against the USA and didn’t field in that match, with Sanju Samson replacing him. At a team dinner hosted by coach Gautam Gambhir, Abhishek left early, adding to health concerns. “Abhi (Abhishek Sharma) has still got a few issues with his tummy, but we are hopeful he will be available for the game in two days time. Bumrah is also feeling and moving a lot better,” he said on Tuesday. Jasprit Bumrah also missed the USA match due to illness. India may rest Abhishek to ensure he is fully fit for the Pakistan game, with Sanju Samson possibly opening in his place. Abhishek is seen as a key player due to his explosive T20 batting, and despite his early failure, the team values his impact. India still beat the USA by 29 runs, thanks to Suryakumar Yadav’s unbeaten 84 and strong bowling from Siraj and Arshdeep Singh.

Sri Lanka and New Zealand have both been hit by injury setbacks in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, losing key all-rounders Wanindu Hasaranga and Michael Bracewell for the rest of the tournament. Both teams have acted quickly to name replacements, with Deshan Hemantha joining Sri Lanka and Cole McConchie called into the New Zealand squad. Hasaranga’s campaign ended abruptly after he suffered a hamstring injury during Sri Lanka’s opening match against Ireland in Colombo on Sunday. Despite the early exit, the leg-spinning all-rounder had an impressive outing, taking three wickets for 25 runs in four overs.

However, his condition deteriorated, and an MRI on Monday confirmed a severe tear in his left hamstring. Following a review by a specialist in the UK, Sri Lanka Cricket officially ruled him out, with local reports indicating a recovery period of at least four weeks, effectively ending his World Cup. “The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 has approved Dushan Hemantha as Hasaranga’s replacement in the squad. Hemantha has appeared in five ODIs and three T20Is,” the ICC said. For New Zealand, Bracewell suffered a calf injury during warm-ups against Afghanistan in Chennai on February 8, aggravating a pre-existing tear from the third ODI against India last month. Follow-up scans confirmed the severity, with medical advice suggesting around three weeks before he could play again. Cole McConchie will join the squad in India as a travelling reserve alongside pacer Ben Sears, according to New Zealand Cricket. These injuries come at a crucial stage, forcing both teams to adjust their lineups as the tournament progresses.

Sahibzada Farhan’s blistering fifty and a clinical spin attack propelled Pakistan to a convincing 32-run victory over the United States in their Group A T20 World Cup clash at the Sinhalese Sports Club on Tuesday. Farhan was the star with the bat, smashing 73 off just 41 balls to guide Pakistan to a competitive 190 for nine. His aggressive innings, which included multiple towering sixes, gave Pakistan the platform to post a strong total despite losing early wickets. Babar Azam (46 off 32) supported him well, adding 81 runs for the third wicket after Pakistan slipped to 56 for two in the Power Play.

The USA openers, Shayan Jahangir (49 off 34) and Andries Gous (13 off 13), offered a solid start, reaching 50 for one after five overs. But once Pakistan’s spin quartet – Abrar Ahmed (1/30), Mohammad Nawaz (1/21), Shadab Khan (2/26), and Usman Tariq (3/27) – was introduced, the US innings struggled. Seven of the eight wickets to fall were claimed by Pakistan’s spinners, preventing any sustained partnerships. Skipper Monank Patel fell cheaply to Shadab, and Jahangir’s lofted shot was well caught by Shaheen Afridi at mid-wicket. Shubham Ranjane (51 off 30) and Milind Kumar (23) fought back with a fourth-wicket stand of 66, but the required run rate proved too steep, leaving the USA short of the target. Earlier, Pakistan had lost Saim Ayub and captain Salman Agha to Shadley van Schalkwyk’s fiery spell (4/25) in the sixth over, but Farhan’s muscle-bound assault kept the innings on track. Even as wickets fell at the back end, Shadab’s 30 off 12 balls ensured Pakistan finished with a formidable total. The win marks Pakistan’s second straight victory, taking them to the top of Group A with four points. Brief Scores: Pakistan 190/9 (Sahibzada Farhan 73, Babar Azam 46; Shadley van Schalkwyk 4/25) beat USA 158/8 (Shubham Ranjane 51, Shayan Jahangir 49; Usman Tariq 3/27) by 32 runs.

NEW DELHI: Norway Chess has announced Alireza Firouzja as the latest player for its 2026 edition in Oslo, but India’s top-ranked player Arjun Erigaisi is still not part of the confirmed lineup. Firouzja, known for his aggressive and exciting style, said, “I’m looking forward to competing against the best chess players in the world at Norway Chess 2026 in Oslo.”

Firouzja is considered one of the brightest stars in modern chess. He became a grandmaster at just 14 and later made history by becoming the youngest player ever to reach a 2800 rating. He also crossed the 2700 rating mark at 16, showing how quickly he climbed to the elite level. He has played in the FIDE Candidates Tournament twice, first after winning the Grand Swiss in 2021 and later through the world rating list in 2024.He is no stranger to Norway Chess, having played there four times and finishing second in 2020 and 2021. Tournament organisers praised his return, with COO Benedicte Westre Skog saying, “Alireza Firouzja has been part of Norway Chess for several years and has consistently delivered performances at the very highest level. He brings intensity, ambition and world-class quality to the field. We’re very pleased to welcome him back to Oslo in 2026.”India will still be strongly represented at the event. World champion Gukesh Dommaraju and R Praggnanandhaa have already been confirmed, alongside Magnus Carlsen and Vincent Keymer. One more player will be revealed weekly, so there is still a chance for Arjun to make the cut.Gukesh, who became the youngest undisputed world champion after beating Ding Liren in 2024, said, “I am really happy to take part in Norway Chess again, fighting against a very strong field as always, and looking forward to all the exciting games.” He has also enjoyed success at Norway Chess before, including a memorable win over Carlsen in 2025.

There’s a portrait of Tim de Leede, Bas de Leede‘s father, hanging just outside of press box at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. Like Bas de Leede, Tim de Leede also played for Netherlands and represented the Dutch in 29 One-Day Internationals (ODIs). Tim’s first international wicket came in the 2003 World Cup when he had dismissed India’s legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar. So cricket runs deep in Leede family and Tim’s portrait at Kotla makes it a special venue for the family. Bas de Leede on Tuesday delivered a special performance at the same venue and showed his all-round prowess as he led Netherlands to a seven-wicket win over Namibia as the Dutch registered their first victory of the T20 World Cup after falling narrowly short against Pakistan in the tournament opener on February 7. However, the things were not that hunky-dowry for Bas de Leede the last time he played in Delhi. Netherlands were facing Australia in a group-stage match of the ODI World Cup 2023 and the Flying Dutchmen were thrashed all along the ground as Pat Cummins’ side scored 399 in the first innings.

Bas de Leede made an unwanted record of conceding most runs in an innings in ODIs. In his quota of 10 overs, he was hit for 115 runs by the Australians at an economy of 11.50. “To be honest, It’s obviously a record that nobody wants, but I wasn’t too fussed about it and it wasn’t in the back of my head today. I’m pretty – yeah, I’m pretty forgetting in terms of performances, so It’s nice to put in a good performance today,” Ledde said when asked about that 2023 match on Tuesday after the match.Netherlands were bowled out for mere 90 in their chase of 399 and lost the match by 309 runs, and it was a forgettable outing for Dutchmen and Leede.On Tuesday, Leede turned the things around for himself and his team as he played an unbeaten knock of 72 off 48 balls in Netherlands’ chase of 157. Leede hit 5 boundaries and four sixes in his innings and made sure there were no hiccups in Netherland’s chase as they reached the target with 12 balls remaining. Earlier, Leede played a significant role with the ball too, to restrict Namibia at 156 in the first innings. He took two wickets in his three overs while conceding just 20 runs. He took the wickets of Namibian skipper Gerhard Erasmus (18 off 9) and JJ Smit (22 off 15 balls), only Namibian batters who scored at the strike rate of over 140.However, the things were not that hunky-dowry for Bas de Leede the last time he played in Delhi. Netherlands were facing Australia in a group-stage match of the ODI World Cup 2023 and the Flying Dutchmen were thrashed all along the ground as Pat Cummins’ side scored 399 in the first innings.Bas de Leede made an unwanted record of conceding most runs in an innings in ODIs. In his quota of 10 overs, he was hit for 115 runs by the Australians at an economy of 11.50. Netherlands were bowled out for mere 90 in their chase of 399 and lost the match by 309 runs, and it was a forgettable outing for Dutchmen and Leede. But against Namibia, Leede made sure it was a memorable day for the Dutchmen in Delhi. “Obviously coming from a cricketing family in the Netherlands, to be able to perform and hopefully make my family proud is really special,” Leede said in the post-match press conference.

Former Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif has sounded a strong note of caution for the national side ahead of their T20 World Cup 2026 encounter against the United States, scheduled for Tuesday at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. The match will be the second World Cup meeting between the two teams, and Asif believes Pakistan could once again find themselves on the wrong side of the result.“Jis tarah ki situation chal rahi hai, us hisaab se US phir se Pakistan ko beat kar dega. 2026 T20 World Cup mein bhi ye possible lag raha hai. 2026 ke T20 World Cup mein US Pakistan ko dobara hara dega. Guarantee,” Asif said.

The United States had announced their arrival on the global stage during their maiden World Cup appearance in the 2024 edition, when they stunned Pakistan in a dramatic contest. Chasing a modest target, USA needed 15 runs off the final over, with Haris Rauf conceding 14 to push the match into a Super Over.Pakistan then faltered under pressure as senior pacer Mohammad Amir delivered three wides in the Super Over and leaked 18 runs. Pakistan could manage only 13 for one in response, handing USA a famous victory.Coming into the Colombo clash, the Americans will be eager to bounce back after losing their tournament opener to India and will view this fixture as an opportunity to repeat their heroics against Pakistan.Pakistan, meanwhile, had a narrow escape in their opening game against the Netherlands on Saturday. The 2009 champions were on the brink of another upset, needing 29 runs from the final two overs before Faheem Ashraf’s late assault turned the match in their favour.With only the top two teams from Group A advancing to the Super Eight stage, Pakistan cannot afford further stumbles—especially after opting out of their February 15 fixture against India. A defeat to the USA, as in 2024, could once again derail their World Cup campaign at the group stage.

NEW DELHI: A couple of days ago in Colombo, the Netherlands saw the game being taken away from their grasp against Pakistan in the last few balls, but on Tuesday, Dutch all-rounder Bas de Leede made sure there were no hiccups this time and led his team to their first victory of the T20 World Cup as they registered a thumping seven-wicket win over Namibia.Bas, whose father Tim de Leede also played for the Netherlands and had dismissed Sachin Tendulkar in the 2003 ODI World Cup for his first international wicket, showed his all-round prowess at Delhi’s Firoz Shah Kotla Ground to keep his team alive in the tournament.

After restricting Namibia to 156 for 8, Bas de Leede steered the Netherlands home with twelve balls to spare. De Leede stayed unbeaten on 72 off 48 balls.De Leede got ample support from Colin Ackermann, who scored 32 off 28 balls, and opener Michael Levitt, who made 28 off 15 balls. His 70-run stand with Ackermann for the third wicket proved to be the game-changing partnership.Meanwhile, taking a cue from the Netherlands, Namibia also began their attack with spin and found success straightaway as Max O’Dowd was caught at long-on by the Namibian captain off left-arm orthodox Bernard Scholtz’s quicker back-of-a-length delivery in the third over of the innings.Left-arm pacer Ruben Trumpelmann removed Michael Levitt on the third ball of the sixth over, but the 22-year-old batter had inflicted enough damage with his 15-ball 28-run innings as the Dutch finished the powerplay at 50 for 2.Ackermann was dropped on 13 by Steenkamp in the 10th over. The Netherlands still needed 80 runs in the final half of their innings, and Ackermann’s wicket would have put them under pressure, but Steenkamp could not hold on to a regulation catch at deep square leg.After being put in to bat, Namibia had a slow start. Louren Steenkamp and Jan Frylinck opened the innings as the Netherlands began with off-spinner Aryan Dutt. The lanky spinner had Steenkamp stranded halfway down the track as the right-handed batter was stumped by Dutch skipper Scott Edwards in the third over.The Dutch bowlers made full use of the conditions and bowled four overs of spin in the powerplay as the Namibia Eagles could score only 40 runs in the first six overs, hitting just three boundaries and four sixes.Jan Frylinck’s innings never took off and came to an unceremonious end when he was caught by Edwards off Logan van Beek’s bowling as Namibia were left reeling at 65 for 2 after 10 overs.It was only after captain Gerhard Erasmus joined left-hander Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton in the middle that Namibia’s run rate received a boost as they scored 29 runs in the next two overs to take the total to 94 for 2 in 12 overs.However, Erasmus, who scored 18 off 9 balls, was caught at midwicket in the 13th over. Loftie-Eaton, who made 42 off 38 balls, followed soon after, and Namibia were reduced to 107 for 4 in the 15th over.Namibia were left without the hitting prowess of Ruben Trumpelmann in the final few balls of their innings, as a poor call from Dylan Leicher led to Trumpelmann being run out for 9.

Namibia finished on 156 for 8 in 20 overs, aided in part by some ordinary captaincy from Scott Edwards, as none of the four successful Dutch bowlers completed their full quota. Aryan Dutt took one wicket while conceding just 13 runs in his three overs, while Logan van Beek and Bas de Leede picked up two wickets each.Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton was the top scorer for Namibia with 42, while opener Jan Frylinck scored 30 off 26 balls.Brief scoresNamibia: 156/8 in 20 overs (Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton 42, Jan Frylinck 30; Logan van Beek 2/13, Bas de Leede 2/20).Netherlands: 159/3 in 18 overs (Bas de Leede not out 72, Colin Ackermann 32).