On a scorching Valentine's Day in Colombo, Ireland found the love they were looking for in the 2026 T20 World Cup. Led by a sensational, career-best performance from stand-in captain Lorcan Tucker, the Men in Green secured a massive 96-run victory over Oman at the SSC.
Ireland's decision to bat first looked shaky early on as Shakeel Ahmed (3/33) ripped through the top order. However, the game transformed into a clinical exhibition of power-hitting.
Lorcan Tucker played the innings of his life, finishing on an unbeaten 94 off 51 balls* (10x4, 4x6). He effectively neutralized Oman’s spin attack during the middle overs before exploding at the death.
Partnership: Tucker and Gareth Delany (56 off 30) shared a blistering 101-run stand.
George Dockrell delivered the final strong effort, smashing 35 runs off just 9 deliveries (5x6). His final-over assault helped Ireland set the highest total of the 2026 edition so far.
Oman’s pursuit began with genuine intent, reaching 85/2 after 10 overs. However, the gulf in experience became evident once field restrictions were lifted.
Veteran’s milestone: 43-year-old Aamir Kaleem (50 off 29) became the oldest player to score a half-century in an ICC tournament.
Little impact: Once the fifth bowler introduced, Josh Little proved to be the game-changer. His spell of 3/16 in 4 overs triggered a collapse that saw Oman lose their final 7 wickets for just 25 runs.
Record for infamy: Oman became the first team in history to concede 200+ runs in consecutive T20 World Cup matches.
Felt like we had a mixed-bag early on. We lost a lot of wickets but hit a lot of boundaries. It was about keeping my tempo and capitalizing on bad balls. We needed to come here and win big for our Net Run Rate.
Player of the Match: Lorcan Tucker
