Ireland registered their first win of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup with a commanding 96-run victory over Oman at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground. After being asked to bat, Ireland were in early trouble at 47/3 inside the powerplay, with Shakeel Ahmed striking thrice. However, stand-in captain Lorcan Tucker steadied the innings brilliantly. He rebuilt alongside Gareth Delany, who smashed 56 off 30 balls. Tucker led from the front with a superb unbeaten 94 off 51 deliveries, accelerating sharply in the death overs. George Dockrell’s explosive 35* off just nine balls powered Ireland to a massive 235/5, including 93 runs in the last five overs.

Oman began the chase aggressively, with 44-year-old Aamir Kaleem hammering 50 off 29 balls. Along with Hammad Mirza, he kept Oman in the hunt at 97/2. But once Kaleem fell, the innings unraveled quickly. Josh Little turned the game with 3/16, while McCarthy and Humphreys provided support. Oman were bowled out for 139 in 18 overs, sealing a dominant Irish win.

Top Batting performance of the match - Lorcan Tucker

Lorcan Tucker was the best batter of the day, as he smashed 94* off 51 balls. He laced his knock with 10 fours and four sixes, playing at a strike rate of 184.31. He stitched crucial stands with Gareth Delany and took the team's total over 200. 

Top Bowling performance of the match - Josh Little

Left-arm pacer Josh Little was the best bowler in the clash. Little finished with figures of 3 for 16 from his quota of four overs, consistently putting pressure on the opposition batters. He led the attack brilliantly and dismantled the opposition batting-order. His victims included Mohammad Nadeem, J Ramanandi, and Nadeem Khan. 

Records Broken and Major Milestones Achieved

• Gareth Delany smashed 13 sixes, the most by an Irish batter in a Men’s T20 World Cup, surpassing Andrew Balbirnie’s 11.
• Lorcan Tucker’s 94 is now the highest individual score for Ireland in Men’s T20 World Cup history, going past Curtis Campher’s 72.
• Tucker also set a new Irish record for most runs in boundaries (64) in a Men’s T20 World Cup innings, eclipsing Paul Stirling’s 42.
• George Dockrell and Tucker’s 70-run stand is Ireland’s highest sixth-wicket partnership in Men’s T20 World Cup history, breaking the previous 46-run mark.
• Dockrell’s five sixes in an innings are the most by an Irish batter in a Men’s T20 World Cup, overtaking Kevin O'Brien’s four.
• Sufyan Mehmood and Shah Faisal set Oman’s highest 10th-wicket partnership (18) in Men’s T20 World Cup history, surpassing the 15-run record held by Mohammad Nadeem** and Bilal Khan.
• Ireland’s 96-run win over Oman is their biggest victory margin in Men’s T20 World Cup history, bettering their previous 21-run win against the UAE.
• The 96-run triumph in Colombo is Ireland’s third-biggest win by runs in T20Is, after 128 vs Austria (Edinburgh, 2023) and 98 vs Scotland (Dubai, 2017).
• Ireland equalled the record for most wickets taken by left-arm bowlers (11) in a Men’s T20 World Cup match, matching Bangladesh’s feat against Oman in 2021.
• Ireland endured the worst catching efficiency (60%) in the tournament, taking 15 catches but dropping 10 — the most dropped by any team, with no other side spilling more than four.

Who was the Player of the Match?

Irish skipper Lorcan Tucker played a sublime skipper's knock against Oman, as he scored an unbeaten 94 runs. Walking in at No.4, the right-handed batter held one innings, and got the team back in the game after losing few early wickets.

What is the next match?

Ireland's last league match is scheduled against Zimbabwe for February 17 in Pallekele. Meanwhile, Oman will face heavyweights, Australia, on February 20 in Pallekele.