We look at the sides in Group B – Australia, Ireland, Sri Lanka, Oman and Zimbabwe, – for the T20 World Cup, which is live on Sky Sports from February 7 to March 8.
Australia
Best result: Champions (2021)
2024 result: Knocked out in Super 8s
How did they qualify in 2026? On performance in last T20 World Cup
Head coach: Andrew McDonald
Squad: Mitchell Marsh (captain), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.
Players to watch: Swashbuckling batter Travis Head is a man for the big occasion, with hundreds helping his nation win Ashes Tests, a World Test Championship final and the 2023 50-over World Cup.
Tim David, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis and Mitchell Marsh are also big hitters, with David – who belted 102 off 37 balls against West Indies in July – perhaps the largest of the lot.
Bowing-wise, Australia – swept 3-0 by Pakistan in a warm-up series – will rely on leg-spinner Adam Zampa, with Pat Cummins (back injury) missing the tournament and question marks surrounding Josh Hazlewood after he sat out the entire Ashes with niggles.
The 35-year-old is set to sit out at least the first half of the tournament.
Round-one fixtures: vs Ireland (February 11, Colombo); vs Zimbabwe (February 13, Colombo), vs Sri Lanka (February 16, Pallekele), vs Oman (February 20, Pallekele)
Ireland
Best result: Super 8s/Super 12s (2009, 2022)
2024 result: Knocked out in first round
How did they qualify in 2026? Via T20 international ranking
Head coach: Heinrich Malan
Squad: Paul Stirling (captain), Mark Adair, Ross Adair, Ben Calitz, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Matthew Humphreys, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, Harry Tector, Tim Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young.
Players to watch: Captain and veteran batter Paul Stirling is the fifth-highest run scorer in men’s T20I history with over 3,800 to his name but will need support from Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker, you feel, if Ireland are to press for the Super 8s.
Ireland spinner Matthew Humphreys is likely to take the new ball at the World Cup
Curtis Campher is important with bat and ball, while keep an eye on canny left-arm spinner Matthew Humphreys, too, a man Ireland like to deploy with the new ball.
Round-one fixtures: vs Sri Lanka (February 8, Colombo); vs Australia (February 11, Colombo), vs Oman (February 14, Colombo), vs Zimbabwe (February 17,Pallekele)
Zimbabwe
Best result: Super 12s (2022)
2024 result: Did not qualify
How did they qualify in 2026? Came through African Qualifier
Head coach: Justin Sammons
Squad: Sikandar Raza (captain), Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Graeme Cremer, Bradley Evans, Clive Madande, Tinotenda Maposa, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava, Brendan Taylor.
Players to watch: Skipper Sikandar Raza turns 40 in April but remains a consistent performer. He will be aiming to back up a strong SA20 for Paarl Royals with the ball, when he picked up 15 wickets in 10 games.
Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza is the heartbeat of his side
Raza will need vital contributions with the bat, too, alongside talented youngster Brian Bennett, who hit three fifties and a ton as Zimbabwe won all five of their matches at the Africa Qualifier to reach the tournament proper.
Bennett impressed against England in Test cricket last summer, with a knock of 139 at Trent Bridge.
Round-one fixtures: vs Oman (February 9, Colombo); vs Australia (February 13, Colombo); vs Ireland (February 17, Pallekele; vs Sri Lanka (February 19, Colombo)
Sri Lanka
Best result: Champions (2014)
2024 result: Knocked out in round one
How did they qualify in 2026? Co-hosting the tournament
Head coach: Sanath Jayasuriya
Squad (provisional): Dasun Shanaka (captain), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Janith Liyanage, Charith Asalanka, Kamindu Mendis, Pavan Rathnayake, Sahan Arachchige, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Milan Rathnayake, Nuwan Thushara, Eshan Malinga, Dushmantha Chameera, Pramod Madushan, Matheesha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushan Hemantha, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Traveen Mathew.
Pathum Nissanka is one of a number of eye-catching Sri Lanka batters
Players to watch: Sri Lanka were unable to put a complete game together too often as they suffered white-ball defeats to England ahead of the World Cup, with the task for the likes of Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara to push on with the bat and not only contribute glittering 30s and 40s. Facing spin was an issue.
The bowling attack is dangerous with lots of bases covered, including Wanindu Hasaranga’s leg-spin and Matheesha Pathirana’s shrewd slower deliveries, but the shoulder injury sustained by seamer Eshan Malinga is a blow.
Round-one fixtures: vs Ireland (February 8, Colombo); vs Oman (February 12, Pallekele), vs Australia (February 16, Pallekele), vs Zimbabwe (February 19, Colombo)
Oman
Best result: Round one (2016, 2021, 2024)
2024 result: Knocked out in round one
How did they qualify in 2026? Through Asia-Pacific Regional Final
Head coach: Duleep Mendis
Squad: Jatinder Singh (captain), Vinayak Shukla, Mohammad Nadeem, Shakeel Ahmad, Hammad Mirza, Wasim Ali, Karan Sonavale, Faisal Shah, Nadeem Khan, Sufyan Mehmood, Jay Odedra, Shafiq Jan, Ashish Odedra, Jiten Ramanandi, Aamir Kaleem.
Will 44-year-old Aamir Kaleem make an impact for Oman?
Players to watch: Doing it for the old guys is 44-year-old Aamir Kaleem, a late call-up following injury to Hasnain Shah. The spin-bowling all-rounder showed he has plenty left to give with a half-century against India in last year’s Asia Cup, and his experience could be key. Captain Jatinder Singh, 36, is another wise head.
As for a younger player to follow, we’ll go for Nadeem Khan, 24, whose 11 wickets helped Oman through qualifying. He also contributed 30 not out off 16 balls in a crunch win over the UAE, so has more than one string to his bow.
Round-one fixtures: vs Zimbabwe (February 9, Colombo); vs Sri Lanka (February 12, Pallekele), vs Ireland (February 14, Colombo), vs Australia (February 20, Pallekele)
Watch the Men’s T20 World Cup live on Sky Sports from February 7 to March 8. Get Sky Sports or stream contract-free with NOW.