Published on: Feb 3, 2026 5:59 pm IST|Updated on: Feb 3, 2026 5:59 pm IST
The 11th edition of Men’s ICC T20 World Cup is on the horizon. This edition of the showpiece event of the shortest format of the game will be played in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8. As many as 20 teams will be contesting in this hardcore tournament, divided into 4 groups of 5 teams each. In this post, we will be discussing Group B, which features two former champions in Australia and co-hosts Sri Lanka, along with Zimbabwe, Ireland, and Oman. Let’s break down all 5 teams of Group B and know what they have in their arsenal for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
ICC T20I Ranking: 6 Best Performance: Champions in 2014
The co-hosts and 2014 champions, Sri Lanka, are among the favorites from Group B to proceed to the Super 8 stages. In recent times, Sri Lanka hasn’t been at their best in the T20 format. They couldn’t make it to the finals of the Asia Cup 2025 and have lost two bilateral T20I series, including a home series loss to England, heading into this World Cup.
The only motivation for the islanders in this edition of the T20 World Cup is the fact that they are playing at home and can unleash their spinners on spin-friendly tracks here. Despite having a settled unit and having players who have been part of this setup for quite some time now, Sri Lanka has struggled in this format in recent times. They would want to do better in a home World Cup and put up a spirited show to reclaim the title after a span of 12 long years.
Sri Lanka T20 World Cup 2026 Squad: Dasun Shanaka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Janith Perera, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Pavan Rathnayake, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Matheesha Pathirana, Eshan Malinga
ICC T20I Ranking: 3 Best Performance: Champions in 2021
Australia won the T20 World Cup under Aaron Finch in the year 2021 in the UAE. That particular World Cup drew the least viewership, as it was termed quite lame, as 50% of the results were predicted at the time of the coin toss. Australia won all their tosses and ended up winning the title as well. Five years later, they are heading into another T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka and India with the sole objective of winning the title for the second time.
Australia had a strong period in the middle of 2025, when they were winning multiple bilateral T20I series at home and also won two away series, i.e., in New Zealand and the West Indies. However, a 3-1 defeat to India in a 5-match series at home unfurled their incompetence, which led to a disastrous show at the end of January 2026 in Pakistan as Mitchell Marsh and his men succumbed to a demeaning 0-3 whitewash. Marsh commented before the Pakistan series that it’s going to be good preparation ahead of the T20 World Cup, but their performance in the entire series was nothing but shameful. Australia has a relatively easier group to make it to the next round, but they still need to be on the money with their performance to claim their second T20 World Cup title.
Australia T20 World Cup 2026 Squad: Mitchell Marsh (C), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Tim David, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
ICC T20I Ranking: 11 Best Performance: Super 12 in 2022
Heading into their 10th T20 World Cup, Zimbabwe will be looking for collective performance in all facets of the game. They have quite a promising side led by one of the finest T20I all-rounders in the world, i.e., Sikandar Raza, and players like Brendan Taylor, Ryan Burl, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani, Graeme Cremer, and Brad Evans add depth to this squad.
In the past editions, Zimbabwe has produced some massive upsets, like toppling Australia in the inaugural edition in 2007 at Newlands, Cape Town, and taming Pakistan in the 2022 edition at the Optus Stadium in Perth. These two victories have always been Zimbabwe’s highlight in the ICC T20 World Cup, and they would be eyeing to add more victories like this in the showpiece event. Another victory over Australia in a T20 World Cup won’t do any harm to Zimbabwean cricket and its fans.
Zimbabwe T20 World Cup 2026 Squad: Sikandar Raza (C), 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
ICC T20I Ranking: 16 Best Performance: First Round, finished 13th out of 16 teams
Perhaps the weakest team in the group and tournament as well, Oman will be entering their 5th T20 World Cup. Their journey in this marquee event started in the year 2016, and since then, they have been part of all the following T20 World Cups. Oman’s biggest achievement in this tournament came in their maiden appearance, i.e., in 2016, when they beat Ireland and registered their first win over a full-member nation.
All in all, Oman has won only a handful of games in their past 4 appearances in the T20 World Cup, and once again, they are nowhere near the favorites to register at least a solitary win in this group and proceed to the Super 8 stage.
Oman T20 World Cup 2026 Squad: Jatinder Singh (C), Vinayak Shukla, Mohammad Nadeem, Shakeel Ahmad, Hammad Mirza, Wasim Ali, Karan Sonavale, Shah Faisal, Nadeem Khan, Sufyan Mehmood, Jay Odedra, Shafiq Jan, Ashish Odedara, Jiten Ramanandi, Hasnain Ali Shah
ICC T20I Ranking: 12 Best Performance: Super 12 in 2022
The Irish side has been quite a regular figure in ICC T20 World Cups. Their first appearance in the tournament came in the year 2009 (the second edition of the T20 World Cup) in England, and since then, they have featured in all the following World Cups. However, despite gaining the ICC full-member status and being one of the prominent associate sides before, Ireland’s CV for the T20 World Cup hasn’t been impressive at all.
Their best performance came in the 2022 edition in Australia, where they made it to the Super 12 stage. Among the full-member sides, they have victories over Bangladesh and the West Indies in the 2009 and 2022 editions, respectively, but apart from those victories, they don’t have much to show. Ireland has got the competitive spirit, but they need proper execution to get an outside chance of making it to the Super 12 stage.
Ireland T20 World Cup 2026 Squad: Paul Stirling (C), 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
Tags: T20 World Cup 2026