Tucker 94* headlines Ireland's thrashing of Oman

Ireland kept their Super Eights hopes alive at the 2026 T20 World Cup with a commanding 96-run victory over Oman in Group C, posting the highest total of the tournament before bowling their opponents out with two overs to spare.

Stand-in captain Lorcan Tucker, leading in place of the injured Paul Stirling, starred with a scintillating 94 not out as Ireland piled up 235 for 5. The late assault was emphatic: eight sixes came in the final three overs alone, while the last five overs yielded a staggering 93 runs.

Oman were unable to keep pace in reply and were bowled out for 139, despite a blazing half-century from 44-year-old Aamir Kaleem, who struck 50 off 29 balls in a spirited counterattack.

Shakeel’s dream start

Oman made early inroads through left-arm spinner Shakeel Ahmed, playing his first match of the tournament. He removed Tim Tector with a sharp arm-ball, deceived Ross Adair in flight to induce a catch at mid-off, and bowled Harry Tector with dip and turn to leave Ireland wobbling at 45 for 3 after five overs.

Further pressure followed when Kaleem dismissed Curtis Campher in the eighth over. Two balls later, Tucker appeared to be stumped on 18, only for third umpire Ahsan Raza to rule that wicketkeeper Vinayak Shukla had broken the stumps with the glove not holding the ball. Replays suggested both gloves were in contact, and Oman were left to rue a pivotal missed opportunity with Ireland on 65 for 4.

Tucker and Delany turn the tide

Adapting to a slow surface and Oman's pace-off tactics, Tucker shifted gears, employing sweeps, scoops and paddles rather than power hitting. He and Gareth Delany added 50 in just 33 deliveries, with Tucker bringing up his half-century via a ferocious sweep behind square.

It was only the second half-century by an Irish captain at a men’s T20 World Cup, following Andy Balbirnie.

Late carnage

With Oman’s spin options exhausted after 14 overs, Ireland launched a relentless assault on the seamers. Delany smashed Jiten Ramanandi for consecutive sixes and later reached a 28-ball fifty with a flat-batted maximum off Faisal Shah.

Tucker then dismantled Mohammad Nadeem in the 18th over, racing from 60 to 86 with three sixes and two fours. A maiden Irish century at a men’s T20 World Cup briefly beckoned, but George Dockrell provided the final flourish, blasting 35 not out from just nine deliveries as Ireland amassed 156 runs in the final 10 overs.

Kaleem’s resistance and Ireland’s response

Oman’s reply began poorly, with captain Jatinder Singh falling cheaply and Ashish Odedara run out in unfortunate fashion. But Kaleem ignited the chase with a powerful powerplay display reminiscent of his exploits against India at last year’s Asia Cup.

Reaching his half-century in just 28 balls, Kaleem became the oldest half-centurion in men’s T20 World Cup history. At 97 for 2 in the 11th over, Oman were well placed.

However, from 107 for 3 they collapsed to 108 for 5 as Ireland struck in quick succession. Left-arm seamer Josh Little removed Ramanandi and Nadeem Khan to derail the innings, and the slide proved irreversible.

Oman were eventually bowled out for 139, a heavy defeat that belied the promise of Kaleem’s early surge. For Ireland, the emphatic win not only boosted their net run rate but also ensured their campaign remains alive — at least mathematically — heading into the final group fixtures.