ICC Men’s T20 WC 2026 | Match 16: Sri Lanka vs Oman | Preview and Predictions
Co-hosts Sri Lanka will take on a wounded Oman side in Match 16 of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on February 12, 2026.
Here, we present our preview and predictions for the game.
ICC Men’s T20 WC 2026 Group B | Match 16: Sri Lanka vs Oman | 11:00 IST, February 12, 2026
The game against Ireland should be taken more as a warning sign than just a rusty performance. Although Sri Lanka eventually won the game with a comfortable 20-run margin, Ireland made them sweat throughout the second innings. Add to that the huge injury blow to their star man Wanindu Hasaranga, who’s ruled out of the tournament, and things aren’t looking rosy for the 2014 champions.
Against Ireland, the Lankan batters were unable to get going, with the Irish bowlers stifling the run flow from the get-go. It took an unbeaten 44 off 17 balls from Kamindu Mendis to get them past the 160-run mark, as the rest of the top- and middle-order batters struggled to impose themselves on the game. That said, Kusal Mendis anchored the innings really well with an unbeaten 56 off 43 deliveries.
In the bowling department, Maheesh Theekshana provided the early breakthrough in the Powerplay, but soon the Irish began to threaten. Needing just 60 runs off the last six overs with eight wickets in hand, it took three-fers by the virtually one-legged Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana, along with some disciplined death bowling by Dushmantha Chameera and Matheesha Pathirana, to ensure Sri Lanka secured a 20-run victory on the night.
As far as their opponents are concerned, Oman had a dreadful start to their T20 World Cup campaign. Having been asked to bat first by Zimbabwe, they lost half their side by the end of the seventh over, with the scorecard reading 27/5. Some rearguard action from the likes of Vinayak Shukla, Sufyan Mehmood, and Nadeem Khan helped them cross the 100-run mark, but it was hardly ever going to be enough.
In the bowling department, Faisal Shah and Sufyan Mehmood were the pick of the bowlers. Shah troubled the openers with the new ball, while Mehmood picked up two wickets in quick succession before the Zimbabwean batters took charge and finished off the game in the 14th over.
In terms of weather forecast and pitch report for this game, expect conditions to be clear initially before clouds set in during the afternoon, with rain possible in some areas. The wicket here in Pallekele is not much different from any other Sri Lankan wicket, though it is comparatively better for batters, with the average first-innings score in the last ten innings here sitting at 164.
Looking ahead to this fixture, the hosts will come into this contest with some confidence behind them after beating a tricky Irish outfit. However, they’ll also be wary of the threat the associate nations carry. As for Oman, showing a bit more resilience with both bat and ball should be their target against a very tough Sri Lankan side. We’re backing the co-hosts to go two in two against a weak Omani side.
Fantasy XI: Pathum Nissanka (c), Aamir Kaleem, Kusal Mendis (vc), Vinayak Shukla, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Sufyan Mehmood, Dushmantha Chameera, Matheesha Pathirana, Faisal Shah, Maheesh Theekshana
Venue: Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele
Winners Prediction: Sri Lanka
