ICC Men’s T20 WC 2026 | Match 32: Ireland vs Zimbabwe | Preview and Predictions

After two back-to-back losses, Ireland picked up their first win at the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup against Oman and thus stand an outside chance of making the Super Eight.

In Match 32, they face Zimbabwe, who are fresh off their big win over Australia and will be looking to continue their winning ways.

Here, we present our preview and predictions for Match 32 of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 | Match 32: IRE vs ZIM | 15:00, February 17, 2026

Despite losing their captain Paul Stirling, who has been ruled out of the World Cup, Ireland stepped up against Oman, with stand-in captain Lorcan Tucker’s 94* powering them to a big 235.

Stirling’s absence at the top of the order will be felt, though, and the Irish camp will hope the likes of Ross Adair, Harry Tector, and Tucker continue to deliver the goods. The Irish bat deep, with both Gareth Delany and George Dockrell at No. 6 and No. 7, respectively, more than handy with the bat; the two also had a strong outing against Oman.

The Irish opening bowling duo of Matt Humphreys and Mark Adair has been leaking runs at the top, an issue that has led them to be overly dependent on their spinners. The spin trio of Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, and Harry Tector has been pulling things back though, and the management will hope the spinners continue to thrive in spin-friendly conditions.

Zimbabwe, meanwhile, have put themselves in pole position to make the Super Eight after their stunning win over Australia. They now have two wins from as many games, and a key part of their success has been their bowling unit, which has done a stellar job to keep the opponents restricted to low scores.

Seamers Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani, and Brad Evans have been the chief Zimbabwean wreckers, while the team also boasts a handy spin attack, which comprises Sikandar Raza, Graeme Cremer, and Wellington Masakadza.

With the bat, ZIM have been clinical despite losing star veteran Brendan Taylor. Brian Bennett at the top of the order has been solid, while the remaining top- and middle-order batters have also got runs under their belts.

The only worry for Zimbabwe right now is arguably the lower part of their middle batting order, which is yet to be tested properly. The management will hope that the team don’t require it to deliver the bulk of the scoring, but if that is to happen, it’d better happen in the group stage.

The Kandy pitch has provided runs to those who have applied themselves, while also being supportive to spinners.

Ireland’s win over Oman, along with their handy spin attack, will give them confidence coming into this encounter, though it’s the high-flying Zimbabwe who start as our favourites to take the win here given their red-hot form.

Fantasy XI: Harry Tector, Brian Bennett, Ross Adair, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Ryan Burl, Sikandar Raza, Mark Adair, Brad Evans, Blessing Muzarabani, George Dockrell

Venue: Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele, Kandy
Winners Prediction: Zimbabwe