T20 World Cup 2026: Ireland vs Zimbabwe 32nd T20I Match Prediction - Who will win today's match between IRE vs ZIM T20I World Cup match?
Ireland will face Zimbabwe in their last match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Pallekele on Tuesday, 17th February. After upsetting Australia in their previous match, Zimbabwe will be desperate to secure their place in the Super Eight with a victory in their next match, while Ireland will look to end their tournament on a positive note.
Ireland
After an embarrassing series defeat against Sri Lanka and Australia in their first two matches, Ireland finally tasted their first victory in the tournament, defeating Oman by a huge margin of 96 runs. They are sitting in fourth of the table with one victory and two defeats in their three matches. While batting first against Oman, Ireland posted a huge total of 235 runs; in reply, Oman was bowled out for only 139 runs. Skipper Lorcan Tucker was the hero, scoring an unbeaten 94 runs from just 51 deliveries. Apart from him, Gareth Delany also smashed a half-century, scoring 56 runs from 30 balls. In their bowling, Joshua Little performed brilliantly, scalping three wickets in his four overs.
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe had a brilliant outing in their tournament opener, winning their series opener against Oman by 8 wickets. They continued their form and momentum and thrashed Australia in a brilliant game by 23 runs. This was their second victory over Australia in the T20 World Cup. On a tough batting surface, Zimbabwe posted 169 on their scorecard while batting first, thanks to the half-century from Brian Bennett, who scored 64 runs from 56 balls. His knock helped the team reach a respectable total. Ryan Burl and T Marumani also batted well, scoring 35 runs each. Sikandar Raza scored 25 runs in 13 balls. Zimbabwe were too good with their bowling and fielding; they bowled out Australia for 146 runs. Blessing Muzarabani and Brad Evans were the heroes, taking seven wickets together. A victory here will propel them to the Super Eight.
IRE vs ZIM Match Details
| IRE vs ZIM T20I WC Match Details | |
| Match | Ireland vs Zimbabwe 32nd T20I Match |
| Date and Time | Tuesday, February 17; 3:00 p.m. IST |
| Venue | Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele |
| Broadcasting and live streaming | TV-Star Sports Network, Live Stream-JioHotstar |
The surface at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium is mostly a balanced surface, which generally offers good help to pace bowlers and batters as well. Early in the innings, batters can capitalise on the hardness and dryness of the surface, especially with the new ball coming on nicely to the bat. But as the match progresses, the surface will slow down and become easy to bat on. Moreover, batting under the lights remains a major factor here, where batters in the second innings face major issues, and it remains a tough task. The average first innings total at this venue is 175.
IRE vs ZIM T20 WC Weather Report
The weather in Pallekele is likely to be partially cloudy and humid during the early hours of the match, with a 10% chance of rain predicted. The conditions are expected to be warm, likely due to the tropical weather, with a humidity level of around 55-60%. The maximum temperature will be around 25-30 °C.
IRE vs ZIM Head-to-Head Records
| IRE vs ZIM head-to-head (in T20s) | |
| Match Played | 18 |
| Won by Ireland | 8 |
| Won by Zimbabwe | 8 |
| Tied | 0 |
| No Result | 2 |
IRE vs ZIM Probable XI
- Ireland: Tim Tecto, Ross Adair, Lorcan Tucker (c/wk), Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, Ben Calitz, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Josh Little, Mathew Humphreys.
- Zimbabwe: Brian Bennett, T Marumani (wk), Ryan Burl, Sikandar Raza (c), Dion Myers, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Blessing Muzarabani, Graeme Cremer.
Players To Watch Out For in the IRE vs ZIM Match
- Lorcan Tucker | IRE: Lorcan Tucker has been the best batter for the Ireland team in the ongoing tournament. In 3 matches so far, he has scored 139 runs with an average of 69.5. He was their standout batter against Oman in the last match, scoring an unbeaten 94 runs. He is one player to watch out for in this match.
- Brian Bennett | ZIM: Brian Bennett is one of Zimbabwe’s key batters in the tournament. He has been in excellent form, scoring heavily and patiently. His ability to play a wide range of shots makes him a dangerous option at the top of the order. He was their standout batter in the first two matches, remaining unbeaten at 48 and 64 runs respectively. He should be a player to watch out for.
- Blessing Muzarbani | ZIM: Blessing Muzarbani has been their best bowler in recent times across all formats. He has been impressively well in the ongoing tournament as well, doing magic for the team with the ball. He has taken 7 wickets in just two matches in the tournament. He was the star bowler in the last match against Australia, taking four wickets in his spell.
IRE vs ZIM Toss Prediction
Historical Toss-Winning Stats at the Venue
- In the last 3 T20I matches played at this venue, the team winning the toss has opted to bowl first in one match, while batting in two matches.
Advantages of Bowling First on This Pitch
- In the total of 30 T20I matches played at this venue so far, the teams that batted first have won 14 matches, and bowling first have won 12 matches.
IRE vs ZIM Today's Match Scenario
Scenario 1
- Toss Winner: AUS (opts to bat first)
- Power-Play Score: 45-50
- AUS Total: 180-190
- Match Winner: Australia
Scenario 2
- Toss Winner: ZIM (opts to bat first)
- Power-Play Score: 36-40
- ZIM Total: 130-140
- Match Winner: Australia
Who will win today's IRE vs ZIM T20 World Cup match?
Zimbabwe started the tournament with a commanding victory over Oman, and they defeated Australia in their second game. Against an out-of-form team like Ireland, Zimbabwe will start the match having the psychological edge already, and they are likely to pick up a win here.