Ireland Captain Paul Stirling ruled out of the T20 World Cup with a knee injury and Sam Topping was named as his replacement.
Stirling sustained the injury while taking a catch during Ireland’s match against Australia. The experienced opener, who has been a key figure in Ireland’s white-ball setup for over a decade, will now miss the remainder of the competition.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) Technical Committee has approved a replacement for the injured skipper. Sam Topping has been drafted into the squad as Stirling’s replacement.
Stirling’s absence is a significant blow to Ireland’s campaign, given his leadership and explosive batting at the top of the order. Team management will now look to regroup as they prepare for the upcoming fixtures in the tournament. Further updates on Stirling’s recovery timeline are expected in due course.
In the last match, Australia defeated Ireland by 67 runs at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Wednesday.
After electing to bat, the world No. 2 side posted 182/6, powered by Marcus Stoinis’ quickfire 45 off 29 deliveries. In response, the 12th-ranked Irish team was bowled out for 115 in 16.5 overs, with Adam Zampa and Nathan Ellis claiming four wickets each.
Mitchell Marsh, Australia’s appointed captain for the tournament, missed the match after suffering a direct blow to the groin during a training session earlier in the week.
Australia posted a total of 182 for 6 in their 20 overs, thanks to an aggressive innings from Marcus Stoinis, who scored 45 off 29 balls, and a quickfire 37 off 17 balls from Josh Inglis.
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