T20 World Cup 2024: Group A preview – India, Pakistan, Ireland, USA & Canada fixtures & players to watch

ICC T20 world ranking: 11th

T20 World Cup appearances: Seven

Best T20 World Cup performance: Round two (2009 & 2022)

Captain: Paul Stirling

Head coach: Heinrich Malan

Form (most recent last): LLWWW

Group fixtures (all times BST): India (5 June, 15:30), Canada (7 June, 15:30), USA (14 June, 15:30) & Pakistan (16 June, 15:30)

Batter to watch: Paul Stirling

He has been Ireland’s most high-profile batter for a number of years now, playing in various T20 franchise leagues around the world.

Although the right-hander hasn’t set the world alight during this World Cup cycle, he is experienced in Caribbean conditions, having played more than double the number of games of any other Irish batter in the squad.

He will be vital in imparting his wisdom to his young batting unit as no Irish batter has played more games or scored more T20 runs than Stirling.

Bowler to watch: Josh Little

The left-arm pace bowlers fiery nature, raw ball speed and ability to swing the new ball has earned him many admirers all over the globe, including in the Indian Premier League, where he plays for Gujarat Titans, and is the only Irish player in the competition.

He regularly surpasses 87mph, with 31% of his deliveries in 2023 above that speed, making him one of the quickest bowlers in the competition.