Ireland’s T20I World Cup hopes have been dealt a massive blow as captain Paul Stirling faces a race against time to stay in the tournament. The veteran opener injured his right knee during a difficult loss to Australia in Colombo, leaving fans and teammates anxious about his recovery.
The incident occurred in the seventh over of Australia’s innings. Paul Stirling showed his usual commitment in the field, leaping high to his right to pull off a spectacular catch against Josh Inglis. While the catch was successful, the landing was not. Stirling fell heavily on his knee, causing immediate discomfort.
Despite the pain, the captain attempted to lead from the front. He walked out to open the batting during Ireland’s pursuit of 183.
ALSO READ- Complete BCCI contract list 2026 in each category
However, his bravery was short-lived. After attempting a quick single on his first ball, Stirling was visibly limping and unable to run. He was forced to retire hurt and did not return to the crease. Ireland eventually collapsed to 115 all out.
Ireland’s batting coach, Gary Wilson, admitted the situation “doesn’t look great” Paul Stirling underwent a medical scan on Wednesday night to determine the extent of the damage.
“He thought he was OK when he went out there,” Wilson explained. “He wanted to maximize the Powerplay, but the knee seized up as soon as he tried to take off.”
Ireland’s campaign is currently on thin ice following consecutive losses to Sri Lanka and Australia. While they still have a mathematical chance of reaching the Super Eights, losing a player of Paul Stirling’s caliber would be devastating.
FOLLOW US ON OUR FB PAGE
Ireland is scheduled to face Oman this Saturday at the SSC. If Stirling is ruled out, the team will need to find a new face at the top of the order to keep their World Cup dreams alive.