Lewis puts trust in young Ireland team for T20 World Cup

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 is set to be a steep learning curve for Ireland, but captain Gaby Lewis has faith in her young side. After missing out on the last edition two years ago, Ireland made the cut for the marquee event on the final day of Global Qualifiers in February.

Lewis will captain Ireland for the first time at the T20 World Cup and she leads a young 15-member squad that includes first-time call-ups Ava Canning, Christina Coulter Reilly, Alana Dalzell, Aimee Maguire and Lara McBride.

“There are a lot of players to look out for in our squad, and we’ve got some great youngsters,” Lewis wrote in a column for the ICC.

“Aimee Maguire has been brilliant for us over the last couple of years, and you can’t pass over the likes of Orla Prendergast and Amy Hunter as well. We don’t rely on one or two players though; we’ve got a real group of match-winners.

“The more experienced the girls get, the better they are at international cricket. We don’t have a major provincial setup that they come through, so they’re learning a lot at international level. The more games they play, the more they learn.”

While Lewis was the top run-scorer for Ireland in the qualifying tournament, with 276 runs from seven matches, Arlene Kelly was the second-highest wicket-taker.

This will be Ireland’s fifth appearance at the global event and they have been drawn in Group 2 with Scotland, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and the West Indies. In the run-up to the Women’s T20 World Cup in England, Ireland registered encouraging wins over Pakistan and West Indies.

Ireland secured a stunning victory over Thailand as they secured a spot at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026.

Lewis and her teammates are also looking forward to playing so close to home and the prospect of competing in front of Irish fans.

“The fact the ICC Women's T20 World Cup is in England this year is a really exciting prospect. Having the competition so close to home is going to be really special, and it will be great to see as many fans as possible at all of the matches,” the 25-year-old stated.

“Often, when you play at World Cups, they are further afield and it’s the hosts or the opposition that brings the fans to the stadiums. So, on this occasion, it will be nice to have a lot of Irish people travelling and a lot of young kids and girls supporting, who I hope have ambitions to one day play for the team.”

Since the first edition in 2009, the T20 World Cup has grown in stature and popularity. The 2026 edition will be the biggest ever, with the number of teams expanding from 10 to 12, and the ICC has also increased the total prize money to US $7.95 million in 2024 to US $8.76 million.

“The increased prize money for the tournament is great too. The more investment into the women’s game, the better. It’s striving to be as close to the men’s game as possible, and it’s great to see these financial increases. But most importantly, our focus is on winning games of cricket,” Lewis added.

Ireland begin their campaign on June 13, as they take on Scotland at Old Trafford, Manchester.

Ireland squad: Gaby Lewis (c), Amy Hunter, Arlene Kelly, Ava Canning, Cara Murray, Christina Coulter Reilly, Alana Dalzell, Georgina Dempsey, Alice Tector, Leah Paul, Louise Little, Orla Prendergast, Rebecca Stokell, Aimee Maguire, Lara McBride

Ireland’s T20 World Cup fixtures (Group stage)

v Scotland: June 13, Old Trafford, 10:30 AM

v England: June 16, Hampshire Bowl, 6:30 PM

v New Zealand: June 19, Hampshire Bowl, 6:30 PM

v Sri Lanka: June 23, Bristol County Ground, 2:30 PM

v West Indies: June 27, Bristol County Ground, 2:30 PM