So here we are. The last group stage game for two teams that have already booked their flights home. Australia vs Oman. A match that means nothing on the points table but probably means everything to the players stepping onto the field tonight at Pallekele.

Before jumping into the Today Match Prediction, just take a second to think about how wild this tournament has been for Australia. A team with that much talent, that much World Cup experience — knocked out before the knockouts. Crazy when you say it out loud.

Anyway. Let's get into it.

The Match — Quick Details

February 20, 2026. Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. Toss at 6:30 PM IST, play starts at 7:00 PM. Star Sports and Jio Hotstar have the broadcast. Both teams are officially out of the running — Australia fourth in Group B with 2 points, Oman dead last with nothing on the board.

Dead rubber? Yes. But nobody told these players that.

Australia — A Campaign That Fell Apart Quickly

The Ireland game felt good. Australia won by 67 runs, Travis Head was smashing it like only he can, and everything looked fine. 79 runs across the tournament at a strike rate of 193.10 — the man is just different when he gets going.

Then Zimbabwe happened. Then Sri Lanka. Two losses back to back and suddenly the defending hopes of one of cricket's great T20 nations were completely finished. Earliest exit since 2009 — that's a stat that's going to sting for a long time in Australian dressing rooms.

You can point to a lot of things that went wrong. The middle order never firing when it counted — Ricky Ponting flagged this pretty publicly and he wasn't wrong. Mitchell Marsh's 54 off 27 against Sri Lanka was brilliant but it came in a losing cause. The bowling without Cummins and Hazlewood just didn't have that same edge at the death. Ellis and Zampa picked up 4 wickets each but managing the back end of innings on these pitches without your two best pace bowlers? That's a tough ask for anyone.

Still — they are Australia. Even in a bad tournament they have match-winners all over the park. And tonight against Oman, they should find their groove again.

Oman — Tough Tournament, A Few Bright Moments

Three games. Three losses. 0 points. -4.546 net run rate. On paper it looks like a disaster and honestly the scorelines were rough — bowled out for 103 against Zimbabwe, beaten by 105 runs by Sri Lanka, then 96 runs against Ireland. Heavy stuff.

But there were moments worth talking about.

Aamir Kaleem scored 50 off 29 balls against Ireland. Just stood there and played his shots like the scoreline didn't matter. 61 runs total in this tournament and easily their most dangerous batter. Hammad Mirza added 46 in that same Ireland game which gave them at least something to show for the effort.

And then Mohammad Nadeem. 43 years old. Scoring his first ever World Cup fifty. Against co-hosts Sri Lanka of all teams. That's a moment nobody in that Oman dressing room will forget in a hurry.

Shakeel Ahmed was decent with the ball too — 3 for 33 against Ireland, doing damage early in the powerplay. There's something here to build on. After tonight Oman move on to the 2024-2026 Cricket World Cup League 2, with Nepal on March 10 being their next challenge.

Weather and Pitch — Don't Ignore This

This is actually a big part of the Today Match Prediction tonight. There's a 60% chance of rain in Pallekele. Humidity at 90%. Temperature around 28 degrees. If the rain comes — and it very well might — DLS comes into play and everything changes.

Pallekele has been a batter's ground this tournament. Sri Lanka posted 225 for 5 against Oman here. They also chased down 184 against Australia on this exact surface. So when the conditions allow, runs flow freely.

The smart toss call tonight is bowl first. Every captain knows that with rain hanging around, fielding first and letting DLS work in your favour is the way to go. Don't be surprised if whoever wins the toss puts the opposition in without thinking twice.

Head to Head

These two have only played once before. T20 World Cup 2024 in Barbados — Australia won by 39 runs. That's the entire head-to-head record between these sides.

Recent form for Australia — L L W L L. Oman — L L L W W. Not great from either side but Australia's two recent wins came against stronger opposition than anything Oman have faced.

Today Match Prediction

Right. The Today Match Prediction everyone came here for.

Australia win this. That's the short version.

Look — Oman have shown they can compete in patches but Australia, even in their worst tournament run in over a decade, are a class above. Depth in batting, variety in bowling, experience in big game situations — it all points one way tonight.

This Today Match Prediction gives Australia an 80% chance of winning and Oman 20%.

Scenario one — Australia win the toss, bowl first. Oman post somewhere between 140 and 155. Australia knock it off inside 16 overs with Head doing damage up front.

Scenario two — Oman win the toss, bowl first. Australia get to 175-185. Oman's batting, as spirited as it has been at times, simply cannot chase that down.

Either way the Today Match Prediction doesn't change — Australia win tonight.

Betting Tips

Safe money goes on Australia. No surprises there. Travis Head is worth backing as top batter — he has been the one consistent performer all tournament. Adam Zampa bowling against Oman's middle order on a turning Pallekele pitch is an interesting wicket taker option too.

Toss prediction leans Australia — and bowl first is the call whoever wins it.

Final Word

Australia need this win. Not for the points — those don't matter anymore. But for themselves. For the confidence going into a 2028 World Cup cycle where they are co-hosting and expectations will be massive. Ending on a win, even against Oman, plants a small seed of positivity in what has been a miserable few weeks.

Oman just want to show up and make it a game. And knowing what Kaleem and Nadeem are capable of — they just might for a period tonight.

But our final Today Match Prediction stands firm. Australia get the job done at Pallekele on February 20. It might be scrappy, it might be weather affected — but the result should go one way.

Australia to win the AUS vs OMAN 40th T20 WC 2026 match.

Disclaimer: This Today Match Prediction is written based on analysis and personal opinion only. Please use it as a reference and not as financial advice before placing any bets.