It could be a pub quiz question: Name the four major teams that Ireland have never beaten in any form of men’s cricket?

Unfortunately for Paul Stirling’s side, and the ‘Blarney Army’ of supporters who have made their way to Colombo for the T20 World Cup, the Boys in Green will face two of that quartet in the next four days.

Hosts Sri Lanka are their opponents tomorrow on Sunday in the opening match of a very tricky Group B while the mighty Australia lie in wait on Wednesday.

Ireland should probably have beaten Sri Lanka at least once by now and had a good chance at the 2021 T20 World Cup in Abu Dhabi when a dazzling start from Stirling and Josh Little reduced the islanders to 8-3.

“Stirlo was thrown the ball for the first over and had a wicket almost immediately,” Little said. “Then I got the chance to bowl the second over.  

“It was warm, but not hot — the conditions were perfect. I got Dinesh Chandimal to chop on with my third ball, then swung one back through Avishka Fernando’s defence and had two in two.”

Little took two more wickets later in the innings to record his T20 international best of 4-23 but Sri Lanka recovered to make 171-7 and dismissed Ireland for 101, as only Andy Balbirnie and Curtis Campher made double figures.

“Three down in the second over, I guess that was one of our great regrets from the 2021 campaign — that we couldn’t quite keep the foot on the throat,” Little said.

Roared on by a passionate crowd at the R Premadasa Stadium tomorrow (SUN) night, Sri Lanka will be tougher than ever to beat in home conditions and, odd as it may sound, Ireland may have a better chance of getting points on the board against Australia.

The sides have met twice in the T20 showpiece with Australia winning comfortably on both occasions — in Colombo in 2012 and Brisbane three-and-a-half years ago when Lorcan Tucker made an eye-catching 71 not out. 

But without injured captain Pat Cummins, and fast-bowling sidekick Josh Hazlewood, an ageing squad will lean heavily on spinners Adam Zampa and Matthew Kuhnemann, and could be prone to an off day.

Ireland realistically need to win one of those games to stay in contention for a top two finish in Group B but it doesn’t get any easier after that with matches against Oman, who beat William Porterfield’s side in 2016, and close rivals Zimbabwe.

And if the question ever does come up in a pub quiz, India and New Zealand are the other two teams who have never lost to Ireland.