Preview: Win first, net run rate second in Group 1 as England take on Ireland

England have only played Ireland once in T20Is, way back in 2010, with rain ending what could have been quite an entertaining match given that England finished on 120/8 in their 20 overs.

A dozen years and four T20 World Cups later, England's T20 batting has undergone a remarkable metamorphosis, so much so that they boast of one of the best batting line-ups in the tournament this time around.

England's focus will be firmly on victory, but Jos Buttler's men would most likely be eyeing the net run rate where even small margins could easily play spoilsport.

T20 World Cup Super 12 Standings

Australia gave theirs a boost with Marcus Stoinis punctuating Aaron Finch's sluggish knock with sparkle from the other end. New Zealand are already quite a bit on top with their massive win margin against Australia.

Sri Lanka too have a win under their belt and are above Australia and below England at this point. Winning would be a priority as Buttler rightly pointed out in the pre-match press conference, and England would certainly not see Ireland as pushovers after their First Round performance.

"Anytime you take things for granted or you don't respect the opposition is when you can get hurt. I think in T20 cricket especially, there's the one format where it's as level a playing field as any," Buttler said ahead of the game.

Ireland were on a high after the thumping win over West Indies to qualify for the Super 12, but have been brought back to the ground after a nine-wicket loss to Sri Lanka.

Their promising batting line-up offers plenty of hope, but to beat England, Ireland will need the bowling to step up big time. At the MCG, with the big boundary dimensions, restricting England's big hitters will be the priority.

The spinners, Simi Singh and Gareth Delany, have been on and off with the ball, but will have to step up to keep England quiet through the middle overs, where they tend to attack a lot more than other teams.

With the bat, the Stirling-Balbirnie pair at the top packs quite a punch, but it's probably the likes of Campher, Delany and Tector that could give Ireland's fight a real push.

England

Jos Buttler (c), Alex Hales, Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes, Liam Livingstone, Harry Brook, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood

Ireland

Paul Stirling, Andrew Balbirnie (c), Lorcan Tucker, Harry Tector, George Dockrell, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Simi Singh, Barry McCarthy, Josh Little

Jos Buttler: Since finding a tempo to his T20 batting, Buttler has gone from a dangerous hitter to a calculated batter who adapts to game situations and maximises boundary opportunities, keeping the strike rate quite a bit above par. An aggressive Alex Hales aids Buttler's new mantra at the other end, and potentially helps him get those big knocks for England.

Mark Adair: To rattle England, Ireland need Powerplay wickets and while all eyes are on Josh Little, Adair's ability to swing the new ball and create wicket-taking opportunities up front makes him a genuine threat.

Captaincy Pick: Jos Buttler

It's obvious why Buttler could be your best punt as captain for this game. The England opener has turned into an expert at managing the risk that comes with T20 batting to maximise his rewards. He may not blaze away like he might have done at the start of his career, but Buttler today is best positioned to get one of those big hundreds than most other batters.

Must-have pick: Dawid Malan

Malan has enjoyed a strong 2022 in this format, making 471 runs at an average of 33.64 while pushing his strike rate up a notch to the mid-130s. Like Buttler, Malan has found the right balance between the defensive and aggressive to turn into a fine T20 batter.

Differential pick: Paul Stirling

On his day, there's no stopping Paul Stirling as West Indies found out earlier in the tournament. Given England's depleted attack, if there's anyone who can punch a hole into Buttler's bowling plans, it is Stirling and Ireland will hope that he manages to pull it off.