Will Jacks the hero again as England fight back to win T20 World Cup thriller

Will Jacks the hero again as England fight back to win T20 World Cup thriller

from Cricket https://ift.tt/3UxqPGB

The ECB opening doors to private investors in the Hundred has already backfired

In July 2025, ECB chair Richard Thompson said it was a “seminal moment for cricket in England and Wales.”

He made that statement after stakes in six of the Hundred teams had been completed, opening the door to private investment and marking a change in not only the franchise league but English cricket in general. While previously the teams were owned jointly by the ECB and county cricket clubs, now the ECB’s shares have gone to American and Indian companies.

The inspiration for such a move which had teams like the Northern Superchargers being sold for £100m is obvious – the Premier League. English football has long been the plaything of foreign investors and the top 20 teams in the country are now almost exclusively owned by American and Middle Eastern companies.

Even at the time, critics of the Hundred – of which there are many – doubted how good the sales away from the ECB were, effectively handing over control, and those fears have already come true in a matter of six months.

Earlier this month, the ECB wrote to every team in the Hundred to remind them of their responsibilities as a team. Without context, it would seem an odd move but behind the scenes, a very real situation has been bubbling up.

The India/Pakistan tension has been something that the ICC in particular has been happy to milk for all its worth. That fixture remains the most lucrative on the cricketing schedule but on-field rivalries became something more during the T20 World Cup when Pakistan initially refused to play India.

While it looked like a problem for the ICC to deal with, the more forward-thinking members of the ECB may have already begun to wonder about how they too soon may have to deal with the problem.

A report from the BBC suggested that four Hundred teams – Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds – would not consider signing Pakistan players for this year’s tournament as these clubs all have Indian owners.

In the email, the ECB reportedly warned of action that could be taken if there was evidence that cricketers are being ignored purely due to their nationality but when it comes down to it, it remains to be seen just how much the ECB can do.

Franchises that ignore the warning could be referred to the independent Cricket Regulator who is responsible for monitoring compliance with the game’s regulations but how do you prove a player was not chosen because of their nationality rather than ability?

It is also a terrible look for clubs in the UK in particular. British Pakistanis are the second-largest ethnic minority group in the country and such flagrant anti-discrimination may well have the ECB facing questions from the government.

The problem has already been put to England white-ball captain Harry Brook who said it would be a “shame” if Pakistani players were not picked but Brook is one of many players employed by an Indian-owned franchise, the Sunrisers.

It is a problem that has no obvious solution and one that will only get more amplified as days tick down to the player auction on March 11 and 12.

But ultimately, this is what has become of the ECB’s decision to open the door to foreign investment and the crusade to push the Hundred to the top of the English cricket agenda. By selling a controlling stake, the ECB has forfeited any ability it had to control the game it created and it is hurtling towards a PR disaster.

READ NEXT: The biggest scores in T20 World Cup history as West Indies hit huge figure

The post The ECB opening doors to private investors in the Hundred has already backfired appeared first on Cricket365.

from Cricket365 https://ift.tt/MZhFcVd

T20 World Cup predictions – England get a bit of a free hit against New Zealand

The 2026 edition of the T20 World Cup continues.

We are deep into the Super Eights stage.

Who is up next – and what are their chances of winning?

Find out more

England v New Zealand

Key talking points

England

England have qualified for the semifinals, so Friday’s encounter against the Black Caps is a bit of a free hit for them.

A win will secure them top spot in the group, but that could mean facing India in the semi – although they won’t be overly concerned by that.

Rather they are likely to view the game as a chance to continue building momentum and to play some of their out of form stars back into touch. In this regard veteran opener Jos Buttler is a big concern.

The former skipper has struggled for runs all tournament managing just 15 in his last five outings. He failed once again against Pakistan, caught behind for two after bottom edging a cut.

While England may look to rest some of their frontline bowlers, they are unlikely to tamper too much with their batting.

New Zealand

At 84 for six against Sri Lanka, it looked like New Zealand‘s World Cup campaign was coming to an end.

But a sensational 84 runs stand for the seventh wicket between skipper Mitch Santner and Cole McConchie saw them to a more than respectable total and ultimately to victory.

The win sees them go second in the group with three points, behind the already qualified England. Critically, New Zealand’s prospects of advancing to the semis are firmly in their own hands.

A win for New Zealand sees them finish top of the table and advance. A loss will leave them on three points which is the most Pakistan can reach, assuming they beat Sri Lanka in their final game.

As it stands however there is a big gulf between the net run rates of New Zealand (3.050) and Pakistan (-0.461). If New Zealand can avoid a hiding, they should be through to the last four.

Also read: 8 of the strangest cricket injuries

Venue: R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

Friday’s game sees New Zealand return to the Premadasa Stadium for the second time three days after the win earlier in the week against Sri Lanka.

New Zealand have played four games at the Premadasa Stadium, and they have yet to taste defeat.

They won the first two encounters which were back in 2009 and the most recent game against Sri Lanka on Wednesday, while their other game was the rained out Super Eight opener against Pakistan.

England meanwhile have won two and lost one of the three games they have played at the venue. They have yet to appear at the Premadasa in this World Cup – the last time they played at the ground was in 2018.

Friday’s game will be the 56th T20I to be played at the ground.

From the 55 games played at the ground, the side that chased has won 29 times while the side that batted first has won 24. The last three games at the ground were won by the side that batted first.

The average first innings score at the venue is 144.

The highest score recorded at the stadium was Bangladesh’s 215 for five from 19.4 overs made against Sri Lanka in 2018. This is also the highest successful chase at the ground.

The lowest score made at the ground was Afghanistan’s 80 all out, scored against England in 2012.

The lowest score defended at the ground was South Africa’s 115 for six from 20 overs made against Sri Lanka in 2013.

Weather

Colombo on Friday evening is expected to be beautifully clear and calm. Temperatures will gradually dip from a warm 28 degrees, although it may feel closer to 30 due to humidity levels at around 75 percent.

With light winds and marginal chance of rain at around five percent, it is shaping up for an ideal night for cricket.

Form

• England: W, W, W, W, L
• New Zealand: W, NR, W, L, W

Key players

Harry Brook

One of the signs of a good leader is the ability step up when it matters and come through with the goods.

England’s skipper, Harry Brook, may not have had the best tournament thus far, but when it mattered on Tuesday he delivered as he promoted himself up the order to three to rescue his side from a precarious 58 for four.

Batting with confidence and class against both the spinners and the quicks, Brook hit a superb 100 from 50 balls on a night when the next best score from one of his teammates was just 28.

Brook, who averages 30.97 in T20Is will be delighted with his return against Pakistan and he will be eager to ensure he continues against the Kiwis.

Rachin Ravindra

For large parts of their game against Sri Lanka, it didn’t look like New Zealand would win.

But good teams always find a way to get the job done and good players stand up when it counts most, and that is exactly what Rachin Ravindra did on Wednesday as he delivered a genuine all-round performance to win Man of the Match.

While wickets fell around him, he stood strong, hitting the second highest score of the Black Caps innings with 32 from 22 balls.

Then with the ball he returned career best figures of four for 27 as Sri Lanka faltered badly against the Kiwi’s spin. It was a performance that will have filled Ravindra with confidence.

Prediction: New Zealand

This will be a close game between the two sides likely to advance from the group. If New Zealand lose there is a chance that Pakistan can usurp them to claim a spot in the semi-final.

England are already through, so there is more on the line for New Zealand, and it is likely that will reflect in their performance.

Read next: Why the T20 World Cup is Harry Brook’s golden chance to salvage his reputation

The post T20 World Cup predictions – England get a bit of a free hit against New Zealand appeared first on Cricket365.

from Cricket365 https://ift.tt/f5nvlCK

The time is now to declare David Miller a true great of T20I cricket

Proteas veteran David Miller produced what will surely go down as one of the greatest T20 World Cup innings ever, when he clubbed a superb 63 from 35 balls against India on Sunday. What made Miller’s innings so incredible was the match situation.

Miller arrived at the crease with the Proteas in all sorts of trouble at 20 for three with four overs gone. Playing against the World Champions and the number one side in the world on their home ground was always going to be a tough assignment, but Miller was unphased as he launched a fightback that wrestled back control of the game and ultimately saw his side to a famous 76-run win.

Miller is an outstanding player, but at almost 37-years-old, his career is rapidly coming towards an end. He may well look to stay on until after next years’ ODI World Cup which South Africa is hosting, but before that happens, let’s take some time to appreciate the man who is quite possibly the best batsman to ever play T20 cricket for South Africa.

Usually, any suggestion that Miller is the greatest Protea T20 batsman of all time is flat batted out of town with the claim that the mantle belongs to AB de Villiers. But that simply isn’t true. When looking at T20 batting metrics that matter the most important ones are average and strike rate. In both categories Miller comfortably trumps De Villiers. Where Miller averages 34.62 per innings De Villiers comes in at 26.12.

Also read: 8 of the strangest cricket injuries

Miller is all thriller, no filler

In terms of strike rate Miller bats at 142.07 while De Villiers went at 135.16. Miller beats De Villiers in all categories – he has played more T20s for South Africa, scored more runs, been not out on more occasions and boasts a better high score (106* versus 79*). It looks like any suggestion that AB trumps Miller is off the table.

So, who else could claim the title of South Africa’s greatest T20 batsman of all time? In terms of averages there are only four players who sit ahead of Miller on the list – JP Duminy is top of the pile, followed by Faf du Plessis, Jacques Kallis and Rilee Rossouw. Of those four Kallis and Rossouw both played less than 30 T20s for the Proteas and probably don’t boast the body of work to be considered for the title.

That leaves Faf and JP to vie for the position. Their averages are both better than Millers, but conversely Miller’s strike rate trumps theirs – Duminy hits at a rate of 126.24 and Du Plessis at a rate of 134.24. In fairness to Duminy he played at a different time, when strike rates were slightly lower.

What next for the great?

Right now, it is tough to separate the three contenders for the crown. The final metric, when determining ‘greatness’ is what players have won. We are not talking win percentages here; we are talking silverware. As it stands no Protea player has ever won a World Cup. Miller was part of the Proteas side that made it to the final in the West Indies in 2024 which was a significant achievement. But the absence of a trophy remains a black mark for all the players who can be considered South Africa’s best T20 batsman.

If, and it remains a big if at this stage, the Proteas go on to win the current World Cup then it would be hard to deny assertions that David Miller is indeed the greatest Protea T20 batsman of all time. Whatever happens, take a moment to appreciate Miller – he is an understated genius, brimming with big match temperament. If anyone can bat South Africa to the promised land of World Cup glory, David Miller is the man.

Read next: Why the T20 World Cup is Harry Brook’s golden chance to salvage his reputation

The post The time is now to declare David Miller a true great of T20I cricket appeared first on Cricket365.

from Cricket365 https://ift.tt/l9WsJZa

Should England drop Jos Buttler after dismal T20 World Cup showing?

There is a worrying Jos Buttler trend that any England fan will not want to be reminded of this World Cup.

In all but one of his innings so far this tournament, he has scored fewer runs than he did in his previous.

The once star of England’s white ball game has found himself in a rut and a score of two last time out in Pakistan poses the real question of is it time for England to drop Buttler?

The arguments to do so are clear. Buttler started the tournament with an okay if not fantastic 26 against Nepal but that slipped to 21 against the tournament’s surprise package West Indies.

Against Scotland, Buttler managed just three, the same score he managed in the next game against Italy.

He started the Super Eight phase with seven against Sri Lanka but lasted just three balls in a chase of Pakistan’s 164.

To make matters worse, Buttler is occupying one of the two opening spots and crucially at the crease for the six-over powerplay. There is a more than strong argument to suggest that if not dropped entirely, Buttler should drop down the order to allow other batters who are in better nick to enjoy the best time to score runs.

The argument against doing so is one that is becoming increasingly based on history than what could be expected to come.

Buttler is England’s T20 top scorer by more than 1,500 runs. Eoin Morgan may have been the face of white-ball transformation but it was Buttler that was the engine behind it and crucially the one who carried on when Morgan retired.

Buttler’s drop in form is not just confined to the World Cup either. Away from an unbeaten 97 in the South Africa franchise league, he failed to score above 25 and in England’s series against Sri Lanka, he averaged 27. Tom Banton meanwhile averaged 45.

That has been Buttler’s benefit so far, there have been other players to pick up the pieces. Jacob Bethell has been an erstwhile opener given how soon he has appeared at the crease and disruption at the top order has a knock-on effect for all those below.

The world of modern sport means almost everyone has a podcast and the benefit of that is we have heard direct from the horse’s mouth.

“T20 is one of those games that asks you to keep making plays,” Buttler said on his ‘For the Love of Cricket’ podcast he shares with Stuart Broad.

“There’s times where you’ve maybe been out of form in a Test match, with the batting coach, who might say ‘just rein it in for a bit and try to bat for an hour and it will come back to you’.

“So by hook or by crook, bat for an hour. But in T20s, you’ve got to keep playing the scoreboard, if you’re chasing 10 an over you’ve got to play accordingly.

“I saw Nasser say ‘just bat for 15 overs’ and I would love to just bat for 15 overs but I don’t want to bat for 15 overs just for myself and ignore the game. You’ve got to still play the game.”

It is an honest admission from Buttler but also one that shows he’s not going to change his gameplan anytime soon. Buttler is hoping to hit his way into form but England are past the stage of a World Cup when you can wait for a player to do that.

The match against Pakistan should be a turning point and if not a complete dropping from the team, it is time for the coaches to make a change and try and unlock the best of this talented England batting side. Buttler should move down to five and allow Bethell a deserved return to the opening spots. As for Buttler, a return to a position he spent the majority of his T20 career at and the finisher role may allow him to return to his imperious best.

READ NEXT: The biggest scores in T20 World Cup history as West Indies hit huge figure

The post Should England drop Jos Buttler after dismal T20 World Cup showing? appeared first on Cricket365.

from Cricket365 https://ift.tt/jg0CMdi

Brutal Brook century drives England to nervy victory against Pakistan

Brutal Brook century drives England to nervy victory against Pakistan

from Cricket https://ift.tt/Ut5lMaB

The biggest scores in T20 World Cup history as West Indies hit huge figure

The West Indies hit an enormous 254 in their demolition of Zimbabwe at the 2026 T20 World Cup but where does it rank in the all-time top score list?

Here are the five biggest scores in T20 World Cup history.

5. South Africa – 229/4 v England (2016)

When three of your players hit a half century and you score the then-second highest total in a T20 World Cup, you would feel pretty good about your chances but unfortunately for South Africa, they are the owners of the biggest losing total having hit 229 against England in 2016.

They began by putting on a 96-run partnership between openers Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock and Jean-Paul Duminy saw out the innings with an unbeaten half century of his own but even a run rate of 11.45 proved to not be enough.

4. England – 230/8 v South Africa (2016)

Even with a record total to chase, the batting power in the 2016 England squad meant no one had written them off just yet.

They began with a 48-run partnership between Jason Roy and Alex Hales but their effort looked to be coming up short when Ben Stokes was dismissed for 15.

But in came the calming presence of Joe Root who hit 83 off 44 balls to turn the match in England’s favour.

While impressive from England, it was a match of self-sabotage too with South Africa giving away 26 extras, 20 of which were wides.

3. Ireland – 235/5 v Oman (2026)

Even before the West Indies, the 2026 World Cup had seen a huge score come from Ireland in the Group Stage.

Captain Lorcan Tucker hit an unbeaten 94 while Gareth Delany registered 56 as Ireland raced to 235/5.

Oman put up a fair fight with opener Aamir Kaleem scoring 50 and Hammad Mirza scoring 46 but only one other player hit double digits as they reached 139.

2. West Indies – 254/6 v Zimbabwe (2026)

West Indies have quickly emerged as one of the outside contenders for this year’s tournament and with batting power like this, it is easy to see why.

No.3 Shimron Hetmyer was the star, hitting seven sixes and seven fours on his way to 85 runs off just 34 balls and Rovman Powell was in similar striking form with his 59 off 35.

Solid scores across the order with just one player facing more than one ball and not getting into the double digits saw West Indies rack up 254 runs, the second highest in T20 World Cup history.

1. Sri Lanka – 260/6 v Kenya (2007)

West Indies fell just six runs short of the all-time record which is held by Sri Lanka for their effort back in 2007.

It came in the Group Stage against Kenya and was led by opener Sanath Jayasuriya who hit 88 off 44 balls. Healthy scores from Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and an unbeaten 46 from Jehan Mubarak gave The Lions the almighty target which Kenya just could not get close to.

In their innings, they managed just 88 with their top scorer, Alex Obanda, scoring 21.

READ NEXT: 7 reasons why things went so horribly wrong for Australia at the T20 World Cup

The post The biggest scores in T20 World Cup history as West Indies hit huge figure appeared first on Cricket365.

from Cricket365 https://ift.tt/V5blTd3

Brilliant bowlers crush Sri Lanka to put England on verge of T20 World Cup semi-final

Brilliant bowlers crush Sri Lanka to put England on verge of T20 World Cup semi-final

from Cricket https://ift.tt/EPRxt27

7 reasons why things went so horribly wrong for Australia at the T20 World Cup

Let’s not pretend that we are indifferent to Australia‘s ongoing struggles at the T20 World Cup. Consecutive losses to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka have left the Baggy Green’s on the cusp of exiting the tournament, with their destiny firmly in the hands of other teams.

More than any other side, South Africans seem to love seeing Australia struggle. That Schadenfreude is probably firmly rooted in the trauma inflicted on our boys back in the late 1990’s and early 2000s – particularly that game that still cannot be mentioned.

But we are not here to talk about why we enjoy watching the Aussie’s struggle, let’s try to understand what’s going on with one of the world’s former cricketing superpowers who have seemingly turned into a pale shadow of their former selves.

1. Injuries

Australia have been badly hit by injuries, particularly to their frontline quick bowlers. They are without both Pat Cummins and Josh Hazelwood who are two outstanding campaigners.

The absence of the two physically imposing quicks shouldn’t be enough to derail Australia, but it is certainly something that has sat at the back of their minds.

When you consider that Mitchell Starc is recently retired from the format suddenly the Baggy Greens are at a World Cup for the first time in more than a decade without any of their big three bowlers.

2. Depth

One of the key factors for sides like South Africa and India has been their ability to build squad depth. The Proteas lost Tony De Zorzi and Donny Ferreira ahead of the tournament and they were seamlessly replaced by Tristan Stubbs and Ryan Rickelton.

Similarly, if Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi were forced out, waiting in the wings would be Anrich Nortje, Kwena Maphaka and Ottneil Baartman, all ready to step up and do the business.

Depth is critical and Shukri Conrad has worked hard to develop this – sometimes the creation of depth has been to the detriment of results in the short-term, but if World Cup glory is the goal, then forsaking results in bilateral series is the cost that must be paid.

From an Aussie perspective, while their first-choice line-up has an impressive look about it, the depth that once existed is no longer there, and names like Ben Dwarshuis, Cooper Connolly,

Xavier Bartlett, Matthew Kuhnemann and Matthew Renshaw don’t invoke fear like the names of old.

Also read: 8 of the strangest cricket injuries

3. Age

Any squad needs balance – It needs the experience of veterans and the verve of youth. Critically it also needs a solid core of players in their prime.

Although they won the Ashes, what was noticeable about Australia is that they were a very old team – they fielded just one player under the age of 30. Their World Cup team is a little younger, but it is still too full of players who are past their prime.

Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis for instance, are excellent cricketers – but are the 2026 versions of those players as good as the 2022 versions? Probably not. Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith and Nathan Ellis are also all on the wrong side of 30.

4. Confidence

Australia’s preparation for the tournament has been poor. Their domestic franchise league the Big Bash ran perilously close to the start of the World Cup which meant that many players were not available for the preparations, including their tour to Pakistan.

That tour to Pakistan was an unmitigated disaster as the Baggy Greens were whitewashed 3-0 on the big turning tracks of Lahore. Their confidence was badly shaken in Pakistan and on reflection they should probably have found an alternative warm-up destination.

5. Selection

Players thrive when team communication and messaging is clear. Australia have got this wrong as questions about their selections abound. Steve Smith is a great example of this. He was in stellar form during the BBL, averaging almost 60, but despite this, he was not selected.

Yes, he is old. But he is also vastly experienced with World Cup winning credentials and he is in form. He was eventually called up as cover for Hazelwood when it became apparent that the bowler would not be able to play.

Then, having joined the squad he was left sitting on the sidelines while the middle-order imploded against Sri Lanka.

To make matters worse, when skipper Mitch Marsh was declared fit to play the selectors opted to drop Matt Renshaw, while leaving Tim David and Cameron Green in the side – the duo who have a combined 30 runs between them all tournament.

Commenting on the selection issues former batsman Mark Waugh told SEN radio on Tuesday: “This campaign has been doomed from the get-go.

“I just think they’ve got the selections completely wrong, and to have your best player by 100 yards ⁠sitting on the sideline in Steve Smith… I ⁠think it’s an insult to Steve ‌Smith, to be honest.”

6. Form

To win a tournament you need players to peak at the right time. There may yet be an opportunity for the Aussie players to come good, but it looks unlikely. As it stands, key players are simply not performing as they should in T20 cricket.

To put their lack of form into context they have played three games thus far and lost 26 wickets. They were bowled out twice and lost six wickets against India. By contrast they have taken 14 opposition wickets.

Ireland was bowled out, but to claim just two scalps apiece against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka (in games where they were bowled out) suggests a degree of toothlessness in attack.

The two top ranked Aussie bowlers Adam Zampa and Nathan Ellis each grabbed four poles in the opener against Ireland, but since then they have both gone wicketless, with Zampa conceding 72 runs in the process and Ellis going for 66.

7. Mentality

All the above factors combine to affect the mentality of a team. Australia, under the likes of Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting built a culture of winning and of outthinking their opponents when they were struggling to outperform them.

This Australian side have lost that ability. Sure, they can stand up to minnows and bully them, but when a team comes hard at them, playing good cricket, they fold too easily.

Shukri Conrad likes to talk about ‘always finding a way’ and his Proteas’ charges repeatedly do, but the current version of Australia seem all out of ideas when the going gets tough.

Read next: Why the T20 World Cup is Harry Brook’s golden chance to salvage his reputation

The post 7 reasons why things went so horribly wrong for Australia at the T20 World Cup appeared first on Cricket365.

from Cricket365 https://ift.tt/RcZdTEq

T20 World Cup predictions – UAE to stun SA? Namibia to shock Pakistan? Netherlands to upset India?

We are heading into matchday 12 of the 2026 T20 World Cup.

The action continues in India and Sri Lanka.

Wednesday brings three big matches.

South Africa v United Arab Emirates

Key talking points

South Africa

Safely through to the Super Eights South Africa are looking confident and comfortable with a host of key players in good form.

The Proteas record in bi-lateral series between World Cups has been poor, but their record in T20 World Cup has been excellent with just one loss (in the final) in this campaign and the last.

Expect them to make some changes to the team for the UAE encounter as they look to give players who are yet to feature a run.

UAE

By the time the UAE face the proteas on Wednesday it is likely that their outside hopes of advancing to the Super Eights are gone.

If they are to advance, they need Canada to beat New Zealand on Tuesday and then they must beat the Proteas.

It’s possible but it is unlikely. The most likely scenario is that the UAE head home after this encounter with the memories of their victory over Canada the highlight of their campaign

Venue: Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi

The UAE have played two T20Is at the venue. It was the site of their win over Canada earlier in the tournament, while last time there they were beaten by Afghanistan.

Meanwhile South Africa have won both their two previous games at the venue – the most recent of which came against India in 2022.

Wednesday’s game will be just the 13th T20I to be played at the ground.

This is a venue where sides like to chase. Of the 12 previous games played at the ground the side that won the toss opted to chase ten times.

The average first innings score at the venue is 150.

The highest score made at the ground was India’s 221 for nine from 20 overs made against Bangladesh in 2024.

The lowest score recorded at the venue was Namibia’s 116 all out made against India earlier in the tournament.

The highest score successfully chased at the ground was South Africa’s 212 for three from 19.1 overs, made against India in 2022.

Weather

Wednesday in Delhi is expected to be cloudy and overcast. Temperatures will hover around 26 degrees, though high humidity may make it feel warmer.

While there is a chance for light rain or thundershowers, that would be later in the afternoon, although there are likely to be a strengthening surface winds and developing cloud as the game progresses.

Form

• South Africa: W, W, W, L, W
• UAE: L, W, L, L, L

Key players

Aiden Markram

Since striking form in his last game of the SA20 campaign, Markram has been in a genuine purple patch. He was imperious against New Zealand with a knock of

86 not out from 44 balls. That innings followed on from scores of five and 59 in the Proteas opening games of the campaign.

Markram has looked very good at the top of the order alongside Quinton de Kock and with an average of 31.55 and a strike rate of 147.22 he will be hopeful of taking the attack to UAE on Wednesday.

Sohaib Khan

Last time out against Afghanistan he struck a career best 68 from 48 balls. It was a fine knock that helped the UAE post a competitive score of 160.

His knock against Afghanistan was his second half-century of the tournament after he had earlier struck 51 against Canada.

Still, something of an unknown quantity, Khan has played just five T20Is, he will be hoping that the Proteas haven’t seen too much footage of his previous knocks.

Prediction: South Africa

The Proteas are likely to give players like Jason Smith, Kwena Maphaka and Anrich Nortje a run given that they have already secured passage to the Super Eights.

Alongside India the Proteas are suddenly looking like the tournament’s form team and they are unlikely to slip up against UAE.

Also read: 8 of the strangest cricket injuries

Namibia v Pakistan

Key talking points

Namibia

Wednesday’s encounter with Pakistan will be Namibia’s final game of the 2026 World Cup and they will be desperate to go home with a win. Pakistan won’t be easy, but Namibia will do their best to apply pressure and see what happens.

The African minnows have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain. Expect them to empty their bag of tricks on Wednesday.

Pakistan

From a Pakistan perspective the game against India was an utter disaster. It wasn’t just that they were badly beaten, it’s the fact that it was by India, their arch-rivals and political enemies.

For India and Pakistan, it’s not just a cricket game, it’s a metaphor for war.

That game is gone now, but Pakistan will need to make sure that it is firmly consigned to the past and that there are no lingering hangovers or unreconciled emotions following Sunday’s blowout.

On paper, Pakistan should breeze past Namibia, but they must ensure they are mentally ready.

Venue: Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo

Namibia have never played at this venue before while Pakistan have played here twice, winning on both occasions.

Despite being a well-established Test venue, the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground has hosted just six previous T20Is. The most recent was Saturday’s clash between Ireland and Oman.

The highest total recorded at the ground was Pakistan’s 235 for five made against Oman earlier in the tournament.

The average first innings score at the ground is 133.

This will be the fifth game of the current World Cup to be hosted here.

Sri Lanka have never played a T20I at the venue – all the matches at the ground have been between neutral sides.

Canada’s 176 for three made against Ireland in 2010 is the lowest score ever defended at the venue.

Weather

It does not look like good weather for cricket in Colombo on Wednesday afternoon with forecasts suggesting thunder showers and potentially heavy rain.

Temperatures will stay around 28 degrees though high humidity of around 75 percent may make it feel closer to 33 degrees. Winds will be light to moderate, blowing from the north-northeast.

Form

• Namibia: L, L, L, W, L
• Pakistan: L, W, W, W, W

Key players

Louren Steenkamp

Little known Louren Steenkamp has just ten T20Is to his name, but he posted a career best 58 last time out in the game against America.

Batting at the top of the order Steenkamp looked compact and confident against the USA.

He struggled early in the tournament but an innings of 29 against India in Delhi would have given him a lift and he will want to keep his World Cup adventure going for as long as possible.

Sahibzada Farhan

Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan is their highest ranked player at present at number three on the ICC T20I list.

He failed against India, but he has shown real relish for tucking into associate attacks with scores of 73 and 47 against the USA and Netherlands respectively.

Remarkably his T20I average is just 25.41 which is largely due to the hit and miss nature of his batting. Farhan tends to go early or to go big… he will be eyeing up the Namibian attack on Wednesday with every intention of going big.

Prediction: Pakistan

This is a must-win for Pakistan. Win it and they go through to the Super Eights, lose and they head home.

Pakistan is a mercurial outfit who don’t always deal well with pressure, but they should have enough in the tank to bounce back from their humbling against India and beat Namibia.

India v Netherlands

Key talking points

India

India are on a run of incredible form, and they head into Wednesday’s game having won 16 consecutive games in ICC limited-overs tournaments.

Their last loss in either a World Cup or a the Champions Trophy was against Australia in the 2023 ODI World Cup final. It the longest winning streak for a men’s team in ICC events.

Adding to their confidence is the fact that their record-winning streak at the T20 World Cups now extends to 11 wins. They will be supremely confident of making it 12 wins on Wednesday.

Netherlands

It’s not likely, but the Netherlands could advance to the Super Eights if they win convincingly against India and other results go their way.

The reality is that with just one win from their three games thus far, the Dutch are almost certainly heading home following Wednesday encounter.

They would love to exit on their own terms, and a win over India would certainly be a phenomenal achievement.

But such is the inferiority of their run rate that a simple win over India won’t be enough for them to catch USA, who are currently second in the group – a position likely to be usurped should Pakistan beat Namibia.

Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

India have played eight previous T20Is in Ahmedabad, and they have won six of them. Netherlands, meanwhile, will be making their first appearance at the ground.

Wednesday’s game will be the 12th T20I to be held at the venue.

The side that won the toss has fielded first in ten of the 11 games played at the ground.

The average first innings score at the ground is 172.

The highest score made at the ground was India’s 234 for four from 20 overs scored against New Zealand in 2023. The Kiwi’s reply to that score was the lowest ever total at the ground – they were dismissed for just 66 runs.

The highest score successfully chased at the ground was India’s 166 for three from 17.5 overs, made against England in 2021. Afghanistan chased 187 last week, which was enough to tie the game but not to win it.

Weather

Wednesday night in Ahmedabad will be ideal for cricket with clear skies and pleasant, dry conditions. Temperatures will gradually dip to around 21 degrees.

With humidity near 35 percent and light northerly winds around 10 km/h, it is perfect for cricket. No rain is expected, ensuring a calm, starry night across the city.

Form

• India: W, W, W, W, L
• Netherlands: L, W, L, NR, L

Key players

Ishan Kishan

The little wicketkeeper has been in sensational form this tournament and is currently the third highest scorer with 158 runs at an average of 52.66.

He has been sensational and he has scored brutally fast with a strike rate of 197.50.

Kishan was meant to be the reserve keeper with the spot at eth top of the order earmarked for Sanju Samson, but a bucketload of runs since the start of the year has seen him make the openers spot alongside Abhishek Sharma.

For the record Kishan’s scores since the start of the year have been 76, 28, 103, 53, 20, 61, 77.

Bas de Leede

Allrounder Bas de Leede has been the standout performer for Netherlands all tournament contributing with both the bat and the ball.

He has made starts each time he has walked out to bat with knocks of 30, 72* and 23 while he has also taken five wickets with a best return of three for 37 last time out against the USA.

De Leede’s pedigree is undisputed (his father was the team’s former skipper Tim de Leede) and it comes as no surprise that he looks completely at home at the highest level.

Prediction: India

India have already qualified for the Super Eights, but they won’t want to take their foot off the accelerator at this stage. They have momentum on their side, and they are playing at home.

They may well look to give some game time to their players who have yet to feature but expect them to see off Netherlands with ease.

Read next: Why the T20 World Cup is Harry Brook’s golden chance to salvage his reputation

The post T20 World Cup predictions – UAE to stun SA? Namibia to shock Pakistan? Netherlands to upset India? appeared first on Cricket365.

from Cricket365 https://ift.tt/hepLM9D

T20 World Cup predictions: Canada to stun New Zealand? Ireland to outdo Zimbabwe?

Consider our predictions for matchday 11 of the 2026 T20 World Cup.

New Zealand will be in action – and five other teams.

Read on for more T20 World Cup predicitions.

Canada v New Zealand

Key talking points

Canada

Canada have two games still to play, and despite having no points at this stage, they could yet secure passage to the Super Eights if they win both their games (Tuesday’s encounter with New Zealand and a final game against Afghanistan).

It would take some doing but Canada, who have lost to South Africa and UAE thus far will be hoping that fairytales do come true and that they can sneak into the next round.

New Zealand

New Zealand is a very solid unit and despite their weekend loss to South Africa they will be feeling confident of seeing off Canada to secure their spot in the Super Eights.

The Kiwis might not have enough to go all the way in the tournament, but they certainly have what it takes to see off Canada.

Expect them to make some changes to their lineup for Tuesday’s game as they give runs to some of their players who have yet to feature in the tournament.

Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai

New Zealand have won all of the three games they have played at the ground while for their part, this will be Canada’s first appearance at the stadium.

Tuesday’s game will be just the eighth T20I to be played at the ground.

Of the seven previous games played at the venue, the team that lost the toss has won the match five times, while conversely, the side that won the toss has won the game just twice.

The average first innings score at the ground is 162.

The highest score successfully chased at the ground was New Zealand’s 183 for five made against Afghanistan earlier in this tournament.

It was also the highest score made at the venue and the highest ever score chased down by New Zealand at a T20 World Cup

Statistics generated at the World Cup show that the wicket at the MA Chidambaram Stadium has offered the least turn to spinners of any of the grounds being used.

Thus far the average deviation for spinners on the Chennai has been a fraction over one degree.

Weather

Chennai weather on Tuesday is expected to be bright with sunny skies.

Temperatures will hover near 30 degrees, though high humidity levels of approximately 56 percent may result in a “feels like” temperature closer to the 37-degree mark.

A gentle easterly breeze will provide slight relief. No rain is predicted for the afternoon.

Form

• Canada: L, L, W, W, W
• New Zealand: L, W, W, L, W

Key players

Yuvraj Samra

A useful batsman with aggressive intent, Samra’s strike rate of 159.37 is the highest among Canada’s batsmen.

He has struggled for runs thus far in the tournament with scores of just five and 12, but the youngster (he is still only 19 years old) averages 32.78 in the format with a highest score of 63.

Canada will have their work cut out for them on Tuesday, but don’t expect Samra to hold back.

Finn Allen

One half of a powerful opening combination, between them Finn Allen and Tim Seifert have hit 116 and 96 sixes respectively since the start of 2025.

Allen has been in good form in his recent games with scores of 31 and 84* in his last two innings. He averages 27.42 in T20I, but it is his strike rate of 165.65 which suggests how dangerous he is.

Prediction: New Zealand

Stranger things have happened before, but this is a must win for New Zealand and they should have far too much experience for Canada.

The teams have never faced each other in a T20I, but they crossed paths before in ODIs (three times at World Cups). New Zealand have won all those games, and, once again, it is hard to see Canada winning.

Expect the Kiwis to return to winning ways following their stutter against South Africa.

Also read: 8 of the strangest cricket injuries

Ireland v Zimbabwe

Key talking points

Ireland

Ireland will be buoyed by their win over Oman last time out and they will know that while Tuesday’s outing is their last in pool play, that a win could give them an outside chance of advancing to the Super Eights.

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe have been the surprise package of the tournament thus far with the fast-bowlers looking very good in picking up 16 of their opponents 20 wickets thus far.

Zimbabwe have played two games and, on both occasions, they dismissed their opponents – which is no mean feat, especially when one of those teams was Australia.

The bowling has been backed up by superb fielding, and you can’t help but feel that if there was a way to measure hunger to win, that Zimbabwe would be top of that table.

Venue: Pallekele International Cricket Stadium

Neither Zimbabwe nor Ireland have played a game at the venue before.

The average first innings score at the venue is 167.

The highest score made at the venue was Australia’s 263 for three scored against Sri Lanka in 2016. It was a game that saw Glenn Maxwell slam a massive 145 from 65 balls.

The highest score chased at the ground was Pakistan’s 178 for two made against Bangladesh in 2012.

The lowest score successfully defended was India‘s 137 for nine made against Sri Lanka in 2024.

The lowest score made at the ground was New Zealand’s 88 all out against Sri Lanka in 2019.

Weather

The forecast for Tuesday in Kandy is not a great one from a cricket perspective as the area is expected to experience thunder showers with a high chance of rain.

Temperatures will be approximately 26 degrees, feeling slightly warmer due to moderate humidity. Expect mostly cloudy skies and a light easterly breeze.

Form

• Ireland: W, L, L, W, W
• Zimbabwe: W, W, L, L, W

Key players

Lorcan Tucker

The Ireland captain played a superb captains’ knock against Oman to steer his side to a crucial win as he stroked a fluent and undefeated 94 from 51 balls.

It was a great return for the skipper who had made starts in both his previous tournament outings without managing to convert them to meaningful scores.

The 94* was his highest ever in T20I and he will be looking to build on it as he seeks to bolster a career average that is a little on the modest side at 22.76.

Brad Evans

Blessing Muzarabani may be the man catching the headlines, but a look at eth statistics suggests that Brad Evans is just as important to the Chevrons cause.

The allrounder has played 27 T20Is and claimed 42 wickets at an average of 16.02. With a strike rate of 12.8 his is one of the best in the whole competition. Evans bagged three against Australia and three against Oman.

Prediction: Zimbabwe

The weather makes this a tough one to call, but we are tipping Zimbabwe to get the job done.

Zimbabwe won the last time these sides met, but the previous two results went the way of Ireland. this should be a close game once again.

But Zimbabwe have done the hard work to get themselves into a powerful position in the group and we are backing them to keep going and secure their passage to the Super Eights.

Nepal v Scotland

Key talking points

Nepal

Nepal will be heading home after Tuesday’s game as their tournament comes to an end. They would love to bow out with a victory, but even if they don’t, their performance against England will live long in their memories.

Ranked ahead of both Scotland and Italy, this will be a game they are targeting for a victory.

Scotland

Scotland are likely to be heading home after this game, although if England lose to Italy on Monday afternoon and Scotland beat Nepal, they have a chance of scraping through.

That would be an incredible achievement for a side who failed to qualify for the tournament. Scotland have acquitted themselves well and they will be backing themselves to beat Nepal.

Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Nepal have played each of their three previous games in the tournament at the Wankhede Stadium – and they are yet to win. Scotland, meanwhile, will be making their first appearance at the ground.

Tuesday’s game will be the sixth game of the tournament to be played at the Wankhede Stadium.

In 12 of the 14 previous T20Is played at the Wankhede Stadium, the team that has won the toss has elected to field first.

The average first innings score at the ground is 173.

The highest ever score made at the score was India’s massive 247 for nine, scored against England in 2025.

The highest score successfully chased at the ground was England’s 230 for eight from 19.4 overs against South Africa in 2016.

Weather

Mumbai is expected to have clear, pleasant skies with no chance of rain on Tuesday night. Temperatures will gradually dip from an afternoon high to approximately 26 degrees by sunset.

A gentle westerly breeze will provide a cooling effect, though humidity remains moderate at roughly 54 percent.

Form

• Nepal: L, L, L, W, W
• Scotland: L, W, L, L, L

Key players

Dipendra Singh Airee

Experienced and composed Airee has been in good form at the tournament despite his sides lack of results.

His last five innings have seen him post scores of 58, 17, 44, 9* and 50* which means he has an average of almost 60 from his last five games.

In a tournament of power-hitters, Airee is the holder of a unique record, he tops the list of highest strike-rates in a single innings. His knock of 52 from ten balls against Mongolia gave him a strike rate of 520.

Richie Berrington

George Munsey was the star for Scotland in the earlier part of the competition, but it was skipper Richie Berrington who stepped up in the crucial game against England to top score with 49 from 32 balls.

It wasn’t enough to secure the win, but it was a good return for the South Africa-born allrounder who averages a useful 31.29 in T20Is. If Scotland are to claim a second win, then Berrington will be a key.

Prediction: Scotland

The Scots have had a solid tournament and should finish with a win against Nepal, whose form has dipped appreciably since running England close in their opening game.

Expect Scotland to bow out with a second win.

Read next: Why the T20 World Cup is Harry Brook’s golden chance to salvage his reputation

The post T20 World Cup predictions: Canada to stun New Zealand? Ireland to outdo Zimbabwe? appeared first on Cricket365.

from Cricket365 https://ift.tt/MFXiCE5

England survive Italy scare to reach T20 World Cup Super Eights

England survive Italy scare to reach T20 World Cup Super Eights

from Cricket https://ift.tt/SyPK3h5

India thrash Pakistan in grudge match ICC cannot afford to do without

India thrash Pakistan in grudge match ICC cannot afford to do without

from Cricket https://ift.tt/2GF6RmU

T20 World Cup predictions – Oman to outdo Ireland? Scotland to stun England? NZ to beat SA?

Discover plenty of insight via our T20 World Cup predictions.

There is plenty of interesting action set for day eight of the tournament.

Read on for more helpful information about how proceedings could play out in India and Sri Lanka.

Ireland v Oman

Key talking points

Ireland

Ireland have had a tough start to their campaign, drawn to face the top two seeds in the pool first.

Their fielding in the opener let them down badly as they grassed six catches, but they looked a lot tighter in their second outing against Australia.

While two losses don’t necessarily mean they are out of the tournament, it certainly doesn’t bode well for them and they will be hungry to beat Oman, who in 20th place on the rankings are significantly lower on the rankings.

They face the very real prospect of being without veteran skipper Paul Stirling who hobbled off against Australia with a knee injury.

Oman

It’s one thing playing against fellow associate nations, it is quite another in the rarified air of an actual World Cup – and Oman are finding this out the hard way.

It’s not going to be any easier for them on Saturday, although, with only Australia to play once the Ireland game is done, you have to think that this is their best chance of causing an upset.

Oman scored 106 in their first game and 120 in their second and have looked overwhelmed both times.

Venue: Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo

Ireland and Oman have each played once previously at the ground with both sides coming out on the losing side.

Ireland played there against Canada in 2010 while Oman’s game against Zimbabwe from earlier in the current tournament was hosted at the ground.

Despite being a well-established Test venue, the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground has hosted just five previous T20Is. The most recent was Tuesday’s encounter between Pakistan and USA.

The highest total recorded at the ground was Pakistan’s 190 for nine made against USA earlier in the tournament.

The average first innings score at the ground is 158.

This will be the fourth game of the current World Cup to be hosted here.

Sri Lanka have never played a T20I at the venue – all the matches at the ground have been between neutral sides.

Canada’s 176 for three made against Ireland in 2010 is the lowest score ever defended at the venue.

Weather

Expect a hot and humid Saturday lunchtime in Colombo on Saturday. Temperatures will peak around 31 degrees.

While mostly sunny, expect broken clouds and a slight chance of light, scattered showers – probably not enough to see the game rain out, but perhaps enough to cause a delay or two.

Light northeasterly breezes will provide minor relief from the heat.

Form

• Ireland: L, L, W, W, L
• Oman: L, L, W, W, L

Key players

Lorcan Tucker

A talented player, Tucker has made starts in both his outings at the World Cup. He’s good at getting going it turns out, although he struggles to turn his starts into serious contributions as a highest score of 94* and an average of 21.52 imply.

Tucker does score his runs quickly, although a strike rate of 121.63 could do with being a little higher. He is a quality batsman with a Test century to his credit and against Oman he will fancy his chances of imposing himself.

Mohammad Nadeem

Veteran batsman Nadeem is now 43 years old, but he showed he still knows how to do it as he top scored for Oman in their defeat against Pakistan with a patient 53 as wickets fell all around him.

He missed the tournament opener against Zimbabwe but showed what had been missing when drafted in for Thursday’s game.

Not the fastest batter with a strike rate of just over 100, Nadeem showed against Sri Lanka that he can play the situation very well.

Prediction: Ireland

Both sides have lost their opening two games, but where Ireland have acquitted themselves well, Oman has been beaten brutally.

They were all at sea against Zimbabwe before they folded against Sri Lanka. And while Saturday’s game may be a little close, Ireland is hungry for that first win of the tournament and they will come hard.

Expect them to win with relative ease.

Also read: 8 of the strangest cricket injuries

England v Scotland

Key talking points

England: England are susceptible to spin. Against the West Indies they collapsed from a comfortable 74 for one to be all out for 166 with six wickets falling to the spinners in teh middle overs.

The BBC put it nicely when they said: “England’s struggles against spin are not unique to this latest side. They go back generations.

“If fans hoped this iteration had found a successful method when in Sri Lanka before this tournament, this result – under the pressure that comes with a World Cup chase – suggests otherwise.”

England are the third ranked side in the world, but their capitulation against the Windies will be as much a concern for them as it will be a beacon of hope for Scotland (and others teams they will face later in the competition).

Scotland

A month ago, Scotland were planning to watch the World Cup on television.

Now they head into a derby encounter against the third-best team in the world, England, sitting ahead of them on the table.

Scotland looked composed and controlled in their win over Italy and they will take heart from the fact that Saturday’s opponents, England, also lost to the West Indies.

What it means is that Saturday’s game is effectively a battle for second place on the table.

Scotland have never lost to England in a T20I (they have never beaten them either, their only previously scheduled game was a no-result) and they will be up for a fight on Saturday.

Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Scotland have played two games at Eden Gardens – their opening day loss at the hands of the West Indies was the first while their win over Italy was the second. This will be their third game at the venue this tournament.

England have played three games at the ground. Winning one and losing two.

The average first innings score at Eden Gardens is 158.

The highest T20I score made at Eden Gardens was Scotland’s 207 for four from 20 overs against Italy earlier in the tournament.

The highest score successfully chased at the ground was India‘s 162 for four against the West Indies in 2022.

Of the 14 T20Is played at Eden Gardens there has been an even split between setting and chasing – the chasing side have won seven as have the side that bats first.

Weather

Expect a pleasant and mild Saturday evening in Kolkata on Saturday. The sun sets around 5:30 and temperatures will settle at a comfortable 22 degrees before dipping to a nighttime low of 16.

With clear skies and light north-westerly breezes, it is ideal for cricket. There will be no rain.

Form

• England: L, W, W, W, W
• Scotland: W, L, L, L, W

Key players

Sam Curran

Coming in at six allrounder Curran takes the finisher role for England and he is in good touch now. He looked good in the loss against the West Indies keeping his end going nicely with an undefeated 44 while wickets all around him.

He didn’t do much against Nepal, but before that he average 79 runs in the series against Sri Lanka, and he bagged a hattrick with the ball for good measure.

He is high on confidence and will be wanting to assert himself against Scotland on Saturday.

George Munsey

Munsey could do no wrong in Scotland’s win over Italy. Quite how he missed out on the Man of the Match Award, when he made 84 runs and took a tournament equalling record of four catches, is hard to comprehend.

But Munsey won’t be worried about that, he will just want to add to his very impressive body of work that already has him ranked at 21st on the list of most runs scored at T20 World Cup.

With 568 World Cup runs to his credit at an average of 31.55 Munsey has shown himself to be excellent at this level – he needs just 12 more runs to draw level with Kevin Pietersen who is 19th in the list.

Prediction: England

Having lost against the West Indies on Wednesday England will want to bounce back quickly with a dominant display against their countrymen.

This is a derby game and one that the Scots would love to win. But it’s a game that England can’t afford to lose if they want to advance in the competition and they should have more than enough in the tank to see off Scotland.

New Zealand v South Africa

Key talking points

New Zealand

The Black Caps are masters of getting the job done quietly and efficiently. They go about their work with the minimum amount of fuss. Ranked fourth in the world, New Zealand are one spot ahead of South Africa on the ICC rankings.

The Kiwis are all but through to the Super Eights so they will just want to continue doing their basics right, building momentum and finding their best form.

South Africa

The roller coaster ride that was South Africa’s game against Afghanistan has hogged the headlines in South Africa as fans and pundits attempt to make sense of what went down.

It was a crazy game where both sides deserved to win, and where, at different stages, both sides thought that they had.

There will be plenty of learnings for the Proteas, which they have hopefully taken on board – not least of which is eliminating the no balls from their game.

With Afghanistan now accounted for, Aiden Markram and his team will take comfort from the fact that Saturday’s encounter against eth Black Caps is not a must-win game.

Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

South Africa have played three previous T20Is in Ahmedabad, a loss in 2025 and two wins in the current tournament (against Canada on Afghanistan). New Zealand have appeared there once previously, a loss back in 2023.

Saturday’s game will be the 11th T20I to be held at the venue.

The side that won the toss has fielded first in nine of the ten games played at the ground.

The average first innings score at the ground is 171.

The highest score made at the ground was India’s 234 for four from 20 overs scored against New Zealand in 2023. The Kiwi’s reply to that score was the lowest ever total at the ground – they were dismissed for just 66 runs.

The highest score successfully chased at the ground was India’s 166 for three from 17.5 overs, made against England in 2021. Afghanistan chased 187 on Wednesday, which was enough to tie the game but not to win it.

South Africa have played all their games at the current World Cup at the ground.

Weather

Expect a pleasant, clear night in Ahmedabad on Saturday. Temperatures will dip to a cool 16 degrees, offering a refreshing break from the daytime heat.

With low humidity and calm northeasterly winds, it’s perfect weather for cricket. No rain is forecast, ensuring a dry, starry evening across the city.

Form

• New Zealand: W, W, L, W, L
• South Africa: W, W, L, W, W

Key players

Glenn Phillips

A genuine X-factor player, there is very little that Phillips cannot do. He is an electric fielder (he’s bagged five catches from two games thus far), he’s claimed one wicket and scored a brisk 42 from 25 balls.

For good measure he can also bat either left or right-handed. New Zealand are a squad full of good players but Phillips is the one with that something extra about him.

He is slated to come in at four and teh Proteas will be very conscious of his abilities – he averages 31.57 in teh format, and bats at a strike rate of 141.99.

Tristan Stubbs

When the initial squad for the T20 World Cup was announced Stubbs was omitted. But an injury to Donny Ferreira saw him claim his spot back and he has been a revelation ever since.

His batting in the Super Overs against Afghanistan was sensational, and he will have taken huge amounts of confidence from his performance.

Stubbs and David Miller are the designated finishers, and they did a great job last time out. Add his excellent catch into the mix and the man who led SEC to SA20 glory will be buzzing ahead of the New Zealand clash.

Prediction: South Africa

Aiden Markram’s side undoubtedly game themselves a big scare in the epic encounter against Afghanistan on Wednesday. The fact that they came through it will be a big boost.

Shukri Conrad likes to believe that his players will always find a way, and just when it looked like they had found a way to lose the game against Afghanistan, they flipped the script and found a way to win.

The Proteas have plenty of player in good form and while the Kiwis are not playing badly, they are a little less explosive and a little more measured – if this was an ODI we would be backing the Black Caps, but it’s not..

Expect the Proteas to get the job done with a little less tension and nerves than the Afghanistan game.

Read next: Why the T20 World Cup is Harry Brook’s golden chance to salvage his reputation

The post T20 World Cup predictions – Oman to outdo Ireland? Scotland to stun England? NZ to beat SA? appeared first on Cricket365.

from Cricket365 https://ift.tt/iv7KIAk

Breezy Banton helps nervy England beat Scotland to keep World Cup hopes alive

Breezy Banton helps nervy England beat Scotland to keep World Cup hopes alive

from Cricket https://ift.tt/NPSBfdl

T20 World Cup predictions – Pakistan to stun India? Nepal to upset Windies?

Discover plenty of insight via our T20 World Cup predictions.

There is plenty of interesting action set for day nine of the tournament.

Read on for more helpful information about how proceedings could play out in India and Sri Lanka.

Nepal v West Indies

Key talking points

Nepal

As impressive as Nepal were against England, they were underwhelming against Italy.

With the West Indies looming they will need to work out what went wrong very quickly as the turnaround between the Italy loss and the West Indies assignment is less than three days.

Coach Stuart Law will undoubtedly be hatching plans to ensure there is a bit more steel added to the Nepalese backbone, because their tenuous hopes of getting out of the pool phase will evaporate entirely if they cannot find a way to win here.

West Indies

The mark of a championship winning side is one that can peak at the right time, and as it stands the West Indies appear to be finding form at just the right time.

After series losses against Afghanistan and South Africa in the lead-up to the World Cup, they have looked confident and unified since arriving in Asia and held it together superbly against England on Wednesday.

They stopped the runaway Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethell to see England collapse from 74 for one to 166 all out, with six wickets in succession taken by the Windies’ spinners through the middle overs.

It was a performance from which they will take plenty of heart and which should slingshot them comfortably into the Super Eights.

Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

The West Indies have won three of the four games they have played at eth venue while Nepal have lost both of their games at the ground.

Sunday’s game will be the fifth game of the tournament to be played at the Wankhede Stadium.

In 11 of the 13 previous T20Is played at the Wankhede Stadium, the team that has won the toss has elected to field first.

The average first innings score at the ground is 175.

The highest ever score made at the score was India’s massive 247 for nine, scored against England in 2025.

The highest score successfully chased at the ground was England’s 230 for eight from 19.4 overs against South Africa in 2016.

Weather

They are predicting hot and sunny weather in Mumbai around noon on Sunday.

It will be hot with temperatures set to climb to approximately 33 degrees by midday, eventually peaking at close to 36 degrees. Skies will be clear with zero chance of rain.

Form

• Nepal: L, L, W, W, W
• West Indies: W, W, W, L, L

Key players

Sandeep Lamichhane

The only ‘big-name’ in the Nepal mix, Lamichhane was Nepal’s leading wicket taker with 21 scalps in 2025.

A crafty spinner with plenty of variations he has managed just one wicket in the tournament thus far but a return of 130 wickets from 70 T20Is suggest better. He has a career average in the format of 12.48 and a strike rate of 12.3.

Sherfane Rutherford

It’s hard to stop talking about Rutherford whose form since the start of the year has been nothing short of sensational. He was in the runs yet again against England with a superb 76 from 42 balls.

Rutherford’s career average in T20Is is just 22.14, but his average in 2026 in 82.5. He ended SA20 as its fourth highest scorer and with an average of 66.8 – he really is experiencing a purple patch.

Prediction: West Indies

Top of the table in Group C having seen off England on Wednesday, the West Indies are coming into form at the right time.

Nepal gave England a real run for their money in their opening game, but they were poor against Italy, and they may well find it difficult to replicate the levels they found against England. The West Indies should do this one at a canter.

Also read: 8 of the strangest cricket injuries

Namibia v United States of America

Key talking points

Namibia

Plucky underdogs is what Namibia are and they are winning fans at the World Cup wuth their can-do attitude and never-say-die approach.

They were badly beaten by India on Thursday, but the key take-home was how well they fought back to contain the tournament hosts after a rampant start.

There is no shame in losing to India, and Namibia won’t be the last side at the World Cup that loses to them. Namibia appears to be enjoying their experience at the World Cup and that bodes very well.

USA

America have played the two toughest sides in Pool A and acquitted themselves well. While their chances of making it through to the Super Eights are low, they will be keen to secure a win and put some pressure on India and Pakistan.

Sunday’s game against Namibia is most likely their final game of the competition, and they will be eager to go out on a high.

Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai

The USA have played once previously at the Chidambaram Stadium – that was Friday’s encounter against the Netherlands. For Namibia, this will be their first visit to the ground.

Sunday’s game will be just the 7th T20I to be played at the ground.

There appears to be an advantage to chasing at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, with four of the five games played here won by the side batting second (the sixth game at the ground has yet to be played at the time of writing).

The average first innings score at the ground is 156.

The highest score successfully chased at the ground was New Zealand’s 183 for five made against Afghanistan earlier in this tournament. It was also the highest score made at the venue and the highest ever score chased down by New Zealand at a T20 World Cup.

Statistics generated at the World Cup show that the wicket at the MA Chidambaram Stadium has offered the least turn to spinners of any of the grounds being used.

Thus far the average deviation for spinners on the Chennai has been a fraction over one degree.

Weather

Chennai is expecting pleasant and dry weather on Sunday late afternoon and evening. The afternoon temperatures will peak at 28 degrees, gradually cooling to 23 degrees by the evening.

Skies will remain clear to partly cloudy with negligible chance of rain. High humidity, typical for the city, will be offset by a gentle north-easterly breeze.

Form

• Namibia: L, L, W, L, W
• USA: L, L, W, W, L

Key players

Gerhard Erasmus

The Namibian skipper stepped up and led by example in Thursday’s game against India as he turned career best figures in the format of four for 20.

Erasmus didn’t just put the brakes on India’s runaway scoring; he claimed the wickets of some of the best batsmen in the world (largely by out-thinking them).

He dismissed Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma and Axar Patel with his weird mix of side-arm deliveries deep creases (at stage he was no balled for releasing so far back, he was behind the umpire).

Erasmus is useful with the bat as well having made 18 in both games thus far.

Shadley van Schalkwyk

The veteran quick is in great form. He has 23 T20I wickets in his career (from 16 games) which is a modest return. But eight of those scalps have been taken in two games in the current World Cup.

He is clearly finding the conditions in India to his liking. Born and raised in Cape Town Van Schalkwyk will fancy his chances against his former neighbours Namibia – he may even enjoy the opportunity to sledge in Afrikaans.

Prediction: Namibia

The Namibians are fighters and they will give this one a good go.

They may have handed India their biggest ever World Cup win when they went down to the defending champions on Thursday.

But there were so many positives to take from their performance that they will almost certainly have grown in confidence.

Smart captaincy, out of the box thinking and some impressive fielding all contributed to a lot of positives for the African minnows – this one has the makings of an upset about it.

India v Pakistan

Key talking points

India

India are in form and they are the overwhelming favourites to win the tournament. But they need to stay focussed on the cricket and ignore the politics, enmity and noise that invariably surrounds encounters between these sides.

From a cricketing perspective it’s immaterial if they win or lose – either way they are set to advance to the Super Eights – and that needs to be their focus.

Pakistan

Less than a week ago it looked like Pakistan were going to forfeit this game, but emergency talks between the ICC and the Pakistani government resolved issues sufficiently to ensure that the encounters could go ahead.

So, in a sense, this is a free hit for Pakistan. If they had forfeited it would have been a guaranteed win for India, now they get to have a go at their neighbours to see what they can do.

Their record against India isn’t great – they have beaten them just three times in T20Is, but one of those wins was a Babar Azam inspired 10-wicket thumping. They will be hoping to channel that form on Sunday.

Venue: R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

Both India and Pakistan have good records at the Premadasa Stadium – India have won 11 of their 15 games at the ground while Pakistan have won five out of seven.

Sunday’s game will be the 52nd T20I to be played at the ground.

From the 50 games played at the ground, the side that chased has won 28 times while the side that batted first has won 21 (the 51st game had yet to be played at the time of writing).

The average first innings score at the venue is 143.

The highest score recorded at the stadium was Bangladesh’s 215 for five from 19.4 overs made against Sri Lanka in 2018. This is also the highest successful chase at the ground.

The lowest score made at the ground was Afghanistan’s 80 all out, scored against England in 2012.

The lowest score successfully defended at the ground was South Africa’s 115 for six, made against Sri Lanka in 2013.

Weather

Sunday night in Colombo will be mostly cloudy and humid with temperatures cooling to a low of 23 degrees.

While afternoon thunderstorms are a possibility these are expected to taper off by evening although evening rain could still be a possibility. Expect light north-northeasterly winds and high humidity near 85%.

Form

• India: W, W, W, L, W
• Pakistan: W, W, W, W, W

Key players

Ishan Kishan

Ahead of the tournament there was much controversy as Shubman Gill was dropped with India looking to open the innings with a power-hitting wicketkeeper alongside Abhishek Sharma.

Kishan was the backup with Sanju Samson the incumbent gloveman. But such was the form of Kishan in the lead up to the tournament that he forced his way into the mix and hasn’t looked back.

His recent form has been blistering, and he heads into Sunday’s encounter on the back of scores of 61, 20, 53, 103 and 28. He averages 29.51 in T20Is at a strike rate of 141.26.

Babar Azam

There was a time, not long ago, when Babar was imperious. He played with confidence and seemed to have all the time in the world. He was far and away the number one ranked white-ball batsman in the world.

That time has passed, but Babar is still a very good player. He is also a player who thrives on adversity and who relishes the big games.

Still just 31 years old, he averages 39.36 in the format. His strike rate of 128.29 suggests he prefers to play the anchor role rather than the power-hitting one, but he can accelerate when needed.

Prediction: Pakistan

Pakistan don’t have a very good record against India and have beaten them just three times in T20Is. They come into the game having lost each of their last five T20Is against India – but they also come into the game with plenty to prove.

Less than a week ago they thought that they would be required to forfeit this game, so the fact that they are playing it is already a bonus.

The derby nature of the encounter means the formbook can be thrown out the window, but regardless, this should be India’s game.

The hosts are more consistent than their mercurial neighbours and should be more than good enough to see off their mortal enemies.

Read next: Why the T20 World Cup is Harry Brook’s golden chance to salvage his reputation

The post T20 World Cup predictions – Pakistan to stun India? Nepal to upset Windies? appeared first on Cricket365.

from Cricket365 https://ift.tt/7fOjYCo

T20 World Cup predictions: Zimbabwe to shock Australia? USA to stun Netherlands?

We have some big predictions for day seven at the T20 World Cup.

Look forward to some interesting clashes at the 2026 tournament.

Read on for more insight into the action in India and Sri Lanka.

Australia v Zimbabwe

Key talking points

Australia

Australia entered the tournament on Wednesday with a resounding win over Ireland that went a long way towards dispelling suggestions that they were too old and out of form ti go all the way in 2026.

They may be without Josh Hazelwood and Pat Cummins (and skipper Mitch Marsh also missed out on Wednesday with a testicular injury), but they more than enough in the tank to cruise past Ireland.

The message from the Baggy Green camp is a simple one – just because the names are not as big as they were back in the day doesn’t mean they don’t have what it takes to go all the way.

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe have been around the block many times, having first played at a major ICC tournament back in 1983.

And while this is not a team that is expected to go all the way in the tournament, they still have it in them to cause a few upsets.

They looked superb in their opening fixture against Oman, and while critics will point out that Oman are not particularly strong opposition, the way Zimbabwe tore into them with the ball took care of business with the bat was very impressive.

Powered by two giant quicks and a mix of experienced and talented batters and lead by the experienced Sikandar Raza, Zimbabwe will be eyeing an upset against Australia and hoping looking to find a way to advance to the Super Eights.

Venue: R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

Less than 48 hours on from their opening win over Ireland, Australia are back at the Premadasa Stadium for this clash against Zimbabwe.

The Baggy Greens have won eight of the ten games they have played at the ground. Zimbabwe, meanwhile, have played there three times, winning once and losing twice.

Friday’s game will be the 51st T20I to be played at the ground.

From the 50 games played at the ground, the side that chased has won 28 times while the side that batted first has won 21.

The average first innings score at the venue is 142.

The highest score recorded at the stadium was Bangladesh’s 215 for five from 19.4 overs made against Sri Lanka in 2018. This is also the highest successful chase at the ground.

The lowest score made at the ground was Afghanistan’s 80 all out, scored against England in 2012.

The lowest score successfully defended at the ground was South Africa’s 115 for six, made against Sri Lanka in 2013.

Weather

It is going to be very hot and sticky in Colombo around noon on Friday with a very good chance of play being interrupted by storms.

The forecast suggests hot and humid conditions with temperatures peaking near 33 degrees.

While the morning may offer some sun, isolated thunderstorms or passing showers are likely to have developed by midday. Humidity will be high at approximately 78 percent.

Form

• Australia: W, L, L, L, NR
• Zimbabwe: W, L, L, W, L

Key players

Travis Head

In the absence of Mitch Marsh in the game against Ireland, it was Head who stepped in to assume the leadership. He didn’t offer much with the bat, but it is no secret what he is able to do.

It looks unlikely that Marsh will be back in time for Friday’s encounter and while Steve Smith has been summoned as cover, it is unlikely that he will be ready to play in time.

It all means that a lot of responsibility falls onto Head as the senior batsman in the mix. As he showed during the recent Ashes, he loves a bit of added pressure. Expect him to throw caution to the wind on Friday.

Brian Bennett

The youngster has been garnering plenty of attention for his excellent displays at the top of the Zimbabwean order. Still just 22-years-old Bennett scored an undefeated 48 in the opening game against Oman.

He was in excellent form on home soil as he scored three half-centuries and a hundred to clinch Zimbabwe’s place in the tournament.

And he was also amongst the runs with some good knocks in a tri-series against Pakistan and Sri Lanka in November. Brimming with confidence he pulled off a contender for catch of the tournament in the opening game.

Prediction: Australia

As much as we would love to tip Zimbabwe to cause an upset, it is these types of potential banana skin games that Australia have made such a habit of winning.

The Baggy Greens are very good at doing whatever’s necessary to get the job done.

They won’t take Zimbabwe lightly, they will be well prepared, and they will attack their opponents from the outset doing their very best to impose themselves. Expect Australia to take it with relative ease.

Read next: Why the T20 World Cup is Harry Brook’s golden chance to salvage his reputation

Canada v United Arab Emirates

Key talking points

Canada

Canada were comfortably swept aside by South Africa in their tournament opener on Monday, and while they certainly didn’t embarrass themselves, they will know that Friday is going to be their best chance to claim a win in the competition.

Canada are a solid unit who qualified for the World Cup onf the back of a run that saw them win six games out of six.

But that was qualifying and this is the real deal – ranked 19th in the world they are two spots behind the UAE, which means this should be a closely fought encounter.

UAE

The UAE opened their WC campaign against New Zealand.

They won the toss, elected to bat and looked like they were set to cause an extraordinary upset as they recovered from the early loss of Aryansh Sharma to advance to 119 for one before they lost their second wicket.

A score of 173 for six looked like it could cause some problems, but that didn’t turn out to be the case as the UAE bowling proved to have fewer teeth than its batting.

New Zealand cantered to a 10-wicket win, but there were positives for the UAE to find in their batting display which will fill them with confidence ahead of the Canada clash.

Venue: Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi

Neither Canada nor the UAE have ever played T20I cricket at the venue.

Friday’s game will be just the 11th T20I to be played at the ground.

This is a venue where sides like to chase. Of the eight previous games played at the ground the side that won the toss opted to chase seven times (at the time of writing the tenth game at the ground was still to be played).

The average first innings score at the venue is 145.

The highest score made at the ground was India’s 221 for nine from 20 overs made against Bangladesh in 2024.

The lowest score recorded at the venue was Sri Lanka’s 120 all out made against South Africa in 2016.

The highest score successfully chased at the ground was South Africa’s 212 for three from 19.1 overs, made against India in 2022.

Weather

Delhi will transition from a warm, bright afternoon to a crisp and clear evening on Friday with conditions looking good for cricket. Afternoon temperatures are expected to reach a high of 26 degrees under mainly clear skies.

Once the sun sets temperatures will drop steadily to about 20 degrees. There will be a light wind and no rain.

Form

1. Canada: L, W, W, W, W
2. UAE: L, L, L, L, W

Key players

Navneet Dhaliwal

Canada struggled against a powerful South African attack in their opening game, but one man looked completely at home as he took the fight to the Proteas’ quicks.

Navneet Dhaliwal was the standout performer for Canada hitting a brisk 64 from 49 balls to end as the games’ highest scorer.

With a highest T20I score of 70* and an average of 33.18, Dhaliwal is Canada’s batting star – he was the first Canadian to score a half century at a World Cup when he did so in 2024 against the USA, and he bagged another against South Africa.

He will be looking for more against UAE.

Muhammad Waseem

Waseem looked like the real deal against New Zealand as he stroked 66 from 45 balls against an attack that included Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy and the best that New Zealand had to offer.

The skipper who prides himself on being setting the level for his team has played 94 T20Is.

While many of his outings have been against smaller teams not all of them have been and he has learned a few tricks along the way in playing franchise cricket alongside some top-class international stars.

With an average of 37.52 and a strike rate of 150.70 he is a quality performer.

Prediction: UAE

This will be a close game, but the UAE should edge it.

Their franchise league, the ILT sees their players exposed to bigger names, headier atmospheres and greater quality and that should give them the edge of Canada in the battle to avoid Group D’s wooden spoon.

Netherlands v USA

Key talking points

Netherlands

It has been a good tournament for the Dutch thus far.

They pushed Pakistan hard in their opener, losing by three runs with three balls to spare and they saw off Namibia with a minimum amount of fuss.

A win over the USA will leave them in a strong position, with pressure firmly applied to the two top seeds in the Group.

As much as the Dutch are still considered minnows, they have been around for a long time and have claimed some excellent scalps in their time.

They are canny operators with experience who will come into Friday’s game full of confidence.

USA

The USA head into Friday’s encounter knowing that only a win will be good enough for the continued survival in the tournament – and even then, it is only an outside chance.

Having lost their opening games to Pakistan and India, the USA need to beat Netherlands and Namibia and hope that whichever side loses the Asian derby between India and Pakistan is then upset by one of the other smaller teams.

It is a big ask for the USA, but if they are to keep that flicker of hope alive, a win on Friday is non-negotiable.

Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai

Neither the Netherlands not the USA have ever played a game at the venue before.

Friday’s game will be just the 6th T20I to be played at the ground.

There appears to be an advantage to chasing at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, with four of the five games played here won by the side batting second.

The average first innings score at the ground is 156.

The highest score successfully chased at the ground was New Zealand’s 183 for five made against Afghanistan earlier in this tournament.

It was also the highest score made at the venue and the highest ever score chased down by New Zealand at a T20 World Cup

Statistics generated at the World Cup show that the wicket at the MA Chidambaram Stadium has offered the least to spinners of any of the grounds being used.

Thus far the average deviation for spinners on the Chennai has been a fraction over one degree.

Weather

Friday night in Chennai is expected to be pleasant, dry and comfortably warm. Temperatures will dip to a low of approximately 22 degrees under partly cloudy or clear skies.

Form

• Netherlands: W, L, NR, L, L
• USA: L, L, W, W, L

Key players

Bas de Leede

The sun of Dutch cricket’s original star, Tim De Leede, Bas is rapidly showing himself to be his father’s equal. After two games he is the sixth highest scorer in the tournament with 102 runs (and an average of 102).

That average is obviously aided by a not out, but it is still a great return for the 47-cap international.

Coming in at number three De Leede has plenty of time to influence proceedings and build an innings and he will fancy the chance of scoring more runs against the USA as his team go looking for a second consecutive win on Friday.

USA

You don’t end up as the leading wicket taker in a World Cup by accident and heading into Friday’s encounter that is exactly where the Cape Town-born quick is.

With eight wickets from two games at an average of 6.25 Van Schalkwyk is having the time of his life and he will be licking his lips in anticipation of more scalps on Friday.

Prediction: Netherlands

The USA have done well in the competition thus far, but the Netherlands have done better.

The Netherlands are ranked 13th in the world, and their greater experience should ultimately be the difference between two sides who are improving with every outing on the biggest stage.

Read next: Revealed – The 9 best T20 World Cup batters of all time

The post T20 World Cup predictions: Zimbabwe to shock Australia? USA to stun Netherlands? appeared first on Cricket365.

from Cricket365 https://ift.tt/2lmVfYu

T20 World Cup predictions: Namibia to shock India? Nepal to outdo Italy?

Tuck into these helpful predictions for day six at the T20 World Cup.

There is plenty of action on the go in India and Sri Lanka.

Read on for more insight.

Sri Lanka v Oman

Key talking points

Sri Lanka

The tournament co-hosts got their campaign off to a winning start on Sunday with a 20-run win over Ireland.

But they will be far from satisfied with their tepid performance that could have gone horribly awry if Ireland had not spilled a total of six catches.

Those let-offs made life a whole lot easier for Sri Lanka who never really got going quite like they would have wanted to.

Oman

Ranked 20th in the world Oman looked badly out of their depth and outgunned in their opener against Zimbabwe.

There is a stereotype which suggests Asian sides are uncomfortable against short, quick bowling and Oman certainly conformed to that as Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava ripped through their top order to leave them 27 for five.

But it wasn’t just the quick stuff that troubled Oman as Sikandar Raza also made life difficult for them.

It may well be that it was a case of first game jitters, but Oman will have to be a whole lot better and braver if they hope to take anything from this tournament – based on their opening game performance it won’t be against Sri Lanka.

Venue: Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy

This is the first game of the tournament to be held at Pallekele Stadium. Most recently it was the site of Sri Lanka’s 3-0 series reverse at the hands of England, with each of the three games in that series played at the ground.

Sri Lanka’s record at the ground is not particularly impressive; they have won ten of the 24 games they have played at the venue. Oman have never played a game at the venue.

Sri Lanka have been involved in two ties at the ground.

The average first innings score at the venue is 167.

The highest score made at the venue was Australia’s 263 for three scored against Sri Lanka in 2016. It was a game that saw Glenn Maxwell slam a massive 145 from 65 balls.

The highest score chased at the ground was Pakistan’s 178 for two made against Bangladesh in 2012.

The lowest score successfully defended was India‘s 137 for nine made against Sri Lanka in 2024.

The lowest score made at the ground was New Zealand’s 88 all out against Sri Lanka in 2019.

The Pallekele Stadium is set to host seven matches during the upcoming T20 World Cup including a marquee game between Sri Lanka and Australia.

Weather

Kandy is forecast to be warm on Thursday with temperatures peaking around 29 degrees during lunch time.

While mornings may start with sunny intervals, clouds will likely build up by midday, bringing a high chance of thunder showers.

Humidity will be moderate to high, so expect a tropical, muggy feel before any rain provides a brief cooling effect. Play may well be affected by showers.

Form

• Sri Lanka: W, L, L, L, W
• Oman: L, W, W, L, W

Key players

Maheesh Theekshana

Offspinner Theekshana had an excellent game against Ireland, returning figures of three for 23 from his four overs.

He is Sri Lanka’s highest ranked bowler, coming in at sixth on the ICC list, but critically his role in the team has suddenly become more important following the tournament-ending injury to Wanindu Hasaranga.

Hasaranga, who was ranked just slightly behind Theekshana, has gone home and will play no further part in the competition.

While Theekshana is a wicket taker, his biggest asset is his ability to contain opponents and build pressure – he boasts an impressive economy rate of 7.03.

Vinayak Shukla

There weren’t many positives to find from Oman’s loss to Zimbabwe, but the performance of Vinayak Shukla in the middle order was undoubtedly one.

The wicketkeeper showed bravery and aggression as he did his best to make a go of the chase having come to the wicket with his team in dire straits at 27 for five.

Shukla managed 28 runs from 21 balls, and he later added a catch behind the stumps for good measure. His highest T20I cricket score is just 52* but he averages a more than useful 31.21 from 19 innings with a strike rate of 140.06.

Prediction: Sri Lanka

It must be Sri Lanka, surely.

Oman struggled against the height, pace and bounce that the Zimbabwean bowlers brought in their opening game, and they may well find it more comfortable against Sri Lanka, but that won’t be enough to change an L into a W.

Sri Lanka have both the experience and the home ground advantage and at 20th in the world, it is hard to see how Oman will be able to beat Sri Lanka.

Also read: 8 of the strangest cricket injuries

Italy v Nepal

Key talking points

Italy

Veteran skipper Wayne Madsen has not been replaced yet, but after dislocating his shoulder in the field in the opening loss against Scotland, he looks unlikely to feature.

At 42 years old Madsen is past his prime but he is still a wily campaigner whose presence will be missed. Italy are the lowest ranked side in the tournament but Madsen aside they boast a number of experienced players in their squad, and they will be desperately targeting Thursday’s game for a landmark win.

Nepal

Nepal’s opening game performance against England was almost one of the biggest upsets in cricket history.

Regardless of what happens to then in the rest of the tournament they will know that they gave one of the top sides in the world a genuine scare.

It is hard to know if Nepal will be able to replicate the level of performance again, but they have certainly the benchmark.

Well coached by former Australian international Stuart Law Nepal will know that their best chance of a win at the tournament will be against Italy.

Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Italy have never played at the Wankhede Stadium before while for Nepal this will be there second game there following the defeat to England on Sunday.

Thursday’s game will be the fourth game of the tournament to be played at the Wankhede Stadium.

In eight of the ten previous T20Is played at the Wankhede Stadium, the team that has won the toss has elected to field first.

The average first innings score at the ground is 178.

The highest ever score made at the score was India’s massive 247 for nine, scored against England in 2025.

The highest score successfully chased at the ground was England’s 230 for eight from 19.4 overs against South Africa in 2016.

Weather

On Thursday Mumbai will experience warm and mostly sunny weather. Afternoon temperatures are expected to peak at 32 degrees, accompanied by a light north-westerly breeze.

As the evening approaches, conditions will remain pleasant and dry, with temperatures dipping to a comfortable 24 degrees under clear to partly cloudy skies.

Form

• Italy: L, W, L, L, L
• Nepal: L, W, W, W, W

Key players

Ben Manenti

Australian born and raised Manenti and his brother qualified to play for Italy through their grandparents. A more than handy allrounder Manenti has useful experience playing in the BBL.

He scored a fighting 52 from 31 in the loss to Scotland and, perhaps most importantly, he looked comfortable at the crease with all the experience of 42 BBL appearances shining through nicely.

Dipendra Singh Airee

Nepal were superb in their opening game against England and at the forefront of almost everything good that they did was the largely unknown Dipendra Singh Airee.

A powerful middle order batsman he hit 44 runs from 29 balls and weighed in with a couple of wickets as well. Airee boasts an excellent T20I average of 32.25 and a strike rate of 139.37.

He is in good form at the moment and will come into Friday’s game on the back of a run of scores of 44, 9* and 50*.

Prediction: Italy

This should be a great game, with both teams fully believing they can win. Nepal were outstanding in their opening game loss to England, pushing their highly fancied opponents all the way.

Italy, meanwhile, would have been sorely disappointed with the way they played in going down to Scotland.

The Azurri may be the lowest ranked side at the tournament, and the availability of veteran skipper Wayne Madsen is touch-and-go, but they will be determined to up their levels after their opening game loss.

The Italians boast several players with BBL and SA20 experience and are a good bet to upset the rankings and bag a win in their first ever visit to a T20 World Cup.

India v Namibia

Key talking points

India

If ever a game had the potential to produce records, this is it. Not to do Namibia a disservice, but they are simply not in the same league as India – and to be fair, not many teams are.

India’s biggest worry will be that they let their standards drop in the search for records and personal glory. They need to treat this game like any other, trust their systems and processes and let the results follow.

With the key game against Pakistan coming up later in the week, this is an opportunity for India to keep their focus and intensity high and to build confidence.

Namibia

Namibia are the 15th ranked side in the world which means this is a free shot for them.

Nobody expects anything from the unfashionable Africa side but in a game that will be watched by billions this is the type of game where reputations can be made and potentially lives changed.

A standout performance from one of Namibia’s players could translate into an IPL deal. The joy of being an underdog is that you have nothing to lose, Namibia know this.

They will be seeking to channel the spirit of the 2025 win over South Africa, and they will be hoping that coaching consultant Gary Kirsten still has some inside knowledge on the Indian players and as their national coach.

Venue: Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi

Formerly known as the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium this venue is the second oldest in India. In IPL cricket it is the home ground of the Delhi Daredevils.

Namibia’s opening game loss against the Netherlands was their first and only game at the venue. India meanwhile have won two of their four games at the venue.

Thursday’s game will be just the tenth T20I to be played at the venue.

This is a venue where sides like to chase. Of the eight previous games played at the ground the side that won the toss opted to chase seven times.

The average first innings score at the venue is 145.

The highest score made at the ground was India’s 221 for nine from 20 overs made against Bangladesh in 2024.

The lowest score recorded at the venue was Sri Lanka’s 120 all out made against South Africa in 2016.

The highest score successfully chased at the ground was South Africa’s 212 for three from 19.1 overs, made against India in 2022.

Weather

Delhi will be cool and dry on Thursday night. Temperatures are expected to drop to a low of approximately 12 degrees.

While the sky may be mostly clear, there are suggestions of increasing cloudiness or mist as the evening progresses into night. Winds will be light contributing to a calm but chilly atmosphere.

Form

• India: W, W, L, W, W
• Namibia: L, W, L, W, W

Key players

Suryakumar Yadav

‘Sky’ as he is known, endured a terrible run of form in 2025, but he rediscovered his magic touch in the pre-tournament series against New Zealand and has been sublime ever since.

He heads into Thursday’s game on the back of a run of scores of 84*, 30, 63, 8 and 57*.

That is some impressive recent form, and he has climbed to sixth in the world rankings on the back of it.

To illustrate how strong India are, Suryakumar may be the sixth best batsman in the world, but he is only the third highest ranked in his team.

He is the form man though and he will be looking to continue his outstanding run against Namibia.

Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton

A confident allrounder, Loftie-Eaton top scored for Namibia in their opening game against Scotland with a useful 42 from 38 balls.

He was out just when it looked like he was getting going, but he showed that he is a more than useful player who can also contribute with the ball.

Coming in at number three he has one T20I century to his credit, he averages a modest 21.15 per innings with a useful strike rate of 136.59

Prediction: India

Namibia have what it takes to cause some of the bigger teams in this tournament some trouble – they beat South Africa in 2025 – but beating the best team in the world on their home turf is a bridge too far.

Expect Namibia to fight manfully but to ultimately be well beaten. India may look to mix their team up and give some of the more peripheral players a run, but even so, they will win at a canter.

Read next: Why the T20 World Cup is Harry Brook’s golden chance to salvage his reputation

The post T20 World Cup predictions: Namibia to shock India? Nepal to outdo Italy? appeared first on Cricket365.

from Cricket365 https://ift.tt/w5CmTtG