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Major upset
Zimbabwe's Brian Bennett (left) celebrating with his teammate Graeme Cremer after defeating Australia in the 2026 ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup group stage at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, February 13.
2026 T20 World Cup highlights
Top Questions
What are the phases of the 2026 T20 World Cup?
What are the phases of the 2026 T20 World Cup?
Who took the first hat trick of the 2026 T20 World Cup?
Who took the first hat trick of the 2026 T20 World Cup?
How many Super Overs were played in the South Africa vs. Afghanistan match?
How many Super Overs were played in the South Africa vs. Afghanistan match?
How did Italy achieve its first T20 World Cup win?
How did Italy achieve its first T20 World Cup win?
Is Australia out of the Super Eight stage at the 2026 T20 World Cup?
Is Australia out of the Super Eight stage at the 2026 T20 World Cup?
The 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, cohosted by India and Sri Lanka, is in full swing and has already delivered the excitement and drama that makes Twenty20 (T20) cricket the most popular format of the game. Memorable moments include the nail-biting clash between South Africa and Afghanistan, which took two Super Overs to decide a winner, and Zimbabwe pulling off one of the biggest upsets in T20 World Cup history with its win against Australia. Below are concise match-by-match summaries of all the action from the tournament.
Tournament Dates
- Group stage (40 matches): February 7–20
- Super Eight (12 matches): February 21–March 1
- Semifinals (2 matches): March 4–5
- Final (1 match): March 8
Knockout stage: March 4–8
March 8
- India vs. New Zealand (Final): India smashed multiple tournament records on its way to becoming the first team to win a second consecutive ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title. Batting first, Indian opener Sanju Samson scored 89 runs off 46 balls, the highest individual score in a T20 World Cup final, and second opening batter Abhishek Sharma took 18 balls to reach the 50-run milestone, scoring the fastest half-century during a final in any edition of the competition. Despite some late hiccups, India posted a massive total of 255 runs, the highest ever in a T20 World Cup final. In the second innings New Zealand lost the early wickets of batters Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, and Glenn Phillips. While New Zealand opener Tim Seifert scored 52 runs off 26 balls to briefly raise his team’s hopes, Indian bowlers Axar Patel (three wickets) and Jasprit Bumrah (four wickets) helped restrict New Zealand to 159 runs. India won the final by 96 runs, the largest margin of victory in a men’s T20 World Cup final, and India’s largest win in the tournament’s history.
Consecutive championsThe Indian cricket team celebrating after winning the ICC Men's 2026 T20 World Cup final against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, March 8.
March 5
- India vs. England (Semifinal 2): India edged England in a high scoring match to become the first team in T20 World Cup history to advance to the final as the defending champion. Batting first, India posted a mammoth total of 253 runs, with opener Sanju Samson top scoring with 89 runs off 42 balls. In the second innings England lost early wickets before middle-order batter Jacob Bethell scored the second fastest century in the tournament’s history to spearhead his team’s run chase. However, Bethell’s 105 runs off 48 balls was ultimately not enough, with England only scoring 246 runs in the allotted 20 overs.
March 4
- New Zealand vs. South Africa (Semifinal 1): New Zealand won its first match against South Africa in men’s T20 World Cups with a one-sided win in the first semifinal. Through a collective bowling effort, New Zealand restricted South Africa to 169 runs. In the second innings New Zealand opener Finn Allen scored 100 runs off 33 balls–the fastest century in men’s T20 World Cups–to help his team chase down the target in the 13th over.
Super Eight stage: February 21–March 1
March 1
- South Africa vs. Zimbabwe (Group 1): South Africa maintained its unbeaten record at the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with a win over Zimbabwe in both teams’ final Super Eight match. Batting first, Zimbabwean captain Sikandar Raza scored 73 runs off 43 balls to help his team reach 153 runs. In the second innings he dismissed three South African batters. However, led by middle-order batter Dewald Brevis’s 42 runs off 18 balls, South Africa chased down the target with 13 balls to spare.
- India vs. West Indies (Group 1): India achieved its largest successful run chase in T20 World Cups and secured the last semifinal spot. Batting first, the West Indies posted a challenging total of 195 runs thanks to a collective batting effort. In the second innings Indian opening batter Sanju Samson scored an unbeaten 97 runs off 50 balls to help his team achieve victory.
Player of the TournamentIndian opening batter Sanju Samson (center) celebrating after leading his team to victory over West Indies during the Super Eight stage of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. Samson scored three consecutive 50-plus scores in the tournament, which helped India retain the T20 World Cup. Samson was named the Player of the Tournament.
February 28
- Pakistan vs. Sri Lanka (Group 2): Pakistan narrowly defeated Sri Lanka but failed to beat New Zealand to the second semifinal slot in Group 2. Pakistan was eliminated from the tournament because its net run rate was inferior to New Zealand’s. Batting first, Pakistani openers Sahibzada Farhan (100 runs off 60 balls) and Fakhar Zaman put on a record-breaking partnership in Men’s T20 World Cup history with 176 runs. Farhan became the first player to hit two centuries in a single Men’s T20 World Cup tournament. Batting second, Sri Lanka rallied from the loss of early wickets thanks to captain Dasun Shanaka’s unbeaten 76 runs off 31 balls. Needing 28 runs to win off the last over, Shanaka slammed Pakistani fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi for a four and three sixes but could not score from the final two deliveries, leaving his team five runs short of Pakistan’s total.
February 27
- England vs. New Zealand (Group 2): England ended its Super Eight campaign with a victory over New Zealand to secure first place in Group 2. Batting first, New Zealand was held to a modest 159 runs despite a bright start. In the second innings England recovered from the loss of early wickets to score 161 runs and overhaul the target in the final over of its innings. New Zealand will now have to wait for the result of the Pakistan vs. Sri Lanka match on February 28 to learn whether it will advance to the knockout round.
February 26
- South Africa vs. West Indies (Group 1): South Africa became the only team to remain unbeaten in the tournament with a dominant win over the West Indies, who recovered from a middle-order batting collapse to score a total of 176 runs. During the run chase, South African captain Aiden Markram scored 82 runs off 46 balls as his team overhauled the target in the 17th over. South Africa became the second team to qualify for the knockout stage of the 2026 T20 World Cup following India’s victory over Zimbabwe later that day.
- India vs. Zimbabwe (Group 1): India’s batting order clicked as a collective unit for the first time in the competition, with all six of the team’s players who came out to bat scoring more than 20 runs each. The team scored 256 runs, the highest total of the 2026 T20 World Cup and the second highest in the tournament’s history, with opener Abhishek Sharma and all-rounder Hardik Pandya both scoring half-centuries (50 runs or more). In the run chase Zimbabwean opener Brian Bennett’s stellar innings of 97 runs off 59 balls was not enough to turn the tide as the team scored only 184 runs, with Indian fast bowler Arshdeep Singh dismissing three batters to ensure India earned a commanding victory.
February 25
- New Zealand vs. Sri Lanka (Group 2): New Zealand knocked cohost Sri Lanka out of the 2026 T20 World Cup with an emphatic victory in Colombo. Batting first, New Zealand recovered from losing most of its specialist batters to post a competitive total of 168 runs. In the second innings Sri Lanka’s opening batter, Pathum Nissanka, was dismissed off the first delivery he faced and the team never really recovered, managing to score just 107 runs in its allotted 20 overs. New Zealand’s part-time spin bowler, Rachin Ravindra, took four wickets to help his team win.
February 24
- England vs. Pakistan (Group 2): England became the first team to qualify for the semifinals of the 2026 T20 World Cup with a narrow win over Pakistan. Batting first, Pakistan scored 164 runs in its allotted 20 overs. England suffered a top-order collapse before captain Harry Brook scored a crucial 100 runs off 50 balls to lead his team to victory. Brook’s knock was the second fastest century in the tournament’s history.
New captainHarry Brook of England on the field during an ICC Men's T20 World Cup match against Nepal at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, February 8, 2026.
February 23
- West Indies vs. Zimbabwe (Group 1): West Indies scored the highest single innings total of the 2026 edition, posting a mammoth 254 runs, which is also the second highest total in T20 World Cup history. West Indian batter Shimron Hetmeyer top-scored with 85 runs off 34 balls. In the second innings Zimbabwe was bowled out for 147 runs, with West Indian left-arm spin bowler Gudakesh Motie taking four wickets.
February 22
- England vs. Sri Lanka (Group 2): England extended its T20I win streak over Sri Lanka to 12 matches with a convincing victory in the first Super Eight clash for both teams. In a low-scoring match England made 146 runs in the first innings. In the second innings Sri Lanka could only score 95 runs after losing most of its top order in the first five overs, thanks to disciplined bowling from England.
- India vs. South Africa (Group 1): South Africa outplayed India with both bat and ball to win the first Super Eight clash in Group 1. Batting first, South Africa recovered from early wickets to post a total of 187 runs. During its turn to bat, India’s batting lineup suffered a near-total collapse, scoring just 111 runs, with South African pace bowler Marco Jansen dismissing four Indian batters. India lost after 12 straight victories in T20 World Cups, ending a win streak that stretched across the 2024 and 2026 editions.
February 21
New Zealand vs. Pakistan (Group 2): Both teams were forced to settle for a point apiece after rain washed out the first Super Eight clash of the tournament without a ball being bowled. Pakistan had won the toss and elected to bat first before the rain spoiled the party.
Group stage: February 7–20
February 20
Adam ZampaAustralian leg-spin bowler Adam Zampa celebrating after taking a wicket during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka, February 11.- Australia vs. Oman (Group B): Australia ended its 2026 T20 World Cup with a nine-wicket win over Oman in an inconsequential fixture, since both sides had failed to advance to the Super Eight stage. In the first innings Oman was restricted to 104 runs, thanks to Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa, who took four wickets. Australia overtook the modest target in 9.4 overs, losing only the wicket of opening batter Travis Head in the process.
February 19
- West Indies vs. Italy (Group C): West Indies ended its group stage of the tournament with a 42-run victory against Italy. After West Indian batter Shai Hope scored 75 runs off 46 balls, the team posted a total of 165 runs. During Italy’s turn to bat, West Indian fast bowler Shamar Joseph took four wickets to restrict Italy to 123 runs.
- Sri Lanka vs. Zimbabwe (Group B): Zimbabwe cemented its reputation as the tournament’s giant-killer by defeating Sri Lanka in their final group match. Batting first, Sri Lanka posted a total of 178 runs, with opening batter Pathum Nissanka top-scoring with 62 runs off 41 balls. In its turn to bat, Zimbabwe’s opening batter Brian Bennett scored an unbeaten 63 runs off 48 balls to help the team chase down the target with just three balls to spare. The victory meant that Zimbabwe topped Group B; Sri Lanka, in second place, also advanced to the Super Eight stage.
- Canada vs. Afghanistan (Group D): Afghanistan and Canada played out their final match of the tournament, with both sides eliminated from Super Eight contention. Batting first, Afghanistan scored a mammoth 200 runs thanks to Ibrahim Zadran’s 95 runs off 56 balls. During its turn to bat, Canada’s batting order was torn apart by veteran Afghan spinner Mohammad Nabi, who took four wickets and helped his team restrict Canada to 118 runs in the allotted 20 overs.
T20 specialistRashid Khan of Afghanistan celebrating after taking the wicket of New Zealand batter Glenn Phillips during an ICC Men's T20 World Cup match at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, India, February 8, 2026.
February 18
- South Africa vs. United Arab Emirates (Group D): Batting first, the United Arab Emirates was restricted to a modest total of 122 runs, with South African fast bowler Corbin Bosch taking three wickets. Despite rain interrupting play, South Africa reached the target score in the 14th over with six wickets to spare.
- Pakistan vs. Namibia (Group A): Pakistan became the final team to qualify for the Super Eight stage with a crushing victory over Namibia. After a cautious start Pakistan accelerated in the latter part of its innings to post 199 runs, chiefly because of opening batter Sahibzada Farhan’s unbeaten 100 runs off 58 balls. Batting second, Namibia was dismissed for 97 runs, with rookie Pakistani spinner Usman Tariq spearheading his team’s bowling attack and taking four wickets.
Sahibzada FarhanPakistani opening batter Sahibzada Farhan playing a shot during an ICC Men's T20 World Cup group-stage match against the United States at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo, Sri Lanka, February 10, 2026. - India vs. Netherlands (Group A): India overcame early jitters to win its final group-stage match against the Netherlands, with opening batter Abhishek Sharma once again getting out without scoring. Sharma finished the group stage of the tournament without scoring a run. Middle-order batter Shivam Dube scored his personal best, 66 runs off 31 balls, to take India to a total score of 193 runs. Netherlands’ run chase was stifled by a disciplined Indian bowling attack, with spinner Varun Chakaravarthy dismissing three Dutch batters and helping his team win the match.
February 17
- New Zealand vs. Canada (Group D): Canadian teenager Yuvraj Samra smashed 110 runs off 65 balls to take Canada to a team score of 173 runs. Samra, at age 19, became the youngest player to score a century at a T20 or ODI World Cup. In the second innings New Zealand batter Glenn Phillips top-scored with 76 runs off 36 balls, and the team chased down the target with eight wickets in hand to clinch the second Super Eight slot in its group.
- Ireland vs. Zimbabwe (Group B): The match between Ireland and Zimbabwe was abandoned after an extended spell of rain prevented any play, forcing both teams to split the points. The result allowed Zimbabwe to advance to the Super Eight as the group’s second qualifier, knocking Australia and Ireland out of the tournament.
- Scotland vs. Nepal (Group C): Scotland posted 170 runs in the first innings of the match, with Michael Jones smashing 71 runs off 45 balls. Nepalese bowler Sompal Kami took three wickets, and batter Dipendra Singh Airee scored a match-winning 50 runs off 23 balls to help Nepal win its first T20 World Cup match since the 2014 edition of the tournament.
February 16
- Afghanistan vs. United Arab Emirates (Group D): Afghan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai delivered a match-winning performance with both bat and ball to leave his team at least a theoretical chance of earning the final Super Eight stage slot behind the already qualified South African team. After taking four wickets, which helped restrict the United Arab Emirates to 160 runs, Azmatullah scored an unbeaten 40 runs off 21 balls to successfully secure Afghanistan’s first win of the tournament.
- England vs. Italy (Group C): England posted a massive total of 202 runs while batting first against Italy, thanks to batter Will Jacks scoring the team’s fastest 50 in the tournament’s history. Despite losing early wickets, Italy, powered by Ben Manenti’s 60 runs off 25 balls, threatened an upset. England’s win sealed a Super Eight spot, ending the Group C qualification race.
- Sri Lanka vs. Australia (Group B): Sri Lanka’s convincing victory against Australia has all but ended the latter’s chances of advancing to the Super Eight stage. Batting first, Australia’s opening pair of Travis Head and captain Mitchell Marsh put on a 104-run partnership in fewer than 9 overs before a disciplined performance by Sri Lanka’s spin bowlers triggered a batting collapse for Australia, holding the team to 181 runs. In the second innings Sri Lankan opening batter Pathum Nissanka scored an unbeaten 100 runs off 52 balls to help his team reach the target for the loss of only two wickets and become the fifth team to advance to the Super Eight stage.
Pathum NissankaSri Lankan opening batter Pathum Nissanka playing a shot during a match against England at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy, Sri Lanka, February 3, 2026.
February 15
- West Indies vs. Nepal (Group C): Nepal recovered from a top-order collapse thanks to batter Dipendra Singh Airee’s 58 runs off 47 balls and posted a total of 133 runs. West Indian medium-pace bowler Jason Holder took four wickets, and opening batter Shai Hope scored 61 runs off 44 balls to allow West Indies to cruise to a comfortable win and qualify for the Super Eight (second group stage).
- United States vs. Namibia (Group A): The United States scored 199 runs, its highest single-innings total in T20 World Cup history. American batter Sanjay Krishnamurthi top-scored with 68 runs off 33 balls. In the second innings Namibia could only manage to score 168 runs in 20 overs.
- India vs. Pakistan (Group A): India emerged victorious in the much-vaunted contest against Pakistan. Powered by Indian opener Ishan Kishan’s 77 runs off 40 balls, the team scored a total of 175 runs. Pakistan used six spin bowlers in the bowling attack, the first time a team has done so in any edition of the T20 World Cup. During its turn to bat, Pakistan lost four early wickets and was bowled out for a total of 114 runs.
Big hitterIndian batter Ishan Kishan playing a shot during a match against Pakistan at the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup in Colombo, Sri Lanka, February 15.
February 14
- Oman vs. Ireland (Group B): Ireland recovered from the loss of early wickets to post a total of 235 runs, the highest score of the 2026 T20 World Cup and the second highest team score in the history of the competition. Irish captain, Lorcan Tucker, who stepped into the role after the previous captain, Paul Stirling, was sidelined by injury in an earlier match, top-scored with 94 runs off 51 balls. During the second innings, Oman seemed overwhelmed by the magnitude of the target and was bowled out for 139 runs despite a quick-fire 50 runs off 29 balls from Omani batter Aamir Kaleem.
- Scotland vs. England (Group C): England kept its hopes of advancing to the Super Eight stage alive with a win over Scotland. After posting a modest total of 152 runs, Scotland’s bowlers dismissed the English top-order batters early, before English player Tom Banton (63 runs off 41 balls) steadied the innings and helped his team win.
- New Zealand vs. South Africa (Group D): South Africa virtually assured itself of a place in the Super Eight stage with its third win of the tournament. Its fast bowlers put in a stellar performance, restricting New Zealand to 175 runs in the first innings, with South African left-arm seamer Marco Jansen taking four wickets. South African captain Aiden Markram led from the front in the run chase with an unbeaten 86 runs off 44 balls as South Africa comfortably overhauled the target.
February 13
- Australia vs. Zimbabwe (Group B): Zimbabwe pulled off the tournament’s biggest upset so far, beating Australia by 23 runs. Batting first, Zimbabwe posted 169 runs thanks to a collective batting effort. During Australia’s turn to bat, Zimbabwean fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani took four wickets as Australia was bowled out for 146 runs.
- Canada vs. United Arab Emirates (Group D): The United Arab Emirates earned its first win of the tournament, chasing down a target of 151 runs set by Canada. U.A.E. fast bowler Junaid Siddique dismissed five Canadian batters. In the second innings U.A.E. batters Aryansh Sharma (74 runs off 53 balls) and Sohaib Khan (51 runs off 29 balls) led their team to victory with two balls left.
- United States vs. Netherlands (Group A): The United States defeated Netherlands to register its first win in the tournament. The U.S. scored 196 runs in the first innings, with top-order batter Saiteja Mukkamalla hitting 79 runs off 51 balls. Harmeet Singh took four wickets as Netherlands was bowled out for 103 runs.
February 12
- Sri Lanka vs. Oman (Group B): Sri Lanka put on a dominant batting display to post the highest total of the tournament so far (225 runs) and also won by the largest victory margin (105 runs) after Oman was restricted to 120 runs in the second innings. Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka broke his country’s record for scoring the fastest T20I half-century, reaching the milestone in 19 balls.
- Nepal vs. Italy (Group C): Italy claimed its first win in a T20 Men’s World Cup, beating Nepal by 10 wickets. After bowling Nepal out for 123 runs, Italy’s opening batters, brothers Justin (60 runs off 44 balls) and Anthony Mosca (62 runs off 32 balls), chased down the target with almost 8 overs to spare.
- India vs. Namibia (Group A): India got off to a flying start against Namibia, which pushed the team’s score to 209 runs despite losing 4 lower-order wickets for just 1 team run late in the first innings. In its turn to bat, Namibia’s batters started well but began losing wickets at regular intervals after Indian spinner Varun Chakaravarthy took three wickets in his two overs. Namibia was bowled out for 116 runs, handing India its largest victory margin in a T20 World Cup match.
Mystery spinnerVarun Chakaravarthy bowling for India during a match against the United States in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, February 7, 2026.
February 11
- South Africa vs. Afghanistan (Group D): South Africa and Afghanistan played the most exciting and fiercely fought match of the tournament so far, which ended with the first double Super Over in T20 World Cup history. The match ended in a tie after South Africa scored 187 runs while batting first, and Afghanistan’s last batter was run out while trying to score the winning run, which triggered the Super Over. The first additional over saw Afghanistan and South Africa both score 17 runs before South Africa clinched the match in a second Super Over, scoring 23 runs and dismissing two of Afghanistan’s three nominated batters for 19 runs.
- Australia vs. Ireland (Group B): Australia opened its 2026 T20 World Cup campaign with a comfortable victory over Ireland. Batting first, Australia posted a target of 183 runs, built around Marcus Stoinis’s 45 runs off 29 balls. In the second innings Australian fast bowler Nathan Ellis and leg-spinner Adam Zampa took four wickets each to restrict Ireland to 115 runs.
Caught outAustralian player Cooper Connolly takes a catch during his team's match against Ireland in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka, February 11. - England vs. West Indies (Group C): Driven by all-rounder Sherfane Rutherford’s 76 runs off 42 balls, the West Indies scored 196 runs. England started brightly but suffered a middle-order collapse, with West Indian spinner Gudakesh Motie taking three wickets and helping dismiss England for 166 runs.
February 10
- Netherlands vs. Namibia (Group A): The Netherlands won its first match in the 2026 T20 World Cup, defeating Namibia by seven wickets. Netherlands all-rounder Bas de Leede contributed with both bat and ball; he took two wickets to help restrict Namibia to 156 runs and top-scored with 72 runs off 48 balls to help Netherlands chase down the target.
- New Zealand vs. United Arab Emirates (Group D): Playing in its first match of the tournament, the United Arab Emirates team posted a total of 173 runs while batting first. New Zealand batted second, and a tournament-record partnership between opening batters Tim Seifert (89 runs off 42 balls) and Finn Allen (84 runs off 50 balls) earned New Zealand an emphatic second victory in the tournament and the top spot in the group.
- Pakistan vs. United States (Group A): Pakistani opening batter Sahibzada Farhan top-scored (73 runs off 41 balls) as Pakistan scored 190 runs despite American all-rounder Shadley van Schalkwyk taking four wickets. Pakistani off-spin bowler Usman Tariq took three wickets to help his team stifle the United States’ batting lineup and comfortably win the match.
Shadley van SchalkwykUnited States' all-rounder Shadley van Schalkwyk celebrates the dismissal of India's Shivam Dube (not seen) during the group-stage clash between the two teams at the 2026 ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, February.
February 9
- Scotland vs. Italy (Group C): Italy’s first Men’s T20 World Cup had a rough start when team captain Wayne Madsen retired from the match early on after injuring his shoulder. Batting first, Scotland posted 207 runs, its highest score in any edition of the tournament, thanks to George Munsey’s 84 off 54 balls. Benjamin Manenti (52 off 31 balls) became the first Italian player to cross the 50-run milestone in world cups, but Scottish spinner Michael Leask took 4 wickets to bowl Italy out for 134.
- Zimbabwe vs. Oman (Group B): Zimbabwe’s fast bowling attack of Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, and Brad Evans took three wickets each to restrict Oman to 103 runs. During the run chase, Zimbabwean all-rounder Brian Bennett top-scored with 48 runs off 36 balls and helped his team win the match with more than six overs left in the second innings.
- South Africa vs. Canada (Group D): South Africa put on a masterful team batting display to post a mammoth total of 213 runs against Canada. During the second innings, South African fast bowler Lungi Ngidi took four wickets to restrict Canada to 156, despite all-rounder Navneet Dhaliwal scoring 64 off 49 balls, the highest score by a Canadian in a T20 World Cup.
February 8
- New Zealand vs. Afghanistan (Group D): Afghan batter Gulbadin Naib top-scored with 63 runs off 35 balls to help his team score 182 runs to set a challenging target. In its turn to bat, New Zealand lost two early wickets before batter Tim Seifert scored 65 runs off 42 balls to help his team win the match.
- England vs. Nepal (Group C): England scored 184 while batting first, thanks to a collective effort from its batters. Nepal’s batters showed excellent teamwork as well during its run chase and needed to score 10 runs off the last over (six deliveries). English fast bowler Sam Curran bowled an excellent final over, conceding only five runs, to secure a narrow win for England.
- Sri Lanka vs. Ireland (Group B): Sri Lanka managed to score 163 runs in the first innings of the match despite losing early wickets, helped in part by Ireland dropping seven catches. Sri Lankan spin bowlers Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana dismissed three batters each to derail Ireland’s run chase and help Sri Lanka secure a win.
February 7
- Pakistan vs. Netherlands (Group A): Pakistan restricted Netherlands to a modest 147 runs and started its run chase strongly. However, a batting collapse left Pakistan’s weaker lower-order batters with the uphill task of needing to score 34 runs off 24 balls to achieve victory. In the 19th over of the match, Pakistani all-rounder Faheem Ashraf smashed Dutch bowler Logan van Beek for 24 runs in 6 deliveries and helped Pakistan win. Dutch fielder Max O’Dowd dropped a crucial catch off the second ball of the 19th over that would have led to Ashraf’s dismissal.
- West Indies vs. Scotland (Group C): West Indian all-rounder Romario Shepherd dismissed three Scottish batters off consecutive deliveries to take the first hat trick of the 2026 T20 World Cup and seal victory for his team in its first match of the competition. Scotland, appearing in the tournament because of Bangladesh’s participation being revoked, put up a disciplined display with bat and ball but was undone by Shepherd’s and West Indian batter Shimron Hetmeyer’s individual brilliance (64 off 36 balls).
Hat-trick heroWest Indian all-rounder Romario Shepherd celebrating after taking a hat trick during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, February 7, 2026. - India vs. United States (Group A): American all-rounder Shadley van Schalkwyk dismissed three Indian batters in one over, triggering a batting collapse, before India’s captain, Suryakumar Yadav, steadied the ship with a fighting half-century. His 84 runs off 49 balls allowed India to post a competitive total of 161 runs. The Indian bowlers came to their team’s rescue, stifling the American batters. Despite some late heroics from all-rounder Shubham Ranjane, who came out to bat while injured, the United States could only manage to score 132 runs.
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