After the thrilling action during the first four days of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, the excitement will continue in the T20 extravaganza, with three action-packed matches in store for fans on Wednesday, February 11. In the first match of the day, South Africa will take on Afghanistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad at 11:00 am.
The second match of the day will feature former champions Australia finally kicking off their campaign against Ireland at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo at 15:00 IST. The final match of the day will have all eyeballs on it, with England vs West Indies at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai from 7pm IST.
When and where to watch
South Africa vs Afghanistan at Ahmedabad in Group D match at 11 am IST.
Australia vs. Ireland at Colombo in Group B match at 15:00 IST.
England vs. West Indies at Mumbai in Group C match at 7 PM IST.
Match 1 Prediction: South Africa vs Afghanistan at Ahmedabad
South Africa couldn’t have hoped for a better start to their campaign, beating Canada by 57 runs in their opening match. The entire Proteas batting line-up came to the fore, each contributing to a contribution of 213/4 in their allotted 20 overs. Lungi Ngidi was at his best with the ball as he recorded impressive figures of 4/31 in four overs.
After a winning start to the campaign, South Africa will look to continue their momentum by defeating Afghanistan. The Proteas ended Afghanistan’s dream run at the 2024 FIFA World Cup T20 by defeating them in the semi-finals. They hold a clean record against their opponents and will be hoping for another clinical performance in the upcoming fixture.
On the other hand, Afghanistan came into the match having lost their opening match against New Zealand by five wickets. After being put in to bat first, Afghanistan posted a competitive score of 182/6 in their 20 overs, but New Zealand chased down the target in 17.5 overs to seal a comfortable victory.
After failing to win their opening match, the upcoming match becomes a must-win contest for Afghanistan as another loss would almost knock them out of the tournament. So the Rashid Khan-led side will have a lot to play for in the upcoming game and will be looking to give their all.
Pitch Report
A total of nine men’s T20I matches were played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, with six of them being won by the teams batting first. The surface favors the big hitters, with an average first innings score of 191. The highest run chase at the venue is 165. While dew is expected to play a role in the second half, the captains are still likely to opt to bat first to take advantage of the favorable conditions.
Expected playing XI
South Africa: Aiden Markram (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (c), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Ziaur Rahman Sharifi, Fazalhaq
Match 2 Prediction: Australia vs Ireland in Colombo
Five days after the tournament, Australia will finally kick off their campaign against Ireland. The Aussies are not in their best form after being thumped 3-0 by Pakistan. The Mitchell Marsh-led side didn’t even get to warm up properly for the tournament as their only warm-up game against the Netherlands was called off.
To add to their misery, the bowling devotees Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood were ruled out of the tournamentand leaves huge holes in their bowling attack. Besides, star opener Travis Head has also been in poor form for the past 15 months, with the last half-century coming in September 2024 in England. All in all, Australia have a lot of issues to address and will be hoping to tick most of their boxes in the opener.
On the other hand, Ireland came into the game having lost their previous match against Sri Lanka. The Paul Stirling-led side had their moments in the match, putting pressure on Sri Lanka at various stages. However, they failed to close the game and capitulated against the Lankan spinners.
While Australia have a clean record against the Irish in their cricketing history, they will be exposed to Ireland’s surface attack which is expected to help them. Ireland have caused quite a stir in ICC events in the past and Tuesday could follow a familiar script given Australia’s recent vulnerability.
Pitch Report
The pitch at the R. Premadasa Stadium has historically been spin-friendly, and tweakers enjoy considerable help. Of the last 13 matches played at the venue, ten have been won by the second-placed teams. However, despite a track record favoring the chasing teams, winning the toss and electing to bat first would be an ideal approach on a surface that is likely to slow down in the second innings.
Expected playing XI
Australia: Mitchell Marsh (c), Travis Head, Matthew Short, Cameron Green, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Inglis (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Xavier Bartlett, Ben Dwarshuis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Adam Zampa
Ireland: Paul Stirling (c), Ross Adair, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Curtis Campher, Benjamin Calitz, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, Matthew Humphreys
MATCH 3 Prediction: England vs West Indies in Mumbai
England survived a huge scare in their opening match to record a narrow four-run victory against Nepal. The Harry Brook-led side were pushed to the brink before Sam Curran’s death-dealing genius rescued them. Jacob Bethell (55 off 35), Harry Brook (53 off 32) and Will Jacks (39* off 18 and figures of 1/17 in two overs) were England’s best performers in the opener.
When it comes to T20Is, England and West Indies have been involved in some memorable battles over the years, the most notable being the T20 World Cup 2016 final at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The two teams are almost level in terms of their record against each other, with England winning 19 out of 38 matches compared to West Indies’ 18 wins.
West Indies, meanwhile, began their campaign with a commanding 35-run win against Scotland. Shimron Hetmyer’s batting brilliance as he scored 64 off 36 balls led his side to a strong total of 182/5. in response Romario Shepherd’s hat trick and a five-wicket haul of 5/20 in three overs produced a clinical win.
With the immense firepower present in both the batting line-ups, both the teams are expected to light up the Wankhede Stadium with some colossal knock. The bout will be the first major clash of the tournament, before further heavyweight clashes later in the competition.
Pitch Report
Two matches have been played at the Wankhede Stadium so far in the tournament and both have been won by the teams batting first. The wicket is expected to be two-paced, as was evident in the day-night match between India and USA, and the batsmen will have to get inside before freeing their hands. Winning the toss and opting to bat first would be the ideal strategy on this surface.
Expected playing XI
England: Philip Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (c), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Luke Wood
West Indies: Brandon King, Shai Hope (c) (week), Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Akeal Hosein, Matthew Forde, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph
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Issued by:
Rishabh Beniwal
Published on:
February 11, 2026