The action continues in the T20 World Cup 2026 as Day 3 promises three more exciting contests for fans. Scotland and Italy kick off today’s proceedings in the opening match at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata, starting at 11:00 IST. Zimbabwe and Oman then lock horns in the second match of the day at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo.
Meanwhile, the runners-up from the previous edition, South Africa, will begin their campaign in the final match of the day against Canada at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. While the Proteas are expected to grab most of the fans’ attention, the much-anticipated debut of the Italian soccer powerhouse at the World Cup will also be one to watch closely.
When and where to watch
Scotland vs Italy in Kolkata in Group C match at 11 am IST
Zimbabwe vs Oman in Colombo in a Group B match at 15:00 IST
South Africa vs Canada at Ahmedabad in Group D match at 7 PM IST
All the matches will be telecast on Star Sports with live streaming available on JioHotstar.
Here is a quick preview of the three matches scheduled for Day 3 of the T20 World Cup.
Match 1 Prediction: Scotland vs Italy in Kolkata
Football heavyweights Italy will have the opportunity to create a new sporting chapter when they take on Scotland on his historic debut in the ICC T20 World Cup. It will mark their first appearance on cricket’s biggest stage, signaling a remarkable shift for a nation traditionally known for its dominance on the football field.
Four-time World Cup winners as the Azzurri in Italy have now emerged as the Gli Azzurri in cricket. They qualified for the tournament last July through the European regional qualifiers. Italy and Channel Islanders Jersey finished qualifying with five points after recording surprise victories over Scotland. However, it was the Italians who secured second place behind the Netherlands thanks to an excellent clear pace, securing their first place at the World Show.
Italy enjoyed strong form going into the tournament, winning their last three matches. They recorded warm-up wins against Canada and the United Arab Emirates before defeating Ireland in their warm-up series, a landmark result that marked their first ever victory over an ICC Full Member.
Scotland, on the other hand, will arrive in the match after suffering a 35-run defeat against the West Indies in his opening match at the same venue. Chasing a target of 183, Scotland were bowled out for 147 with captain Richie Berrington standing tall as the lone bright spot with a knock of 42 off 24 deliveries. Left-arm seamer Brad Currie (2/23) appeared among the bowlers with the ball.
Scotland and Italy share a rich sporting rivalry which was highlighted recently when Italy beat Scotland 18-15 in a hotly contested Six Nations rugby clash in Rome, adding another layer of intrigue for fans of both nations. In terms of cricket, the sides were evenly matched, with each team winning one of the two matches played against each other. However, Italy will head into the match full of confidence after their 12th win over Scotland in last year’s European qualifiers.
Pitch Report
The opening match at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata produced a balanced surface with both batsmen and bowlers on offer. The batsmen enjoyed the free-hitting game while the pitchers were able to get assists by hitting the right areas. Kolkata have traditionally favored spinners and the nimble tweakers are expected to enjoy bowling on this surface, while the batsmen will have to bide their time in the middle before attempting sweeping strokes.
Expected playing XI
Scotland: George Munsey, Matthew Cross (wk), Brandon McMullen, Michael Jones, Tom Bruce, Richie Berrington (c), Michael Leask, Oliver Davidson, Mark Watt, Brad Currie, Safyaan Sharif
Italy: Justin Mosca, Wayne Madsen (c), Harry Manenti, Anthony Mosca, JJ Smuts, Ben Manenti, Grant Stewart, Gian Meade (wk), Marcus Campopiano, Crishan Kalugamage, Ali Hasan
Match 2 Prediction: Zimbabwe vs Oman in Colombo
Zimbabwe secured qualification for the tournament by winning the ICC T20 World Cup Africa Regional Qualifier. However, they were unable to carry that momentum into the build-up, suffering a 0–3 defeat against Afghanistan and managing just one win in the subsequent tri-series involving Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The Chevrons last appeared in the tournament in 2022 where they were eliminated during the group stage. However, the Sikandar Raza-led side has been playing exciting cricket in recent years and will be in for a few surprises in the upcoming edition.
Meanwhile, Oman qualified for the World Cup after finishing second in the ICC T20 World Cup Asia & EAP Qualifier. They also featured in the Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament, but could only win once out of three matches against the UAE. In the previous edition of the World Cup, Oman was eliminated in the first stage, losing all four Group B matches.
However, Oman enjoyed a positive build-up to the tournament, winning both their warm-up matches against Sri Lanka A and Zimbabwe. Their win over the Sikandar Raza-led side will give them considerable confidence going into the opening match as they look to start their campaign on a winning note.
Pitch Report
The opening match of the tournament between Pakistan and the Netherlands was played at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. The Dutch batted first for 147, while Pakistan faced hiccups during the middle part of the chase before Faheem Ashraf led them home. The spinners are expected to enjoy bowling on the surface, while the bowlers could also find success with a change of pace. The batsmen will have to apply early before trying to play aggressively.
Expected playing XI
Oman: Jatinder Singh (c), Hammad Mirza (wk), Ashish Odedra, Vinayak Shukla, Jiten Ramanandi, Aamir Kaleem, Nadeem Khan, Jay Odedra, Shakeel Ahmed, Sufyan Mehmood, Faisal Shah.
Zimbabwe: Brendon Taylor (wk), Brian Bennett, Dion Mayers, Clive Madande, Sikandar Raza (c), Ryan Burl, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Graeme Cremer, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava T20 World Cup: South Africa to play their opening match against Canada in Ahmedabad
Match 3 Prediction: South Africa vs Canada in Ahmedabad
South Africa enter the tournament with renewed faith after their triumph in the 2025 ICC World Test Championship final. The Aiden Markram-led team recently defeated the West Indies 2–1 in the tournament opener, although they suffered a 30-run defeat against hosts India in his only friendly game.
Once again, South Africa arrived at the ICC event with all the ingredients needed to win the title. Whether they can hold their nerve during crunch moments, especially in the knockout stages, remains to be seen. The Proteas suffered heartbreak in the final of the 2024 edition against India and this painful defeat is likely to serve as further motivation as they look to put the setback behind them and look for redemption should they face the defending champions again.
Meanwhile, Canada qualified for the tournament by winning the World Cup T20 Americas Qualifier. However, their line-up was far from ideal as they lost both their warm-up matches against Italy and Nepal. It will be Canada’s second appearance at the FIFA T20 World Cup after being knocked out in the group stage of the previous edition.
The Canadians managed a memorable win over Ireland on debut and will be keen to add another win to their tally as they look to impress in their second appearance at the T20 extravaganza.
Pitch Report
A total of eight T20I matches were played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, five of which were won by the teams batting first. The surface favors the big hitters, with the average first innings score being 188. 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, Jason Smith, Tristan Stubbs, George Linde, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi
Canada: Navneet Dhaliwal, Yuvraj Samra, Kanwarpal Tathgur, Nicholas Kirton, Dilpreet Bajwa (c), Harsh Thaker, Shreyas Movva (wk), Ansh Patel, Jaskaran Singh, Shivam Sharma, Dilon Heyliger
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Issued by:
Rishabh Beniwal
Published on:
February 9, 2026
