The business end of the group stage of the FIFA World Cup T20 2026 is nearing. And that means the stakes are getting higher and higher with each passing match. Matchday 11 is sure to seal the fate of at least a few important teams in the tournament.
As per the rules, three matches will be played in the T20 World Cup on Tuesday, February 17. The opening match of the day will be between New Zealand and Canada at 11:00 am IST. Ireland take on Zimbabwe in the afternoon match, while Nepal take on Scotland in the evening.
At least two of these games will have a huge impact on the tournament — not just for the teams playing, but for the others in the group as well. If New Zealand wins the match against Canada, they will qualify for the Super 8 stage in Group D. This would see 2024 semi-finalists Afghanistan out of the tournament.
This would be a huge blow for the Afghans, who have built their name in world cricket on the back of the T20 format. It would also be a cruel result considering Afghanistan have lost the Super Over twice to South Africa – a match they lost by a narrow margin.
One still wonders: what would have happened if Fazalhaq Farooqi had dipped in that last run?
The second match of the day – between Ireland and Zimbabwe – will also have a big impact. A win for Zimbabwe would see them qualify for the Super 8s ahead of Australia, who lost to Sri Lanka last night (February 16).
For Australia to stay alive in the competition, Zimbabwe will not only have to lose to Ireland but also lose their final group stage match against Sri Lanka.
When and where to watch
- New Zealand vs Canada – Group D Match at MA Chidambaram Stadium, 11:00 AM IST
- Ireland vs. Zimbabwe – Group B match at Pallekele Stadium, 3:00 PM IST
- Scotland vs Nepal – Group C match at Wankhede Stadium, 7pm IST
All T20 World Cup matches will be telecast live on Star Sports and streamed on JioHotstar.
Here is a quick preview of the three matches scheduled for Day 11 of the T20 World Cup 2026.
T20 World Cup: NZ vs CAN Preview
New Zealand come into the game needing just two points to qualify for the Super 8s. They lost their previous match by seven wickets to group winners South Africa. However, the pitch at the MA Chidambaram Stadium should suit their skills.
Canada have played two matches so far and lost both and are unlikely to pose a serious challenge to the Kiwis.
But nothing is certain in cricket. Don’t expect Canada to go down quietly – you can expect them to put up a fight. They lost narrowly to the United Arab Emirates in their previous match and will look to win at least one of their last two matches of the tournament against New Zealand and Afghanistan.
Chennai Pitch Report
The pitch at MA Chidambaram Stadium is good for batting. New Zealand have already played an ODI here – against Afghanistan – which they won outright.
NZ vs CAN: Predicted XI
New Zealand predicted XI
Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (c), James Neesham, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy
Canada predicted XI
Dilpreet Bajwa (c), Yuvraj Samra, Navneet Dhaliwal, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva (wk), Harsh Thaker, Saad Bin Zafar, Jaskaran Singh, Dilon Heyliger, Kaleem Sana, Ansh Patel
T20 World Cup: IRE vs ZIM Preview
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the main game of the day.
Zimbabwe, an African side ranked 11th in the world, could cause a major upset and qualify for the Super 8s. In a group that seems designed to push Australia and Sri Lanka into the latter stages, Zimbabwe have shown incredible composure to stay alive.
After winning their opening match against Oman, they bowled brilliantly to beat Australia in Colombo. If Zimbabwe beat Ireland, they will advance to the Super 8s alongside Sri Lanka.
Pallekele pitch report
The Pallekele course has shown considerable turnaround in this tournament. Zimbabwe are used to these conditions and know that a target of 170-175 would be good in this country.
IRE vs ZIM: Predicted XI
Ireland predicted XI
Tim Tector, Ross Adair, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (c & wk), Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, Matthew Humphreys
Zimbabwe predicted XI
Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani (wk), Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza (c), Ryan Burl, Tashinga Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Graeme Cremer, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava
T20 World Cup: SCO vs NEP Preview
Scotland and Nepal were eliminated from the tournament. Now they are playing for pride.
Enjoying incredible crowd support throughout the tournament, Nepal will be hoping to reward their fans with a win – their first in the competition.
They have shown a huge passion for the game and with a bit more support and exposure they could develop into a solid side.
The match will be played at the Wankhede Stadium, where Nepal almost pulled off a miraculous victory against England earlier in the tournament. They know the venue well and will be hoping their spinners can do the trick this time.
Mumbai pitch report
Wankhede Stadium is a batting friendly wicket where runs are difficult to defend. However, the World Cup pitch has shown some spin and grip in this tournament, giving the bowlers some bite in their game.
SCO vs NEP: Predicted XI
Nepal predicted XI
Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh (wk), Rohit Paudel (c), Dipendra Singh Airee, Aarif Sheikh/Basir Ahamad, Lokesh Bam/Sundeep Jora, Gulsan Jha, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Nandan Yadav, Sandeep Lamichhane
Scotland predict XI
George Munsey, Michael Jones, Brandon McMullen, Richie Berrington (c), Tom Bruce, Michael Leask, Matthew Cross (wk), Mark Watt, Oliver Davidson, Brad Currie/Zainullah Ihsan, Brad Wheal/Chris Greaves
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Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
February 17, 2026