ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, Match 29: ENG vs ITA, head-to-head, pitch report and predicted playing XIs

England will play Italy in Match 29 of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup on February 16 at Eden Gardens. With Group C becoming very close, this match is important for both teams. England want to confirm their place in the next round, while Italy hope to continue their strong progress in the tournament.

England have had mixed results so far. They started with a narrow win over Nepal, then lost to West Indies, but came back strongly with a good win against Scotland. That victory moved them to second place in the group. Their bowling attack has done well, and their top-order batsmen should be more consistent.

Italy has also improved their performance. Though they suffered a heavy defeat in their first match, they have bounced back by defeating Nepal and claiming their first win. Their bowlers kept things tight, and their batsmen chased the target confidently. Though England has experience, Italy is confident of giving them a tough fight.

ENG vs ITA: Head-to-Head in T20Is

England and Italy have never face each other in T20I. This will be the first encounter in this format, so there is no head-to-head record, both teams are currently at 0-0.

ENG vs ITA: Pitch Report

The pitch at Eden Gardens is likely to help bowlers at the start of the match. Fast bowlers can get good support with the new ball. As the game goes on, batters will adjust and start scoring more easily. Later, spinners can get good turn from the pitch. The average first innings score here this year is around 170 runs.

See Also: ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, Match 30: SL vs AUS, weather report, stadium stats and predicted playing XIs

ENG vs ITA: Predicted Playing XIs

England (ENG):

Harry Brook (c), Phil Salt, Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Jos Buttler (wk), Jamie Overton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer

Italy (ITA):

Anthony Mosca, Crishan Kalugamage, Justin Mosca, Harry Manenti (c),  Gian Meade (wk), JJ Smuts, Marcus Campopiano/Wayne Madsen, Grant Stewart, Ben Manenti, Jaspreet Singh, Ali Hasan