Scotland will take on Italy in Match 7 of Group C clash of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 on Monday, February 9, at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Scotland come into this encounter after having a terrible run lately in T20 games. They have lost their last few matches and will be under pressure to bounce back as quickly as possible. Led by Richie Berrington, Scotland know that a win here is crucial if they want to stay in contention for the knockout stages. Players like George Munsey and Brandon McMullen will need to step up with the bat.

Italy, meanwhile, have already created headlines by qualifying for the 20-team World Cup. Although Joe Burns is not part of the squad this time, Italy will be led by experienced campaigner Wayne Madsen. The Italian side will look to play disciplined cricket and make the most of this big opportunity on the world stage.

SCO vs ITA: Head-to-Head in T20Is

• Matches Played: 2
• Scotland Won: 1
• Italy Won: 1
• Tied / No Result: 0
  

SCO vs ITA: Pitch Report

The Eden Gardens pitch usually assists the batters early in the match, and as the match progresses, bowlers do get more assistance. Also, teams batting first have enjoyed success here in recent matches, so putting runs on the board could be a good strategy.

See Also: ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, Match 9: SA vs CAN, head-to-head, pitch report and predicted playing XIs

SCO vs ITA: Predicted Playing XIs

Scotland (SCO):

Richie Berrington (c), Michael Jones, Matthew Cross (wk), Brandon McMullen, Tom Bruce, George Munsey,  Mark Watt, Michael Leask, Oliver Davidson, Safyaan Sharif, Brad Currie

Italy (ITA):

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

The West Indies will take on Scotland in Match 2 of Group C of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, set to be played at the historic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. This encounter brings together two teams with different styles, which makes the match even more exciting.

Two-time champions West Indies national cricket team will look to use their strong hitting and experience to start the tournament on a winning note. On otherhand Scotland, led by Richie Berrington, will aim to play fearless cricket. With key players such as George Munsey, Michael Leask and Brandon McMullen, Scotland will aim to stay competitive, take early wickets, and put pressure on the favourites in this high-stakes encounter.

WI vs SCO: Weather Report

The weather in Kolkata will be pleasant for the afternoon match. The temperature lies between 24°C and 28°C, accompanied by a sunny day. The humidity is moderate, and there's only a small chance of rain, which means a full game would be possible without interruptions.

WI vs SCO: Eden Gardens Stats (T20Is)

• Matches played: 14
• Average first-innings score: 152
• Average second-innings score: 134
• Teams winning batting first: 43%
• Teams winning bowling first: 43%
• Highest total: 201/5
• Lowest total: 70/10
• Highest chase: 162/4
• Lowest total defended: 145/8

See Also: ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, Match 3: IND vs USA, weather report, stadium stats and predicted playing XIs

WI vs SCO: Predicted Playing XIs

West Indies (WI):

Shai Hope (c & wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein

Scotland (SCO):

Richie Berrington (c), Michael Jones, Mark Watt, Brandon McMullen, Matthew Cross (wk), Tom Bruce, Michael Leask, Chris Greaves, Oliver Davidson, Safyaan Sharif, Zainullah Ihsan

West Indies will take on Scotland in Match 2 of Group C in their ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 opener on Friday, February 7th at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Both teams will be keen to start the tournament with a positive result.

West Indies coming into the World Cup as one of the most successful sides in the history of T20s, having won the title twice, they finished fifth in the previous edition. The Caribbean side looks refreshed with a well-balanced squad now. Under the captaincy of Shai Hope, they will heavily rely on their experienced players like Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Shamar Joseph, and Romario Shepherd.

Scotland, on the other hand, come into this event having replaced Bangladesh, and they will be determined to make the most of that chance. This will be the seventh time Scotland have played in the T20 World Cup, and under the captaincy of Richie Berrington, the team will be pretty aggressive in their approach. George Munsey, Michael Leask, Brandon McMullen, and Mark Watt will be in important positions for Scotland.

WI vs SCO: Head-to-Head in T20Is

• Matches Played: 1
• West Indies Won: 0
• Scotland Won: 1
• Tied: 0
• No Result: 0

WI vs SCO: Pitch Report

The pitch at Eden Gardens usually offers help to both batters and bowlers. As the game goes on, the surface can slow down, bringing spinners into the contest. Batters can still score freely if they apply themselves, and totals close to 200 are not uncommon. Bowlers will need to stay accurate, as loose deliveries can be expensive.

See Also: ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, Match 3: IND vs USA, head-to-head, pitch report and predicted playing XIs

WI vs SCO: Predicted Playing XIs

West Indies (WI):

Shai Hope (c & wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein

Scotland (SCO):

Richie Berrington (c), Michael Jones, Mark Watt, Brandon McMullen, Matthew Cross (wk), Tom Bruce, Michael Leask, Chris Greaves, Oliver Davidson, Safyaan Sharif, Zainullah Ihsan

Ahead of their opening clash of the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka in the afternoon against the West Indies at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Scotland arrives in the city amidst the cheer from the crowd. It was a late call-up and preparation for the side after the International Cricket Council (ICC) replaced them with Bangladesh, after the latter decided not to travel to India due to security reasons. 

Scotland’s second clash of the event will be in the morning against Italy at the same venue. Their third and exciting contest will be against England at the same venue, which will be an advantage for the side, given they would be quite familiar with the surface and its condition.

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For the last group-stage fixture against Nepal, Scotland will fly to the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. They looked to have blown their shot at this WC when they finished behind the Netherlands, Italy, and Jersey at the Europe Regional Final qualifier, but the luck was in their favor.

Scotland arrive in West Indies for T20 WC 2026 opener 

As they get a late notice, it will have its own challenges. With a fortnight’s notice, the Scotland cricket team had been working around the clock to get their squad together and in the right place, both mentally and physically, to compete in the global tournament. Moreover, they haven’t played a T20I since losing to Jersey in Hague in their final game at the qualifier in July.

Watch the video here: 

SCOTLAND HAS ARRIVED IN KOLKATA FOR THE T20 WORLD CUP...!!! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/AyAWELQVM7

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) February 6, 2026

Their left-arm spinner, Mark Watt, has been around the set-up for a decade and is set to compete in his fifth T20 WC. He has those T20 tricks where he also writes notes in his hand, which almost wrongfooted a couple of Australia players in the previous 2024 season of the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States of America.

Scotland squad for T20 WC 2026

Richie Berrington (captain), Tom Bruce, Matthew Cross, Bradley Currie, Oliver Davidson, Chris Greaves, Zainullah Ihsan, Michael Jones, Michael Leask, Finlay McCreath, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Safyaan Sharif, Mark Watt, Brad Wheal. Reserves: Jasper Davidson, Jack Jarvis

AFG vs SCO Match Preview

AFG vs SCO Match Details

Afghanistan vs Scotland – 01st Warm-up Match, ICC Mens T20 World Cup 2026

Venue: BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground, Bengaluru

Date & Time: 02nd February 2026 at 03:00 PM IST 

Live Streaming: JioHotstar

AFG vs SCO Venue Stats 

AFG vs SCO Pitch Report

Once hitters settle in for a T20I at BCCI Centre, scoring can pick up quickly—the pitch has true bounce, and the ropes are closer than at many older Indian grounds. 

AFG vs SCO Weather Report

The evening will be clear, with a high of 26 degrees Celsius during the time of the match 

AFG vs SCO Last Five Matches

AFG vs SCO Head-to-Head Stats

Injury News

No Injury. Will be added when there is an update.

Also Read: SL vs ENG Dream11 Prediction Playing XI: 2nd T20I

AFG vs SCO Probable Playing XIs:

Afghanistan Probable Playing XIs

Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan(C), Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad

Scotland Probable Playing XIs

George Munsey, Richie Berrington(C), Matthew Cross, Brandon McMullen, Chris Greaves, Tom Bruce, Michael Leask, Mark Watt, Safyaan Sharif, Bradley Currie, Jack Jarvis

Topmost Picks for AFG vs SCO Dream11 Prediction:

Top Picks – Afghanistan

• Ibrahim Zadran – He looked in excellent form in the recently finished T20I series against the West Indies. Zadran paces his innings exceptionally well in the brief format.
• Rashid Khan – Skipper Rashid Khan is expected to be Afghanistan's leading wicket-taker in both warm-up and main event matches.

Top Picks – Scotland

• George Munsey – George Munsey is a hard-hitting top-order batsman who can challenge bowlers from the start. Munsey is expected to score runs in the upcoming matches.
• Bradley Currie – He is an effective pacer who does not leak runs and takes wickets when it counts the most for his team.

Suggested Playing XI N0.1 for AFG vs SCO Dream11 Team:

Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Matthew Cross, Brandon McMullen(VC), Ibrahim Zadran(C), George Munsey, Richie Berrington, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Mark Watt, Bradley Currie, Rashid Khan

Captain and Vice-Captain Options:

Captain – Ibrahim Zadran, Rashid Khan

Vice-captain – Brandon McMullen, George Munsey

Wicketkeeper – Rahmanullah Gurbaz

AFG vs SCO Probable Winners:

Scotland has few chances of making it past the league stages of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. Afghanistan is a strong team that is expected to perform well in their upcoming matches. Afghanistan's strength in this match should lead to an easy victory over Scotland, unless Scotland performs exceptionally well. Considering the team combination, Afghanistan is expected to win this match.

AFG vs SCO FAQ

Q: Who is likely to win the AFG vs SCO match today?

A: Afghanistan is expected to win this match.

Q: Who is ahead in head-to-head stats?

A: Afghanistan is ahead in H2H stats.

Q: Who are the top fantasy picks for the AFG vs SCO Dream11 team?

A: Ibrahim Zadran, Rashid Khan, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey.

Q: What is the pitch report for this match?

A: Once hitters settle in for a T20I at BCCI Centre, scoring can pick up quickly—the pitch has true bounce, and the ropes are closer than at many older Indian grounds.

Scotland’s pacer, Scott Currie , is ineligible for selection for the side during the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. He played three ODIs for Scotland in 2024 in the World Cricket League Division Two, in which he grabbed three wickets. Following their failure to qualify for the T20 World Cup, he switched his focus to playing for England. 

Scott Currie didn’t play a game for the England side in Ireland last summer and was released after the second T20I in the One Day Cup final. He wasn’t named in an England squad, so he has yet to win a cap. However, he was named as a substitute fielder for the first T20I in Malahide, which means he will now have to fulfill the ICC's eligibility criteria to feature for Scotland.

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“Where a Player has represented a National Cricket Federation...and subsequently seeks to play for a different National Cricket Federation, he/she will only qualify to play in an International Match or ICC Event for a National Cricket Federation if he/she has not participated (as a member of a starting XI or as a playing or non-playing official substitute) in an International Match.” Article 2.2 of the ICC regulation addressed.

Know why Scotland didn’t pick Scott Currie for T20 World Cup 2026

Notably, as a qualified player of the England side, Currie didn’t have to fulfil a waiting period to be available as a player for the United Kingdom, having played three ODIs for the Scotland side in 2024 because of their status as an ICC Full Member and Scotland’s as an Associate.

Watch the video here: 

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A post shared by Manoj Dimri (@manojdimri)

“Everyone's favorite word at the moment is the schedule, but it's tough with the way the schedule is to find those opportunities [to play international cricket]. Unfortunately, they [Scotland] didn't qualify for the T20 World Cup coming this winter. But yeah, I do remain in contact with them.” Currie expressed on ESPNcricinfo.

Scotland will begin their campaign on February 7 against the West Indies at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata, where they will play two more games against England and Italy at the same ground before moving to the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

As Scotland have earned an almost last-minute entry for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, in the absence of the Bangladesh national cricket team, the visa status is now the key matter for the team. Cricket Scotland has announced the Scottish squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, where the 34-year-old Safyaan Sharif is of Pakistani heritage, and the International Cricket Council (ICC) has reportedly given assurance for the entire Scottish squad visa, including Sharif. 

On Monday (January 26), Scotland announced their complete squad for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, which India and Sri Lanka will host from February 7 to March 8, 2026. As Scotland have replaced Bangladesh for the tournament, they are in Group C along with two-time champions England and West Indies, Nepal, and debutant Italy. In the group stage, Scotland will play all their matches in India, three in Kolkata and one in Mumbai.

Earlier, there were some doubts about the Indian visa-granting for the Pakistan-origin players, which seems to have been sorted with the ICC assurance. As Scotland are making a late entry in the tournament, the visa can create any issue. However, Cricket Scotland has a strong belief in ICC assurance, as they feel that everything will be fine and done on time, including granting the Indian visa for Safyaan Sharif.

See Also: Italy create history by defeating Ireland before ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026

We are all committed working with the ICC to make that happen: Cricket Scotland chief executive

Cricket Scotland's chief executive, Trudy Lindblade, said, "We are all committed [to] working with the ICC to make that happen. The visa piece is always slightly an unknown, and it doesn't matter whether you've got three days or whether you've got 45 days.

"Certainly that's been our focus in the last 48 hours: just getting those visas done so our players are all ready to go. They're all in the middle of submitting their visas and we will be there on the ground in India as quickly as we can, so it's just a matter of time now.

"[The ICC] can only give us the assurances of the bits that they can control and, absolutely, of the bits that they control, we are working with them and obviously they're working with the BCCI and local people on the ground there to make sure that we are getting all of that support that we need.

"So, absolutely, [they have given] the assurance that they can provide of things that were in their control. There is a team working very, very hard to not just help us, but to help 19 other teams as well that are also going to a World Cup. But we are their intense focus right now."

Safyaan Sharif was born in Yorkshire

Huddersfield-born Safyaan Sharif's father is from Pakistan, and his mother is a British-Pakistani. 

Cricket Scotland has also named two travelling reserves and three non-travelling reserves for the tournament. 

Scotland has announced their 15-player roster for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 which marks the European team's seventh entry into the international tournament. The tournament takes place between February 7 and March 8 across venues located in India and Sri Lanka after Scotland received their entry because Bangladesh withdrew for security reasons.

The squad will be led by experienced all-rounder Richie Berrington, who once again takes on the responsibility of guiding Scotland on the biggest stage. The selection also marks the first major call by newly appointed men’s head coach Owen Dawkins, who took charge only last month.

Fresh faces blend with experience as Scotland aim to make a strong impact in Group C

The 2024 T20 World Cup squad maintains its first three players after 11 members from the previous squad who played in the 2024 T20 World Cup championship match. The biggest talking point is the inclusion of Zainullah Ihsan, the Afghan-born fast bowler who has earned his maiden senior call-up after recently qualifying to represent Scotland. His raw pace adds a new dimension to Scotland’s bowling attack.

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Tom Bruce, Finlay McCreath and Oliver Davidson will experience their first World Cup after demonstrating their skills in Scotland's T20I and ODI programs during the previous year. The squad demonstrates effective balance for Indian conditions because it contains established players such as George Munsey, Brandon McMullen, Mark Watt and Michael Leask.

Scotland will start their first match against West Indies at Eden Gardens on February 7 after being assigned to Group C with England, West Indies, Italy and Nepal. Scotland aims to establish their presence in international competition despite having insufficient time to prepare because the team maintains high confidence levels.

Scotland Squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026

Richie Berrington (c), Tom Bruce, Matthew Cross, Bradley Currie, Oliver Davidson, Chris Greaves, Zainullah Ihsan, Michael Jones, Michael Leask, Finlay McCreath, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Safyaan Sharif, Mark Watt, Bradley Wheal

Travelling reserves: Jasper Davidson, Jack Jarvis
Non-travelling reserves: Mackenzie Jones, Chris McBride, Charlie Tear

ICC has announced the replacement of the Bangladesh cricket team in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. Scotland will be replacing Bangladesh in the tournament. Because of the replacement, the council had to update all the fixtures as well. The new T20 World Cup 2026 fixture has already gone live on the internet.

Scotland will start their World Cup 2026 campaign on February 7 at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. They will start their campaign against the West Indies. Then, their next matches will be against Italy, England and Nepal simultaneously.

The Scotland cricket team will follow the fixtures of the Bangladesh cricket team. Scotland are currently ranked 14th, ahead of seven teams already in the tournament: Namibia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Nepal, the United States of America (USA), Canada, Oman and Italy.

Read More: Reasons why Sanju Samson can be dropped if he doesn't perform in IND vs NZ 3rd T20I

New schedule of the ICC t20 World Cup 2026:

The official news has come as Scotland have replaced Bangladesh in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, starting in India and Sri Lanka on February 7 as it was only a matter of time after the International Cricket Council (ICC) gave the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) a 20-hour deadline a couple of days back. 

Bangladesh have now been replaced by the associate country from the northeastern European country in the British island, Scotland, and the final call was taken on the morning of January 24 when it is learnt that the ICC CEO, Sanjog Gupta, formerly wrote to the ICC Board that the demands of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) are not in order of their policy.

See Also: “Potential troublemaker…”- Former BCB secretary slams Bangladesh boycotting T20 World Cup 2026

Gupta has invited the Scotland Cricket Board to take part in the Championship which will be played in India and Sri Lanka as the reports have claimed that there was no immediate response from the Cricket Scotland CEO, Trudy Lindblade. But there are meeting between Dubai and Edinburgh on the January 24 morning.

Scotland to play T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka 

Scotland have been given the chance to feature in the World Cup based on their performances in the previous ICC events apart from the current T20 ranking which is now number 14. In the previous season of the World Cup in 2024, they finished third in the group with the same point of Group B’s England but lost to the damaged neutron rate (NRR).

The swap means Scotland will be facing West Indies, Italy, and England in the three group-stage competition games at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, before making their trip to the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai to face Nepal on February 17. In the 2021 World Cup they had beaten Bangladesh in the group stage and topped their group before going winning less in the Super 12 round.

The world governing body of cricket had allowed Bangladesh time to review their stance and discuss the matter with their government. ICC did not want Bangladesh to feel left out of the ecosystem, and at the same time, they did not want a dangerous president said when a member demands a relocation of the matches.