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.

The Bangladesh women’s cricket team continued their strong performance in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifiers. They qualified for the main tournament after a convincing 39-run win over Thailand in the Super Six stage.

Bangladesh remained unbeaten in the tournament and has now won five matches in a row. They won all four matches in the group stage and carried four important points into the Super Six stage. In their first Super Six match, they played better than Thailand and secured an easy victory.

With six points in the Super Six stage, including the four carried forward, Bangladesh are now comfortably placed at the top of the points table.

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Bangladesh book their berth for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 in June 👏#T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/aK4aoA98rE

— ICC (@ICC) January 28, 2026

Bangladesh Seals World Cup Spot with Strong Super Six Run

Bangladesh entered the Super Six stage as Group A winners after beating the United States, Papua New Guinea, Namibia, and Ireland. Their strong performance put them in a very good position for qualification.

The qualification situation clearly favours Bangladesh. Even if they lose their remaining two matches, their excellent net run rate of +1.150, the best in the tournament, makes it almost impossible for them to fall out of the top four. Only a very rare situation, where five teams finish with the same points, could affect their qualification. Even then, Bangladesh remain in a strong position.

As of now, Bangladesh have officially qualified for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, which will be held in England and Wales in June and July.

Match Summary: Bangladesh vs Thailand

In Wednesday’s match, Bangladesh batted first after losing the toss and scored 165 for 8 in 20 overs. Thailand were then restricted to 126 for 8, giving Bangladesh a 39-run win.

Bangladesh had a shaky start as opener Dilara Akter was out for a golden duck, while Sharmin Akter scored 11. Juwairiya Ferdous and Sobhana Mostary then shared a crucial 110-run partnership for the third wicket. Both scored half-centuries. Juwairiya made 56 off 43 balls, and Sobhana scored 59 off 42 balls. Ritu Moni added a quick 15 runs, while the lower order contributed little.

During the chase, Thailand lost early wickets but showed some fight through Nathakan Chantham (44), Naruemol Chaiwai (30), and Nannapat Koncharoenkeat (29). No other batter reached double figures.

Marufa Akter led the bowling with three wickets. Ritu Moni and Swarna Akter took two wickets each, while Fahima Khatun picked up one.

No Bangladeshi journalist received media accreditation from the International Cricket Council (ICC) to cover the 2026 T20 World Cup as a result of Bangladesh’s formal announcement to boycott the World Cup. The cancellation of media accreditation for Bangladeshi journalists has sparked outrage among the media community in Bangladesh, as it was felt that targeting the journalists for the actions of their nation was an unfair practice.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Media Committee Chairperson Amzad Hossain has stated that approximately 130-150 journalists based in Bangladesh submitted applications for media accreditation for this global event, but none were accepted. Many journalists believed they had previously been accepted only to later learn that their applications were rejected following the BCB's announcement of Bangladesh's withdrawal, adding further frustration and confusion to the ICC's actions.

At this time of significant diplomatic and administratively serious relations for Bangladeshi cricket with regard to the World Cup, it has become an issue of concern for the media professionals in Bangladesh who believe that sports journalism should be free from political and BCB decisions. Furthermore, by preventing access to media by journalists from countries that do not participate, it undermines the spirit of global sports reporting.

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Bangladesh Journalists Rally Against ICC Award

There are senior journalists that condemned the ICC's actions as "unprofessional" and an "unprecedented act." On Twitter, Mir Farid, the Kaler Kantho newspaper's photojournalist, shared that he had received initial permission and received a visa support letter for entry to India and later received notice of his rejection of the application for accreditation. This has caused great frustration for many journalists preparing for the competition.

Bangladeshi media plans to file a formal complaint to the ICC via the Ministry of Information and BCB requesting clarification on their decision and asking that it be reconsidered. They also remind the ICC that in past events when the Bangladeshi National Cricket Team did not qualify for World Cup, Bangladeshi journalists covered the events, such as the 1996 World Cup, which adds to the controversy surrounding this decision.

The New Zealand former cricketer Simon Doull has brought back to life for cricket fans the best T20 World Cup games in India history through his selection of five top matches which include exciting plays from matches and display intense emotions and show the players who made their mark on cricket history.

The upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 has made Doull's selections popular with fans because these selections show how India developed its T20 cricket style through key events which went beyond normal match results.

1. Virat Kohli’s “Shot of the Century” (2022 vs Pakistan)

The cricket world received its first shock when Doull selected this incident at a Melbourne Cricket Ground match. The Indian cricketer Virat Kohli executed an impossible shot by hitting a six over long-off against Haris Rauf during a critical India-Pakistan match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Kohli used his perfect timing and steady body control to execute a dangerous batting technique which allowed him to win the match by successfully hitting 160 runs. Doull considers this performance his top choice because he believes the player showed great bravery when he tried to perform this shot at that particular moment. The shot became an instant cricketing legend because it produced more than just a boundary.

2. Yuvraj Singh’s six sixes (2007 vs England)

T20 cricket evolution reached its highest point through this particular event. The 2007 Durban match witnessed Yuvraj Singh hit six consecutive sixes against Stuart Broad which created an enormous impact throughout international cricket.

The 36 runs which India scored during a single over surprised spectators because it established India as a dangerous team in a completely new cricket format. Doull ranks the moment high because it brought T20 cricket to the public and showed baseball enthusiasts a historic battle.

3. Virat Kohli’s Mohali masterclass (2016 vs Australia)

Kohli achieved his performance through a virtual knockout combined with a powerful Australian pace attack and heavy game pressure. His 82 runs without losing a wicket in 51 balls during the match at Mohali stands as one of the greatest T20 chases ever accomplished by an Indian cricketer.

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Kohli used his batting technique to face Starc and Hazlewood and Cummins while he carried India to victory through his unbreakable mental strength. According to Doull the batting performance constitutes the perfect demonstration of batting skill which withstands difficult conditions during an essential match.

4. Suryakumar Yadav’s match-turning catch (2024 final vs South Africa)

Fielding moments have not earned recognition on lists of this nature but this particular moment required inclusion. Suryakumar Yadav completed an incredible boundary catch during the 2024 final which brought India full control of the match after the boundary catch.

Doull describes it as “athletic magic” - a moment that summed up India’s sharp fielding standards and played a crucial role in sealing their second T2O World Cup title.

5. Sreesanth’s catch to seal history (2007 final vs Pakistan)

The moment that started it all. Sreesanth caught a high-pressure catch during the final over of the first T20 World Cup final which resulted in Misbah-ul-Haq's dismissal. The catch won the game for India while it created the Indian T20 legacy which brought home the first world championship in the T20 format.

Doull creates a list which combines nostalgic elements with current information to showcase exceptional skills and the key events which changed game results and tournament outcomes and established Indian T20 cricket identity. The five moments which exist in Indian cricket history will remain permanent despite different discussions regarding player rankings.

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 Bangladesh cricket team will not participate in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026. So, with immediate effect, the International Cricket Council has announced the replacement of the Bangladesh cricket team for the tournament. Scotland will replace Bangladesh in the tournament. The ICC has released an official statement to inform about their decision.

“The ICC has announced that Scotland will replace Bangladesh at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. It was formally announced on Saturday that Bangladesh will no longer compete in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) refused to participate in the tournament per the published match schedule”, ICC informed in their official statement.

Bangladesh was about to take part in the tournament, but their cricket board refused to travel to India because of ‘security and safety’ concerns of their players. They requested the ICC to shift their matches from India to Sri Lanka, but the ICC did not approve their plea.

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

ICC issues official statement about the inclusion of Scotland

On the other side, Bangladesh cricket team officials remained firm on their decision about not travelling to India to play in the 2026 World Cup. ICC gave the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) an ultimatum to review their stance. But the situation did not improve, for which the council had to keep Scotland on standby.

“The announcement comes after the ICC, in the absence of any credible or verifiable security threat to the Bangladesh national team in India, rejected BCB’s request to move their matches from India to Sri Lanka, who are co-hosts of the tournament which commences on February 7.Independent security assessments were conducted from internal and external experts", the statement reads.

The final verdict on the participation of the Bangladesh cricket team in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 has arrived. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has removed the team from the tournament. Which means Bangladesh is no longer eligible for taking part in the T20 World Cup 2026. 

In place of Bangladesh, Scotland will join Group C in the contest. Now, the question is, what will be the consequences for the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) as they are not going to play the elite tournament?

The Bangladesh cricket board and their national team may have to cross some bumpy roads ahead. Their decision not to travel to India, citing 'safety and security' concerns, has damaged the situation between India and Bangladesh. BCB will lose a significant amount of revenues for not taking part in the T20 World Cup 2026.

Read More: Scotland confirmed to replace Bangladesh in T20 World Cup 2026

As the Bangladesh Cricket Board did not want to send the team to India, will the BCCI send the Indian cricket team to Bangladesh? India is scheduled to tour Bangladesh in August-September, which is now uncertain. If Team India refuses to travel to Bangladesh, then that will have a huge effect on the Bangladesh Cricket Board. They can lose a huge amount of money if the Bangladesh vs India series does not take place.

These consequences Bangladesh can in the near future

Additionally, other income sources of BCB are also likely to be hit for not participating in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. According to the media reports, the total income of the Bangladesh Cricket Board can drop by 60 percent or even more than that.

The board officials also may have to deal with sponsorship issues as well. It will also be interesting to see whether the ICC can take any further steps against Bangladesh. In the near future, the reputation and revenue of Bangladesh cricket can be damaged by a significant margin.

Team India youngster Tilak Varma had a funny moment when he forgot to name Arshdeep Singh as India’s highest wicket-taker in T20 World Cups. Team India is currently playing a five-match T20I series against New Zealand at home.

During this time, Tilak took part in Star Sports’ ‘Knowledge Check’ segment. He was asked which Indian fast bowler has taken the most wickets in T20 World Cups. Tilak first answered Jasprit Bumrah. After a short pause, he corrected himself and named Arshdeep Singh.

Realising his mistake, Tilak smiled and said, “Paaji, sorry yaar bhul gaya” (Sorry brother, I forgot). The moment quickly became a light and cheerful highlight for fans.

Watch the video here:

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Arshdeep Singh tops India’s T20 World Cup wicket list

Arshdeep Singh holds the record for most wickets by an Indian in T20 World Cups. He has taken 27 wickets in 14 matches across the 2022 and 2024 editions. Jasprit Bumrah is close behind with 26 wickets from 18 matches.

Tilak Varma answered all other questions correctly in Star Sports’ Knowledge Check segment. He named Virat Kohli for most T20 World Cup appearances for India. Rohit Sharma was the only Indian to play all nine T20 World Cups. Ravichandran Ashwin hit the winning runs in the India vs Pakistan match in the 2022 T20 World Cup. Irfan Pathan and Virat Kohli won Man of the Match awards in the 2007 and 2024 finals. Suresh Raina remains the only Indian with a T20 World Cup century. Yusuf Pathan is the only Indian to make his T20I debut in a World Cup final.

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Tilak Varma’s injury update

Tilak Varma missed the first three T20Is of the ongoing series against New Zealand. He is recovering after testicular torsion surgery. He is expected to be fully fit before the T20 World Cup 2026, which starts on February 7.

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Arshdeep Singh shines in T20Is

Arshdeep Singh is also India’s highest wicket-taker in T20 internationals. The left-arm pacer made his T20I debut against England in 2022.

In 73 T20Is, he has taken 111 wickets at an average of 19.01 and an economy rate of 8.39. His best figures are 4 for 9. Arshdeep is a key part of India’s T20 team and will play an important role in the 2026 T20 World Cup.

In the first T20I against New Zealand, which India won by 48 runs, Arshdeep picked up 1 for 31 in four overs.

The certain injury has put a shade of uncertainty over Washington Sundar's future in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, which is scheduled to start from the first week of February. India will face the USA in the opening match of the tournament. Ahead of that, Sundar's injury remains as one of the talking points for the Indian cricket fans.

 Who deserves to be in the T20I squad in case Washington Sundar is unable to play? There are multiple contenders to replace the spin bowling allrounder. But there is one certain player who has been making runs constantly in the recent domestic tournaments for Jharkhand. We are talking about Anukul Roy, who has become one of the most lethal and reliable cricketers for the state team in recent times.

Roy, who is a part of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), can be an ideal replacement for Sundar. Roy played a pivotal role behind Jharkhand's success in the previous edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament, and he is carrying the same form in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 (VHT 2025-26) as well. In the final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament, the southpaw scored an unbeaten 40 runs with a strike rate of 200.00.

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Why Anukul Roy deserves to be in T20 World Cup 2026 squad?

On December 29, he got an unbeaten 98-run knock against Puducherry. After that, on January 3, Roy scored 72 runs for Jharkhand against a strong Kerala cricket team in the Vijay Hazare Trophy match. He can pick wickets as well with his left-arm slow orthodox bowling.

Last year in the Twenty20 format, Anukul Roy has played 12 matches to score a total of 303 runs at an batting average of 50.5 including a highest score of unbeaten 95. For Jharkhand, his batting average is slightly over 60, which shows Roy's recent dominance with the bat. 

Team India faced a big setback on Sunday, January 11, as all-rounder Washington Sundar suffered a rib injury during the first ODI against New Zealand in Vadodara. Medical checks revealed that Sundar will not be able to play in the remaining two ODIs. Recently, it was also reported that the Tamil Nadu cricketer has been ruled out of the next five T20Is.

The injury raises doubts about his participation in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Sundar is an important player, and finding a replacement for him in the 20-team tournament will not be easy. Some players on the sidelines are waiting for a chance to prove themselves. The BCCI has not made an official statement yet, but reports suggest that Sundar’s chances of playing the remaining matches are low. His setback comes at a time when the team is already facing fitness issues, as wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was ruled out before the series started.

Sundar is part of India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad, and this injury has raised concerns about his preparation for the tournament in February. If the side strain is serious, the team management may have to consider replacements. Here are three strong options to replace Washington Sundar in India’s T20 squad ahead of the World Cup:

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3. Riyan Parag

Assam cricketer Riyan Parag is a player who excites many Indian fans. He sometimes shows a laid-back approach, but his temperament and skills as an all-rounder have brought him success in domestic cricket. In the last few years, he has shown maturity and even captained Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League. The Guwahati-born player made his India debut in 2024 and has played nine T20Is so far.

There is one concern, though. Parag has often faced injuries, which kept him away from international cricket during 2025. If he gets fit in time and proves his readiness to the selectors, he could make a strong comeback ahead of the T20 World Cup.

2. Sai Kishore

Sai Kishore has quietly built a reputation as a reliable left-arm orthodox spinner in Indian domestic cricket. Playing for Tamil Nadu, he is known for his accuracy, discipline, and ability to control runs in the middle overs.

In domestic cricket, Sai Kishore picked up six wickets in seven innings at an economy rate of 4.61. He also scored 87 runs in seven innings, adding useful lower-order runs. In TNPL 2025, he took 12 wickets in nine innings at an economy rate of 5.44 and scored 129 runs at a strike rate of 138.71. In IPL 2025, playing for Gujarat Titans, he played 15 matches and took 19 wickets. His consistency makes him a strong option if India needs a spin-bowling replacement.

1. Krunal Pandya

Krunal Pandya is a spin-bowling all-rounder who can also hit big as a finisher. He has a lot of T20 experience. He played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their 2025 title-winning season and was Player of the Match in the final for his tight bowling under pressure. The Ahmedabad-born player also performed well for Baroda in the SMAT and Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring runs and taking wickets.

Krunal last played for India in 2021, but his consistent performances have kept him in consideration. The 34-year-old also brings leadership experience, making him a good like-for-like replacement for Washington Sundar.