Match Details
Commentary
Nepal Probable XI: Aasif Sheikh (wk), Kushal Bhurtel, Rohit Paudel (c), Dipendra Airee, Aarif Sheikh, Gulsan Jha, Karan KC, Sompal Kami, Sandeep Lamichhane, Nandan Yadav, Sher Malla
England Playing XI: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (c), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Luke Wood
Preview by Ajay Pal Singh
Only three teams have managed to win the T20 World Cup twice, and two of them began their campaigns with victories as West Indies beat Scotland and India defeated the USA. It is now time for the third two-time champion to take centre stage, with England kick-starting their tournament against Nepal in a Group C clash at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday (February 8).
England won the title in 2010 and 2022. They will be eyeing a third crown and have a confident squad who, if they play to their potential, can go all the way.
Much like the pattern for most of England’s games, they have announced their playing XI on the eve of the contest.
Rehan Ahmed, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton and Josh Tongue are the four players to miss out for England in their campaign opener.
England come into the tournament on the back of a series win over Sri Lanka, having whitewashed the hosts 3-0 just days before the T20 World Cup. The batters are in good form, and the addition of Tom Banton in the middle order has worked well for them.
Jofra Archer is fit again and bowling at pace. If the pitch is anywhere close to what it was for the previous fixture between India and the USA, Sam Curran and Luke Wood’s off-pace deliveries could come in handy for the two-time champions. If it spins, Adil Rashid, Liam Dawson, Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks can wreak havoc; if it’s a green top, Archer could run through the line-up.
Phil Salt and Jos Buttler have been consistent at the top of the order, while the middle order looks solid with the presence of Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Banton, Sam Curran and Will Jacks. Even Liam Dawson and Jofra Archer are more than handy with the bat.
On the other hand, Nepal have been playing good cricket as well. They recently defeated West Indies in a home series. This is only their third appearance at the T20 World Cup.
They first burst onto the scene in 2014, narrowly missing out on qualification for the next round on net run rate. Nepal won two matches, the same as Bangladesh, but an inferior net run rate saw them fall short.
They featured in the last T20 World Cup as well but were eliminated in the first round without a win. Nepal came agonisingly close to beating South Africa, the eventual runners-up, but fell short by a single run.
Nepal went unbeaten in the Asia and EAP T20 World Cup Qualifier to book their place at the global event. They have a settled squad, with everyone clear about their roles. Two editions of the Nepal Premier League have helped them prepare for the big moments.
The likes of Karan KC, Sompal Kami and Nandan Yadav can be deceptively nippy and trouble the batters. Sandeep Lamichhane and Dipendra Singh Airee could challenge England’s players if the track offers assistance to spin. Sher Malla, who picked up 17 wickets in 10 outings in the last edition of the Nepal Premier League, has also been selected for the World Cup.
Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh and captain Rohit Paudel form a formidable top three, while the middle order packs firepower in Dipendra Singh Airee and Gulshan Jha.
With a string of wins behind them, can Nepal stun England in Mumbai? Tune in at 2 PM IST (Local Time) for live coverage.
Only three teams have managed to win the T20 World Cup twice, and two of them began their campaigns with victories as West Indies beat Scotland and India defeated the USA. It is now time for the third two-time champion to take centre stage, with England kick-starting their tournament against Nepal in a Group C clash at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday (February 8).
England won the title in 2010 and 2022. They will be eyeing a third crown and have a confident squad who, if they play to their potential, can go all the way.
Much like the pattern for most of England’s games, they have announced their playing XI on the eve of the contest.
Rehan Ahmed, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton and Josh Tongue are the four players to miss out for England in their campaign opener.
England come into the tournament on the back of a series win over Sri Lanka, having whitewashed the hosts 3-0 just days before the T20 World Cup. The batters are in good form, and the addition of Tom Banton in the middle order has worked well for them.
Jofra Archer is fit again and bowling at pace. If the pitch is anywhere close to what it was for the previous fixture between India and the USA, Sam Curran and Luke Wood’s off-pace deliveries could come in handy for the two-time champions. If it spins, Adil Rashid, Liam Dawson, Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks can wreak havoc; if it’s a green top, Archer could run through the line-up.
Phil Salt and Jos Buttler have been consistent at the top of the order, while the middle order looks solid with the presence of Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Banton, Sam Curran and Will Jacks. Even Liam Dawson and Jofra Archer are more than handy with the bat.
On the other hand, Nepal have been playing good cricket as well. They recently defeated West Indies in a home series. This is only their third appearance at the T20 World Cup.
They first burst onto the scene in 2014, narrowly missing out on qualification for the next round on net run rate. Nepal won two matches, the same as Bangladesh, but an inferior net run rate saw them fall short.
They featured in the last T20 World Cup as well but were eliminated in the first round without a win. Nepal came agonisingly close to beating South Africa, the eventual runners-up, but fell short by a single run.
Nepal went unbeaten in the Asia and EAP T20 World Cup Qualifier to book their place at the global event. They have a settled squad, with everyone clear about their roles. Two editions of the Nepal Premier League have helped them prepare for the big moments.
The likes of Karan KC, Sompal Kami and Nandan Yadav can be deceptively nippy and trouble the batters. Sandeep Lamichhane and Dipendra Singh Airee could challenge England’s players if the track offers assistance to spin. Sher Malla, who picked up 17 wickets in 10 outings in the last edition of the Nepal Premier League, has also been selected for the World Cup.
Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh and captain Rohit Paudel form a formidable top three, while the middle order packs firepower in Dipendra Singh Airee and Gulshan Jha.
With a string of wins behind them, can Nepal stun England in Mumbai? Tune in at 2 PM IST (Local Time) for live coverage.
Nepal Squad: Rohit Paudel (c), Dipendra Singh Airee, Sandeep Lamichhane, Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh (wk), Sundeep Jora, Aarif Sheikh, Basir Ahamad, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Nandan Yadav, Gulshan Jha, Lalit Rajbanshi, Sher Malla, Lokesh Bam (wk)
England Squad: Harry Brook (c), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Tom Banton (wk), Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler (wk), Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt (wk), Josh Tongue, Luke Wood