Match Details
Commentary
Italy Probable XI: Justin Mosca, Anthony Mosca, JJ Smuts, Harry Manenti (c), Marcus Campopiano, Ben Manenti, Grant Stewart, Gian-Piero Meade (wk), Jaspreet Singh, Crishan Kalugamage, Ali Hasan
West Indies Probable XI: Brandon King, Shai Hope (wk & c), Shimron Hetmyer, Roston Chase, Sherfane Rutherford, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd/Quentin Sampson, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph
Preview by Ajay Pal Singh
Italy’s maiden World Cup campaign has been nothing short of heartwarming. The debutants now face one final test — a Group C encounter against the West Indies at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday (February 19).
The Azzurri have played just three games in their World Cup history and have already registered a win. They will be eager to sign off with another — and it would undoubtedly be the biggest in their short journey so far. Their next opponents, the West Indies, are not only unbeaten in this tournament but also among the select few teams to have won the T20 World Cup more than once.
Without their captain Wayne Madsen, Italy have shown admirable fight. They got the better of Nepal and came close to handing England a defeat while chasing a target in excess of 200.
In their previous game, Italy opted to bowl first and conceded 202/7 in 20 overs. Grant Stewart and Crishan Kalugamage picked up two wickets apiece, while JJ Smuts, Ali Hasan and Ben Manenti chipped in with one each.
The chase began on a shaky note as Anthony Mosca and JJ Smuts fell in the opening over. Stand-in captain Harry Manenti also departed inside the powerplay. However, Justin Mosca and Ben Manenti revived hopes with a 92-run stand for the fourth wicket, with Ben smashing 60 off just 25 balls.
Wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals, but a blistering 40-run partnership off just 18 deliveries between Jaspreet Singh and Grant Stewart briefly gave England a scare. With too much left to do at the back end, the Azzurri eventually fell short by 24 runs.
On the other hand, the West Indies are riding high after three consecutive wins. Having already secured qualification for the Super 8s, they will be keen to carry momentum into the next round without any hiccups.
In their last game, the Windies brushed aside Nepal to secure a place in the Super 8s.
Opting to bowl first, they restricted Nepal to 133/8 in 20 overs. Jason Holder led the charge with figures of 4 for 27 from his four overs, while Akeal Hosein, Matthew Forde, Shamar Joseph and Roston Chase chipped in with a wicket each.
In reply, Shai Hope anchored the chase with an unbeaten half-century. Useful contributions from Brandon King (22) and Shimron Hetmyer (46*) ensured the Windies crossed the line with more than four overs to spare.
Can Italy script a stunning upset, or will the two-time champions make a statement at the very venue where they last lifted an ICC trophy? Tune in at 10 AM IST (Local Time) for live coverage.
Italy’s maiden World Cup campaign has been nothing short of heartwarming. The debutants now face one final test — a Group C encounter against the West Indies at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday (February 19).
The Azzurri have played just three games in their World Cup history and have already registered a win. They will be eager to sign off with another — and it would undoubtedly be the biggest in their short journey so far. Their next opponents, the West Indies, are not only unbeaten in this tournament but also among the select few teams to have won the T20 World Cup more than once.
Without their captain Wayne Madsen, Italy have shown admirable fight. They got the better of Nepal and came close to handing England a defeat while chasing a target in excess of 200.
In their previous game, Italy opted to bowl first and conceded 202/7 in 20 overs. Grant Stewart and Crishan Kalugamage picked up two wickets apiece, while JJ Smuts, Ali Hasan and Ben Manenti chipped in with one each.
The chase began on a shaky note as Anthony Mosca and JJ Smuts fell in the opening over. Stand-in captain Harry Manenti also departed inside the powerplay. However, Justin Mosca and Ben Manenti revived hopes with a 92-run stand for the fourth wicket, with Ben smashing 60 off just 25 balls.
Wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals, but a blistering 40-run partnership off just 18 deliveries between Jaspreet Singh and Grant Stewart briefly gave England a scare. With too much left to do at the back end, the Azzurri eventually fell short by 24 runs.
On the other hand, the West Indies are riding high after three consecutive wins. Having already secured qualification for the Super 8s, they will be keen to carry momentum into the next round without any hiccups.
In their last game, the Windies brushed aside Nepal to secure a place in the Super 8s.
Opting to bowl first, they restricted Nepal to 133/8 in 20 overs. Jason Holder led the charge with figures of 4 for 27 from his four overs, while Akeal Hosein, Matthew Forde, Shamar Joseph and Roston Chase chipped in with a wicket each.
In reply, Shai Hope anchored the chase with an unbeaten half-century. Useful contributions from Brandon King (22) and Shimron Hetmyer (46*) ensured the Windies crossed the line with more than four overs to spare.
Can Italy script a stunning upset, or will the two-time champions make a statement at the very venue where they last lifted an ICC trophy? Tune in at 10 AM IST (Local Time) for live coverage.
Italy Squad: Wayne Madsen (c), Justin Mosca, Anthony Mosca, JJ Smuts, Harry Manenti, Ben Manenti, Gian Meade (wk), Grant Stewart, Marcus Campopiano, Jaspreet Singh, Ali Hasan, Crishan Kalugamage, Syed Naqvi, Zain Ali, Thomas Draca
West Indies Squad: Shai Hope (c and wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Johnson Charles (wk), Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd