India in the early action as T20 World Cup kicks off on Saturday with three games
T20 World Cup Game 1: Netherlands v Pakistan
Venue: Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo
Date: Saturday, 7 February, 7:30am
Key talking point:
Netherlands: They may be regarded as minnows but the men in orange are tricky team to beat, and they are now embarking on their seventh T20 World Cup. Twice previously they have reached the second round, a feat they most recently accomplished in 2022. In that tournament, Bas de Leede took 13 wickets to end joint second in the wicket-taking column, while Max O’Dowd’s 242 runs put him just behind Virat Kohli in the run charts. Both those players are back in the squad for the 2026 edition.
Pakistan: Having taken the decision not to play against India Pakistan immediately come into the tournament under pressure given that they are in the same group as the hosts. That means they are effectively one loss down before the tournament even starts which means they cannot afford to lose again in pool play. They come into the tournament in solid form having just beaten Australia 3-0 in Pakistan, a series that saw their spinner cause all sorts of problems for the Australian batters.
Venue: Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo
Neither Pakistan nor the Netherlands have ever played a T20I at the ground.
Despite being a well-established Test venue, the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground has hosted just two previous T20Is.
The highest total recorded at the ground was Canada’s 176 for three made against Ireland in 2010 – this was also the lowest score ever defended.
The average first innings score at the ground is 158.
Weather: There are rain and thunderstorms predicted for Colombo on Thursday and Friday, but these are expected to be a thing of the past by Saturday. Forecasts suggest Colombo will experience a mix of sun and unstable conditions on Saturday with highs reaching around 32°C with high humidity making it feel closer to 41. While the morning may see sunny intervals, thunder showers could develop in the afternoon. Expect light northerly winds and overnight lows down to about 22 degrees.
Form:
Netherlands: NR, L, L, W, W.
Pakistan: W, W, W, L, A
Key players:
Netherlands, Bas de Leede: The son of the legendary Dutch star Tim de Leede, Bas arrives in Asia carrying the hopes and dreams of his side following his stellar performances in the previous World Cup where he was the second highest wicket-taker. De Leede is an excellent allrounder with a highest score of 91* in T20I and a bowling average of 19.41 and a strike rate of 14.5. Still just 26 years old, De Leede has a big future ahead of him and he will be hoping to catch the eye against quality opposition once again.
Pakistan, Mohammad Nawaz: The leading wicket taker from the recently completed series against Australia, Nawaz claimed an incredible five for 18 in the final game of the series to end with seven wickets at an average of 7,71. Nawaz is both a useful batsman and a tricky bowler. If he can bamboozle the Australians like he did in Lahore he will be licking his lips at the prospect of bowling at the Dutch.
Prediction: Pakistan
Pakistan is in good form, and while the wicket in Colombo is unlikely to offer the bowlers as much as it did in Lahore, this is still a venue that is likely to play into the hands of Pakistan. Expect them to win comfortably.
Key talking point:
Scotland: The Scots failed to qualify for the tournament and were only invited as last-minute makeweights following the withdrawal of Bangladesh. While this may mean that they are a tad under-prepared, it also means that they have absolutely nothing to lose. A month ago, they would have been expecting to be home in the cold watching rugby and cricket and now, here they are in Asia competing on the biggest stage of all. They will give it everything they have got.
West Indies: Packed with mercurial power-hitters the West Indies have the tendency to be a little hit or miss. Their biggest weakness is probably with the ball where they lack the ability to back up their batting. In the recently completed series against the Proteas they managed just 10 wickets across three innings, while in the warm-up game in Bengaluru against Afghanistan they took six wickets. They need to be more potent with the ball if they are to put opponents under pressure.
Venue: Eden Gardens Kolkata
West Indies have played five games at Eden Gardens and won just once, while Scotland have never played at the imposing venue.
The average first innings score at Eden Gardens is 153.
The highest T20I score made at Eden Gardens was Pakistan’s 201 for five from 20 overs against Bangladesh in 2016.
The highest score successfully chased at the ground was India’s 162 for four against the West Indies in 2022.
Of the 12 T20Is played at Eden Gardens the side that chases have won seven while the side that bats first has won five.
Weather:
It looks like it will be a good day for cricket in Kolkata on Saturday with the forecast suggesting bright, sunny skies with virtually no chance of rain. Daytime temperatures are expected to peak at approximately 26 degrees though the direct sunlight may make it feel slightly warmer. Light north-westerly winds of about 7 to 13 km/h will provide a gentle, pleasant breeze.
Form:
Scotland: L, L, W, A, W.
West Indies: W, L, L, W, L.
Key Players
Scotland, Brandon McMullen: If Scotland have any chance of causing an upset they will need somebody like McMullen to step up and show what he can do. The 26-year-old has seven international fifties to his name with three of those coming against Australia in 2024, including a brilliant 60 at the last ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in a close defeat. Born and raised in South Africa McMullen moved to Scotland at the age of 20. He boasts a highest T20i score of 96 and averages 31.45 in teh format with an impressive strike rate of 145.93.
West Indies, Sherfane Rutherford: He has been in outstanding recent form, positively tearing it up in SA20 and flourishing again in teh series against the Proteas. Despite batting slightly lower down the order (sometimes as high as four, but usually at five or six), Rutherford has made a habit of scoring runs no matter what. Aggressive but also hard to get out, Rutherford is in a rich vein of form which he will be hoping to continue against Scotland.
Prediction: West Indies
They haven’t been in great form, and they have struggled in Asian conditions in recent games against Afghanistan, but the West Indies should nevertheless have too much for Scotland who were only added to the tournament at the last minute following the withdrawal of Bangladesh. If this was a game in the east of India against Bangladesh, we wouldn’t have been backing the Windies for a win but expect them to get the job done over Scotland.
T20 World Cup Game 3: India v United States of America
Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Date: Saturday, 7 February, 3:30pm
Key talking point:
India: India are in excellent form now, and they head into the tournament seemingly holding all the aces. They are the defending champions and the number one ranked T20I side in the world. They boast the top bowler and batsman in T20 cricket in their team. And yet there are certain stats against them – no team has ever defended the T20 World Cup, and no host nation has ever won the tournament. But India won’t be thinking about that now, they will be focussed on the task in front of them and that is the USA.
United States: The USA did supremely well in the previous World Cup (which they co-hosted). They beat Pakistan and finished second in their pool, which was a great achievement. But to do that again on foreign soil will take some doing. Their squad is much the same as last time out, and they will undoubtedly compete well against the smaller teams in their pool, but a win over India would almost certainly be regarded as the greatest upset in the history of cricket.
Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
India have won four of the six T20Is they have played at the Wankhede Stadium while the USA have never appeared at the ground before.
In eight of the nine previous T20Is played at the Wankhede Stadium, the team that has won the toss has elected to field first.
The average first innings score at the ground is 178.
The highest ever score made at the score was India’s massive 247 for nine, scored against England in 2025.
The highest score successfully chased at the ground was England’s 230 for eight from 19.4 overs against South Africa in 2016.
Weather:
It looks like good cricketing conditions in Mumbai on Saturday with the forecast suggesting pleasant and clear conditions. Temperatures are expected to dip to a low of approximately 22 degrees. A gentle northerly breeze of about 12 km/h will keep the air moving, with humidity levels rising to around 60 percent overnight. No precipitation is forecast, ensuring a dry evening for outdoor activities.
Form:
India: W, L, W, W, W.
USA: W, W, L, W, W.
Key Players
India, Ishan Kishan: Not long ago Kishan was in the squad as the reserve keeper. But he has found form at exactly the right time and has been imperious form in his last few outings. Against South Africa he scored 53 from 20 balls, while in his last outing against New Zealand he banged 103 from 43 balls. It is unclear if Kishan will be given the gloves ahead of Sanju Samson or if he will just play as a batsman. Either way, he will be looking forward to doing to the American bowlers what he did to Anrich Nortje on Wednesday.
USA, Saiteja Mukkamalla: Look out for Mukkamalla who is the USA’s highest-ranked batter. At 25th in the world he sits above the likes of Harry Brook and Cameron Green. The 21-year-old already has international hundreds in both white-ball formats and possesses an average of 42.60 in T20s. Granted most of his batting has come against smaller nations, but he has the ability and he will relish the stage to showcase his skills when he plays in front of a packed Wankhede Stadium and a television audience of millions on Saturday night.
Prediction: India
A win for the USA would, quite possibly be the greatest upset in the history of cricket. India are in outstanding form at present. They whipped New Zealand 4-1 in a just completed T20I series and they put 240 runs past South Africa in a warm-up game on Wednesday. They are packed with supremely talented players at the top of their game and USA will do well to avoid conceding record amounts of runs.
