After riveting action over the first four days of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, the excitement will continue in the T20 extravaganza, with three action-packed matches lined up for fans on Wednesday, February 11. The first match of the day will see South Africa take on Afghanistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad at 11 am IST.
The second fixture of the day will feature former champions Australia finally getting their campaign underway against Ireland at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo at 3 pm IST. The final fixture of the day will have all eyeballs fixated on it, with England and West Indies locking horns at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, starting at 7 pm IST.
When and where to watch
South Africa vs Afghanistan in Ahmedabad in a Group D match at 11 am IST.
Australia vs Ireland in Colombo in a Group B match at 3 pm IST.
England vs West Indies in Mumbai in a Group C match at 7 pm IST.
MATCH 1 Prediction: South Africa vs Afghanistan in Ahmedabad
South Africa could not have hoped for a better start to their campaign as they hammered Canada by 57 runs in their opening fixture. The entire Proteas batting line-up came to the fore, with everyone contributing to post 213/4 in their allotted 20 overs. With the ball, Lungi Ngidi was at his best, registering impressive figures of 4/31 in four overs.
Having got their campaign off to a winning start, South Africa will aim to continue their momentum by thrashing Afghanistan. The Proteas ended Afghanistan’s dream run in the T20 World Cup 2024 by beating them in the semi-final. They hold a clean record against their opponents and will hope for another clinical performance in the upcoming fixture.
On the other hand, Afghanistan come into the fixture having lost their opening match against New Zealand by five wickets. After being put in to bat first, Afghanistan posted a competitive score of 182/6 in their 20 overs, but New Zealand chased down the target in 17.5 overs to seal a comfortable victory.
After failing to win their opening game, the upcoming fixture becomes a must-win contest for Afghanistan, as another loss would almost knock them out of the tournament. Hence, the Rashid Khan-led side will have plenty to play for in the upcoming game and will look to give their all in the encounter.
Pitch Report
A total of nine men’s T20I matches have been played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, with six of those games won by teams batting first. The surface favours big hitters, with the average first-innings score standing at 191. The highest successful run chase at the venue is 165. While dew is expected to play a role in the second half, captains are still likely to opt for batting first to take advantage of the favourable conditions.
Predicted Playing XI
South Africa: Aiden Markram (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (c), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Ziaur Rahman Sharifi, Fazalhaq Farooqi
MATCH 2 Prediction: Australia vs Ireland in Colombo
Five days into the tournament, Australia will finally kickstart their campaign against Ireland. The Aussies are not in the best of form coming into the event, having been hammered 3–0 by Pakistan. The Mitchell Marsh-led side could not even warm up properly for the tournament, with their only practice game against the Netherlands being washed out.
To add to their misery, bowling stalwarts Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have both been ruled out of the tournament, leaving massive holes in their bowling attack. Moreover, star opener Travis Head has also been enduring poor form over the past 15 months, with his last half-century coming in September 2024 in England. All in all, Australia have a lot of issues to address and will hope to tick most of their boxes in the opening fixture.
On the other hand, Ireland come into the game having lost their previous fixture against Sri Lanka. The Paul Stirling-led side had their moments in the match, putting pressure on Sri Lanka at various stages. However, they failed to close out the game and capitulated against the Lankan spinners.
While Australia have a clean record against the Irish in their cricketing history, they will be challenged by Ireland’s spin attack on a surface that is expected to aid their craft. Ireland have caused major upsets in ICC events in the past, and Tuesday could well follow a familiar script, given Australia’s vulnerabilities in recent times.
Pitch Report
The pitch at the R. Premadasa Stadium has historically been spin-friendly, with tweakers enjoying considerable assistance. Of the last 13 matches played at the venue, ten have been won by teams batting second. However, despite the past record favouring chasing teams, winning the toss and opting to bat first would be the ideal approach on a surface that is likely to slow down in the second innings.
Predicted Playing XI
Australia: Mitchell Marsh (c), Travis Head, Matthew Short, Cameron Green, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Inglis (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Xavier Bartlett, Ben Dwarshuis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Adam Zampa
Ireland: Paul Stirling (c), Ross Adair, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Curtis Campher, Benjamin Calitz, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, Matthew Humphreys
MATCH 3 Prediction: England vs West Indies in Mumbai
England survived a massive scare in their opening fixture, registering a narrow four-run victory against Nepal. The Harry Brook-led side were pushed to the brink before death-overs brilliance from Sam Curran bailed them out of trouble. Jacob Bethell (55 off 35), Harry Brook (53 off 32) and Will Jacks (39* off 18 and figures of 1/17 in two overs) were the top performers for England in the opening fixture.
As far as T20Is are concerned, England and West Indies have been involved in several memorable battles over the years, with the most notable being the T20 World Cup 2016 final at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The two teams are almost evenly matched in terms of their head-to-head record, with England having won 19 of the 38 matches compared to West Indies’ 18 victories.
West Indies, meanwhile, began their campaign with a commanding 35-run victory against Scotland. Shimron Hetmyer’s batting brilliance, scoring 64 off 36 balls, guided his side to a strong total of 182/5. In reply, Romario Shepherd’s hat-trick and five-wicket haul of 5/20 in three overs set up a clinical win.
Given the immense firepower present in both batting line-ups, the two teams are expected to light up the Wankhede Stadium with some colossal hitting. The fixture will be the first major clash of the tournament, ahead of other heavyweight encounters later in the competition.
Pitch Report
There have been two matches played at the Wankhede Stadium so far in the tournament, and both have been won by teams batting first. The wicket is expected to be two-paced, as was evident in the day-night fixture between India and the USA, and batters will need to get their eye in before freeing their arms. Winning the toss and opting to bat first would be the ideal strategy on this surface.
Predicted Playing XI
England: Philip Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (c), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Luke Wood
West Indies: Brandon King, Shai Hope (c) (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Akeal Hosein, Matthew Forde, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph
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