The action continues in the T20 World Cup 2026 as Day 3 promises three more exciting contests for the fans. Scotland and Italy will kick off the day’s proceedings in the opening fixture at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, starting at 11 am IST. Zimbabwe and Oman will then lock horns in the second match of the day at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo.
Meanwhile, runners-up from the previous edition, South Africa, will also begin their campaign in the final fixture of the day against Canada at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. While the Proteas are expected to attract most of the attention from fans, football powerhouse Italy’s much-anticipated World Cup debut will also be one to watch closely.
When and where to watch
Scotland vs Italy in Kolkata in a Group C match at 11 am IST
Zimbabwe vs Oman in Colombo in a Group B match at 3 pm IST
South Africa vs Canada in Ahmedabad in a Group D match at 7 pm IST
All matches will be telecast on Star Sports, with live streaming available on JioHotstar.
Here is a quick preview of the three games scheduled on Day 3 of the T20 World Cup.
MATCH 1 Prediction: Scotland vs Italy in Kolkata
Football heavyweights Italy will have the opportunity to carve out a new sporting chapter when they take on Scotland in their historic ICC T20 World Cup debut. It will mark their maiden appearance on cricket’s biggest stage, signalling a remarkable shift for a nation traditionally known for its dominance on the football pitch.
Four-time FIFA World Cup winners as the Azzurri, Italy now turn out as Gli Azzurri in cricket. They earned qualification for the tournament through the European regional qualifiers last July. Italy and Channel Islanders Jersey both finished the qualifiers on five points after registering surprise victories over Scotland. However, it was the Italians who secured second place behind the Netherlands on the back of a superior net run rate, sealing their maiden berth at the global showpiece.
Italy have enjoyed a strong run of form leading into the tournament, winning their last three matches. They recorded victories in warm-up fixtures against Canada and the UAE before defeating Ireland in their build-up series, a landmark result that marked their first-ever victory over an ICC Full Member.
Scotland, on the other hand, arrive into the fixture after suffering a 35-run defeat against West Indies in their opening game at the same venue. Chasing a target of 183, Scotland were bowled out for 147, with captain Richie Berrington standing tall as the lone bright spot with a knock of 42 off 24 deliveries. With the ball, left-arm seamer Brad Currie (2/23) emerged as the pick of the bowlers.
Scotland and Italy share a rich sporting rivalry, highlighted recently when Italy edged Scotland 18–15 in a tightly contested Six Nations rugby clash in Rome, adding another layer of intrigue for fans of both nations. In cricketing terms, the sides have been evenly matched, with each team winning one of the two matches played between them. However, Italy will head into the fixture brimming with confidence after their 12-run victory over Scotland in last year’s European qualifier.
Pitch Report
The opening fixture at Eden Gardens in Kolkata produced a balanced surface with something on offer for both batters and bowlers. Batters enjoyed free stroke play, while bowlers were able to extract assistance when hitting the right areas. Kolkata traditionally favours spinners, and skilful tweakers are expected to enjoy bowling on this surface, while batters will need to spend time in the middle before attempting expansive strokes.
Predicted Playing XIs
Scotland: George Munsey, Matthew Cross (wk), Brandon McMullen, Michael Jones, Tom Bruce, Richie Berrington (c), Michael Leask, Oliver Davidson, Mark Watt, Brad Currie, Safyaan Sharif
Italy: Justin Mosca, Wayne Madsen (c), Harry Manenti, Anthony Mosca, JJ Smuts, Ben Manenti, Grant Stewart, Gian Meade (wk), Marcus Campopiano, Crishan Kalugamage, Ali Hasan
MATCH 2 Prediction: Zimbabwe vs Oman in Colombo
Zimbabwe secured qualification for the tournament by winning the ICC T20 World Cup Africa Regional Qualifier. However, they were unable to carry that momentum into the build-up, suffering a 0–3 defeat against Afghanistan and managing just one win in the subsequent tri-series involving Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The Chevrons last featured in the 2022 edition of the tournament, where they were knocked out during the group stage. Nevertheless, the Sikandar Raza-led side has played an exciting brand of cricket in recent years and will be eager to spring a few surprises in the upcoming edition.
Oman, meanwhile, qualified for the World Cup after finishing second in the ICC T20 World Cup Asia & EAP Qualifier. They also featured in the Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament but managed only one win from three matches against the UAE. In the previous World Cup edition, Oman were eliminated in the first stage, losing all four of their Group B fixtures.
However, Oman have enjoyed a positive build-up to the tournament, winning both of their warm-up matches against Sri Lanka A and Zimbabwe. Their victory over the Sikandar Raza-led side will give them significant confidence heading into the opening fixture as they aim to start their campaign on a winning note.
Pitch Report
The opening match of the tournament between Pakistan and the Netherlands was played at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. Batting first, the Dutch were bowled out for 147, while Pakistan faced hiccups during the middle overs of the chase before Faheem Ashraf guided them home. Spinners are expected to enjoy bowling on the surface, while seamers could also find success by varying their pace. Batters will need to apply themselves early before attempting aggressive stroke play.
Predicted Playing XI
Oman: Jatinder Singh (c), Hammad Mirza (wk), Ashish Odedra, Vinayak Shukla, Jiten Ramanandi, Aamir Kaleem, Nadeem Khan, Jay Odedra, Shakeel Ahmed, Sufyan Mehmood, Faisal Shah
Zimbabwe: Brendon Taylor (wk), Brian Bennett, Dion Mayers, Clive Madande, Sikandar Raza (c), Ryan Burl, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Graeme Cremer, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava
MATCH 3 Prediction: South Africa vs Canada in Ahmedabad
South Africa enter the tournament with renewed belief following their triumph in the ICC World Test Championship final in 2025. The Aiden Markram-led side recently defeated West Indies 2–1 in the lead-up to the tournament, although they suffered a 30-run defeat against hosts India in their only warm-up match.
Once again, South Africa arrive at an ICC event with all the ingredients required to challenge for the title. Whether they can hold their nerve during crunch moments, particularly in the knockout stages, remains to be seen. The Proteas endured heartbreak in the final of the 2024 edition against India, and that painful defeat is likely to serve as added motivation as they look to put the setback behind them and seek redemption should they encounter the defending champions again.
Canada, meanwhile, qualified for the tournament by winning the T20 World Cup Americas Qualifier. Their build-up, however, has been far from ideal, having lost both warm-up fixtures against Italy and Nepal. This will be Canada’s second appearance at the T20 World Cup, after being eliminated during the group stage of the previous edition.
The Canadians did manage to register a memorable victory over Ireland on debut and will be keen to add more wins to their tally as they look to make an impact in their second appearance at the T20 extravaganza.
Pitch Report
A total of eight T20I matches have been played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, with five of those games won by teams batting first. The surface favours big hitters, with the average first-innings score standing at 188. 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, Jason Smith, Tristan Stubbs, George Linde, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi
Canada: Navneet Dhaliwal, Yuvraj Samra, Kanwarpal Tathgur, Nicholas Kirton, Dilpreet Bajwa (c), Harsh Thaker, Shreyas Movva (wk), Ansh Patel, Jaskaran Singh, Shivam Sharma, Dilon Heyliger
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