Mumbai/Pallekele, Feb 11 (.) The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 continues with two compelling Group-stage clashes on Thursday. The spotlight, however, is on Nepal, who came agonisingly close to producing one of the tournament’s biggest shocks, narrowly losing to 2010 champions England by just four runs.
Riding this momentum, the Rhinos will face Italy at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai at 3 p.m. IST, while Sri Lanka take on Oman at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in the 16th match of the tournament.
Nepal showed immense courage in their opening match against England, chasing 185 and falling short despite an inspired performance. Top-order batsmen Kushal Bhurtel and Rohit Paudel gave Nepal a strong start, scoring 29 off 17 balls and 39 off 34 balls respectively.
Captain Paudel’s controlled innings stabilised the chase, while Dipendra Singh Airee’s explosive 44 off 29 added the much-needed momentum in the middle overs. Lower-order hitter Lokesh Bam came in at a strike rate of 195, scoring 39 off 20 balls, but lacked support from the tail to complete a historic win.
The Rhinos’ bowling attack also showed promise. Airee and Nandan Yadav took two wickets each, while spin wizard Sandeep Lamichhane, though limited to a single wicket against England, remains Nepal’s key threat on spin-friendly tracks in India.
KC Karan and Sompal Kami add depth to the allround capabilities of the team. Analysts predict Nepal as favorites against Italy, with a 75 percent chance of victory, largely on the basis of momentum, batting depth, and quality of allround players.
Italy, making their T20 World Cup debut, faced a heavy 73-run defeat against Scotland in their opening match. The Azzurri were bowled out for 134 while chasing 208, with South Africa-born JJ Smuts top-scoring with 22 runs off 11 balls, and the Manenti brothers – Ben and Harry – stabilising the middle order with 52 and 37 runs respectively.
Their bowling attack, led by Crishan Kalugamage and Grant Stewart, will need to execute flawlessly to restrict Nepal’s batting line-up.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka, hosting Oman at Pallekele, are overwhelming favorites after scraping past Ireland by 20 runs in their opening match. Their performance against Ireland, although victorious, exposed gaps in both batting and fielding.
Sri Lanka’s top order will depend on Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara to give brisk starts, while Kusal Mendis shoulders the responsibility of scoring in the middle overs. Kamindu Mendis and Dasun Shanaka are expected to provide additional support.
In the bowling department, pacers Matheesha Pathirana and Dushmantha Chameera will seek early breakthroughs, while spinners Maheesh Theekshana and Dushan Hemantha are anticipated to exploit Oman’s batting weaknesses. The absence of lead spinner Wanindu Hasaranga due to a hamstring injury is a notable blow, but Sri Lanka’s depth in bowling and home advantage make them strong favorites.
Oman’s top order, led by Jatinder Singh and Vinayak Shukla, will need to counteract Sri Lanka’s experienced lineup, while support from Sufyan Mehmood and Nadeem Khan could prove decisive in limiting the hosts’ dominance. Analysts give Sri Lanka a 95 percent chance of victory.
Pitch conditions at both venues favour batsmen. Pallekele offers some assistance to spinners as the innings progress, while Wankhede Stadium’s short boundaries and true bounce make it a high-scoring venue. Toss-winning captains are expected to opt for bowling first to exploit early conditions.
The Rhinos’ fightback and underdog spirit have already captured global cricket attention, setting the stage for a potentially high-scoring clash against Italy, while Sri Lanka aim to assert their dominance at home against Oman.
. . .