T20 World Cup 2026: The T20 World Cup started for Italy when they faced Scotland at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on February 9 2026 because they chose to bowl first and their players made their first appearance in the tournament. Italian captain Wayne Madsen won the toss and decided to field because he wanted his team to enjoy the World Cup experience while demonstrating their abilities on the tournament’s worldwide stage. Italy achieves its first participation in the T20 World Cup through this match. Madsen explained at the toss that his team would play without fear to achieve victory against Scotland, who had more experience than his players. Scotland captain Richie Berrington said he was comfortable batting first and described the Eden Gardens pitch as a good surface for stroke play. Scotland made one change from the team that lost to the West Indies in their opening match. Fast bowler Brad Wheal replaced Safyaan Sharif in the playing XI. The match takes place at Eden Gardens which attracts an energetic audience because it ranks among India’s most famous cricket stadiums. The contest creates an intense competitive atmosphere because Italy wants to establish their presence while Scotland tries to recover from their initial defeat.
Playing XIs
Italy:
Anthony Mosca, Justin Mosca, JJ Smuts, Wayne Madsen (c), Harry Manenti, Ben Manenti, Grant Stewart, Gian-Piero Meade (wk), Marcus Campopiano, Crishan Kalugamage, Ali Hasan
Scotland:
George Munsey, Michael Jones, Brandon McMullen, Richie Berrington (c), Tom Bruce, Matthew Cross (wk), Mark Watt, Michael Leask, Oliver Davidson, Brad Wheal, Brad Currie
