HIGHLIGHTS England vs Italy, ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, 29 T20- Result, Scorecard

Welcome back for Italy's reply with the bat. The English players spread out to the field and take their respective spots. The Moscas - Anthony and Justin - are the two Italian openers. Jofra Archer has the new ball and is raring to go. Justin to face. Here we go again!

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Recovery through death - Sam Curran and Will Jacks' quickfire 54-run partnership shot the run rate massively in that acceleration phase. The onslaught began from the 15th over, and from there, England smashed 88 runs, with Will Jacks playing a gem of a knock at the right time, getting to his maiden T20I fifty. Once again, Italy's death-over bowling came under the scanner as they leaked too many at the back end. They now have a massive task to scale down a huge target against a quality bowling lineup. Can their batting unit sustain strongly? We shall find out in the run chase which will commence very shortly. Please stay tuned.

Cross bat woes - The bowling from Italy was good, but England's stroke-making was questionable, especially from the top four or five. Bethell, Salt, and Banton all fell playing cross-bat shots, undone by the extra bounce. Banton tried to bring some momentum in the middle overs, but England kept losing wickets just as a batter got settled. From 92/3, they slipped to 105/5, leaving Sam Curran and Will Jacks with yet another rebuilding task.

A slippery start - The pitch was true and bouncy, perfect for hitting, but not everything went England's way. Salt started with some intent, Buttler was a bit more conservative, but could not really get going. Salt and Bethell added 33 runs in a small recovery, but their aggressive approach didn't last long. At 56 for 2 after the Powerplay, England were still in a reasonable spot, while Italy stayed composed with the ball.

Big surge puts England in front - England were 107/5 in the 13th over, and even 180 looked very tough to achieve, but cricket is a game of uncertainties. Every single over after the 14th went for double digits and thanks to Will Jacks' intent-laden batting, England managed to breach the 200-run mark as well. This is the second-highest first inning score at Eden Gardens in T20 World Cups, and interestingly, both the top scores came against Italy. The Italians bowled decently, were good in patches, but their efforts were not rewarded well by sloppy fielding.

Grant Stewart to Will Jacks, Communication failure and it is a dot ball! Wonder what happened there. Last ball of the innings and it is pretty understandable that the batters have to run, come what may. Stewart bowls a wide yorker, outside off, Jacks looks to reach out but misses. He looks for the bye but Archer has not even taken a start! Eventually, the batters decide against it. ENGLAND FINISH ON 202/7!

Grant Stewart to Will Jacks, SIX! 21-BALL 50 FOR JACKS! What an audacious way to get to your MAIDEN T20I FIFTY. Full, outside off, Jacks gets down on a knee and slogs it towards deep mid-wicket. It does not have enough elevation and Jacks has targetted the bigger boundary. There is a fielder at deep mid-wicket and he leaps but the ball just about evades him! 200 UP FOR ENGLAND.

2 balls left then. Jacks, one suspects, will face both balls. If not boundaries, then Archer has to sprint hard for twos.

Grant Stewart to Jofra Archer, On a length, outside off, Jofra punches it through the covers for a single.

Grant Stewart to Jofra Archer, WIDE. Wide yorker, outside off, left alone by Archer, wided.

3 balls left. Jofra Archer walks in next, at number 9, replacing Jamie Overton.

Grant Stewart to Jamie Overton, OUT! CAUGHT! The wide yorker line results in a wicket. Just short of a yorker length, full and way wide outside off, Jamie Overton has to reach out for it, as he looks to carve this over point. He does connect, but does not have enough power from the bottom hand. The ball goes high in the air and Crishan Kalugamage takes it calmly at deep point. The 35-run stand is broken and ENGLAND ARE 194/7 AFTER 19.3 OVERS.

A bit of a mid-pitch chat between the two batters.

Grant Stewart to Will Jacks, Low full toss, outside off, Jacks hammers it past the bowler towards long off for a single.

Grant Stewart to Will Jacks, SIX! CRASH! England into the 190s now. Will Jacks backs away to the leg side and the bowler tries to follow him. But it is a knee high full toss and Jacks swings it with power over mid-wicket. The stand moves to 34 (14).

Final over coming up.

Ali Hasan to Will Jacks, End of a 9-ball over, which results in 13 runs. 73 runs in the last 5 overs. Another wide yorker, outside off, this time Will puts bat on ball and hits it down to long off for another single. Take out that one six and 3 wides, it has been a brilliant over. 4-0-37-1 for Ali Hasan.

Ali Hasan to Jamie Overton, Legal ball this time. Outside off, Jamie drags it towards long on for one.

Ali Hasan to Jamie Overton, WIDE. Number three in the over now. Similar to the previous ball, full and well outside off on this occasion, but past the tramline. Overton cannot connect with his steer.

Ali Hasan to Jamie Overton, WIDE. Second of the over. Once again, Hasan flirts with the wide guideline, targetting that wide yorker and comes second. Overton throws his bat at it and misses too.

Ali Hasan to Will Jacks, Another wide yorker outside off. This time Will Jacks throws his bat at it and gets a thick outside edge. Luckily for Italy, it goes straight to short third. Just a single.

Ali Hasan to Will Jacks, WIDE. Yorker, yes. But this goes well past the tramline. Left alone.

Ali Hasan to Jamie Overton, Better ball. Full and wide outside off, nearly a yorker, all Jamie can do is hit it towards long off for a single.

Ali Hasan to Jamie Overton, SIX! CRACK! Barring Buttler, every England batter has hit at least one six today! Hasan goes into the surface, but with a short leg-side boundary, it is an easy invitation for the batter. Overton goes back, picks the length in a trice and pulls it over mid-wicket!

Ali Hasan to Jamie Overton, A dot to start. Excellent yorker, outside off, from over the wicket, Jamie Overton looks to steer it towards deep third but misses.

2 overs left. 200 seems on now. Ali Hasan returns. 3-0-24-1 so far.

Grant Stewart to Will Jacks, FOUR! 14 from the over, 60 in the last 4! Full and outside off, Jacks gets under it and powers it over mid off for the second boundary of the over!

Grant Stewart to Will Jacks, Another lovely ball, around the yorker length, 125.5 kph, but Will Jacks is upto it and works it to the bigger part of the ground at mid-wicket. Easy couple.

Grant Stewart to Jamie Overton, Slower ball, 126.6 kph, (doubt it was slow then), very full, on middle, Overton digs it towards mid-wicket and the bowler himself gets to that. A single taken.

Grant Stewart to Jamie Overton, FOUR! The boundaries keep coming. Neatly played. Stewart goes for the wide yorker again but Jamie Overton intentionally goes hard at it, and carves it over short third for a boundary.

Grant Stewart to Jamie Overton, WIDE. Attempted wide yorker, but it lands too far outside off. Left alone.

Grant Stewart to Will Jacks, On middle and leg, worked through mid-wicket for a run.

Grant Stewart to Jamie Overton, Full, on middle, Jamie Overton pushes this through mid on for a single.

With Manenti bowled out, we will have a bowling change from this end. Grant Stewart returns. 2-0-22-1 so far.

Crishan Kalugamage to Jamie Overton, A googly to finish, short in length outside off, Overton pushes it through point for a single. 16 runs and a wicket from the over, 46/1 in the last 3!

A shade over 3 overs left. Jamie Overton walks in next, at number 8, replacing Sam Curran.

Crishan Kalugamage to Sam Curran, OUT! CAUGHT! The incorrect matchup actually works, as the leggie gets rid of the left hander. The quicker delivery, short in length, outside off, Sam Curran backs away to the leg side and looks to go over cover, but ends up hitting it straight to JJ Smuts at the edge of the circle. The 54-RUN STAND has been broken and Curran's cameo is cut short. ENGLAND ARE 159/6 AFTER 16.5 OVERS!

Crishan Kalugamage to Sam Curran, SIX! Second of this over. Floated, around middle, Sam Curran gets under this and swings this cleanly back over his head, over the sightscreen!

Crishan Kalugamage to Will Jacks, Outside off, punched towards long off for a run.

Crishan Kalugamage to Will Jacks, WIDE. Well outside off, let through.

Crishan Kalugamage to Sam Curran, Outside off, pushed down through mid off where Grant Stewart does well to keep the batters to a single at the ropes.

Crishan Kalugamage to Sam Curran, SIX! HAT-TRICK OF SIXES FOR ENGLAND! Tossed up, around middle, spinning into leg stump, Sam Curran gets low and swings it cleanly over long on! 150 IS UP FOR ENGLAND! 23 balls left.

Benjamin Manenti to Will Jacks, SIX MORE! 20 FROM THE OVER! The biggest over of the innings. And it might have gone for more but the bowler gets away with one. A high full toss, around off, Jacks swings it over mid-wicket once again. He looks at the square leg umpire but he is okay with the height. 4-0-37-1 for Benjamin Manenti.

Benjamin Manenti to Will Jacks, SIX! That's insult to injury. Maybe, if Kalugamage had stopped the previous ball cleanly, it might have still been a couple and Jacks might have still been on strike, but let's assume that it should have been just a single. Full, around off, Will Jacks gets down and swings it powerfully over mid-wicket!

Benjamin Manenti to Will Jacks, MISFIELD, FOUR! The ground fielding lets Italy down again. Benjamin Manenti is furious. Short, outside off, Jacks rocks back and punches it through the covers. Crishan Kalugamage races to his right from sweeper, puts in a slide, gets to the ball, but it escapes past his legs into the fence behind.

Benjamin Manenti to Sam Curran, On middle, worked through mid on for a run.

Benjamin Manenti to Sam Curran, UPPISH, BUT WIDE! Short and well wide outside off, would have been wided but Sam Curran gets across and throws his bat at it. Gets a thick outside edge which flies just to the left of backward point. Deep point mops it up to his right and the batters get a couple of runs.

Benjamin Manenti to Will Jacks, Full and down the leg side, Will Jacks works it through mid-wicket for a single.

5 overs left. Benjamin Manenti will bowl out now.

Jaspreet Singh to Will Jacks, On a length, coming in with the angle from outside off, Will looks to force this straight back down the ground, but gets it off the inner half of the bat through mid on, for a single. 10 from the over.

Jaspreet Singh to Sam Curran, Full and around off, Curran drives it through mid off for one.

Jaspreet Singh to Will Jacks, Slower ball now, on middle, Will pushes it towards long on for a run.

Jaspreet Singh to Will Jacks, FOUR! Not quite intentional, but Jacks will take it. On a length again, outside off, hint of away shape, Jacks looks to punch it through the covers but the ball moves away, takes the toe end of the bat and goes past the dive of short third, to his right, escaping into the deep third fence.

Jaspreet Singh to Will Jacks, On a good length, around off stump, 109.1 kph, Will Jacks works it through mid-wicket with soft hands for a couple.

Jaspreet Singh to Sam Curran, Full and down the leg side, Sam Curran works it through mid-wicket for a single.

DRINKS BREAK. This is some collapse by England. But is it due to excellent bowling by Italy? Ummm... well the bowling has been good, but the stroke making has not been that great. There is a thin line between bravery and recklessness and time and again, England keep fighting with themselves to draw and find that line. They back each and every batter to go out and play strokes from the word go without even wanting to have a look at the pitch. And in that process, they can very well get to 300 at times, but other times, they could fall well short of 200. No doubt in thinking what is going to come next. Bang and more bang. England will back themselves to get to 200-210 from here on but Italy need to stay calm and believe that they can get opportunities if they keep the ball in the right areas. It is just the ground fielding which has let them down so far and they need to tighten things up overall if they are to keep England under 170. Jaspreet Singh has been given the ball now.

Benjamin Manenti to Sam Curran, Full, on middle and leg, Sam works it through mid-wicket for one.

Benjamin Manenti to Will Jacks, Outside off, Jacks swings this uppishly towards deep mid-wicket. Lands just in front of the fielder. A run taken.

Benjamin Manenti to Will Jacks, Short and quick, from around the wicket, outside off, Will Jacks pushes it towards long on with soft hands and charges back for the second. The throw is good to the keeper who takes the bails off and appeals for the run out but Jacks is well in.

Benjamin Manenti to Sam Curran, Very full, outside off, Sam digs it out towards cover for a run.

Benjamin Manenti to Sam Curran, On middle, Curran works it towards wide long on. Should have been just a single but the fielder fumbles while picking up and the alert batters charge back for the second.

Benjamin Manenti to Sam Curran, Full, outside off, Sam Curran drives it back to the bowler.

Crishan Kalugamage to Will Jacks, Full, outside off, pushed towards cover. A wicket and 10 runs from the over, Crishan Kalugamage's bowling figures read 3-0-25-1 so far.

Crishan Kalugamage to Will Jacks, Flat and full, at 93.3 kph, outside off, Will Jacks steers it off the back foot to deep backward point for a couple of runs to get off the mark.

Play fearless cricket. Throw caution to the wind. But throw your wickets as well? Will Jacks walks in next, at number 7, replacing Tom Banton.

Crishan Kalugamage to Tom Banton, OUT! CAUGHT! Another good catch in the outfield! Kalugamage should have had Curran on the previous ball but he does get a wicket in this over. A googly, outside off, short in length, Tom Banton rocks back and pulls it through mid-wicket. However, there is extra bounce and the ball goes off the top part of the bat. It goes towards deep mid-wicket where Benjamin Manenti comes forward a touch and takes it low above the ground! The well-set Banton departs as well and from 54/1, ENGLAND ARE NOW 105/5!

Crishan Kalugamage to Sam Curran, Stumping chance, missed! A deceptive googly by Crishan, full and around the off stump. It pitches and spins away, beating Sam Curran's attempt front foot push to the off side. He has to push in front and his back leg gets dragged out of the crease as well. But the keeper, Gian-Piero Meade, fails to gather it cleanly and the ball goes between his legs, rolling wide of short third. A bye taken.

Crishan Kalugamage to Tom Banton, Short, outside off, Banton cuts it towards deep cover. The batters take a single and Banton wants the second, but Curran sends him back. Right call. Would have been risky.

Crishan Kalugamage to Tom Banton, SIX! HIGH AND HANDSOME! Right into the slot by Kalugamage, on middle and off. Tom Banton picks the length early, dances down the track, gets under the ball neatly and launches it downtown for a 95-meter six. That's an enormous hit as Banton moves to 29 (19). 100 UP FOR ENGLAND!

Harry Manenti is rotating his bowlers constantly. Crishan Kalugamage is back on. 2-0-16-0 so far.

Benjamin Manenti to Tom Banton, Full, on middle, Tom works it towards long on for one.

Benjamin Manenti to Sam Curran, Slightly full and on middle, Sam Curran presses in front and eases it through cover for a run.

Benjamin Manenti to Sam Curran, Very full, outside off, Curran drives it through the covers where the fielder does well to make a good diving stop.

Benjamin Manenti to Tom Banton, A drag-downer, short and on the stumps. Tom Banton is hurried onto the back foot whips it through mid on for a run.

Benjamin Manenti to Sam Curran, A touch short, Sam Curran goes back and works it through mid-wicket for a single.

Benjamin Manenti to Sam Curran, Dropped full and in front of the sticks, drifting in. Sam pushes it back to the bowler.

Benjamin Manenti returns. 1-0-6-1 so far.

JJ Smuts to Tom Banton, Full and around off, Banton pushes it back to the bowler. 11 from the over, but after going for a 4 and then a 6 on his first 2 balls, sensational comeback from the ex-Saffa.

JJ Smuts to Sam Curran, Shortish and just outside off, Sam Curran slaps it to deep cover for a single.

JJ Smuts to Sam Curran, Full, around off, Sam Curran offers respect and defends.

The skipper comes and goes as well. From 54/1, England are now 92/4! That's 3/38 in the span of 30 balls. Sam Curran walks in next, at number 6, replacing his skipper, Harry Brook.

JJ Smuts to Harry Brook, OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Smuts gets the reward for bowling cunningly. After targeting the stumps in the previous couple of balls, he pushes it wide outside off, and offers a good bit of flight on this one, on a length. Harry Brook is forced to reach out, does not get to the pitch of the ball and throws the kitchen sink at it, trying to slash it through the off side, but only manages a faint outside edge. Gian-Piero Meade, the keeper, swiftly moves to his right and takes a fine catch. He appeals and the umpire raises his finger. Brook trudges off without reviewing and England are in trouble now with 92/4 on the board.

JJ Smuts to Harry Brook, SIX! CLUNK! Brook is shifting gears now. Enough of a look in, time for resumption of the attack. Short again, around off, Brook rocks back in a trice and pulls it massively over mid-wicket!

JJ Smuts to Harry Brook, FOUR! Powerful stroke! JJ bowls a full ball, on off, Harry Brook shimmies down the track and smacks it to the left of the bowler and it races down the ground for a boundary.

Halfway mark reached. Italy are trying to stifle their neighbours here. 26/1 in 4 overs post the Powerplay.

Crishan Kalugamage to Tom Banton, Tossed up, outside off, Banton lunges to smother the spin.

Crishan Kalugamage to Tom Banton, JAFFA! Nicely floated up on a fuller length, just outside off. Tom Banton is sucked on the front foot, looks to push it away, but the ball dips and spins away and beats the bat by a kitten-whisker.

Crishan Kalugamage to Tom Banton, FOUR! That's short and it's punished. Outside off, Tom Banton presses forward but on seeing the length, transfers his weight back and punches it through the covers for a boundary. Classy batting.

Crishan Kalugamage to Harry Brook, Inviting line and length. Full and just outside off. Harry Brook leans forward and clips it through the vacant mid on region for a single.

Crishan Kalugamage to Harry Brook, Landed outside off, a bit quicker, Harry Brook goes back and guides it deflty, but straight to short third.

Crishan Kalugamage to Tom Banton, A leg break on a length, outside off, Tom presses back and cuts it to deep point for a single.

JJ Smuts to Tom Banton, On middle, Banton works it through mid-wicket for one more.

JJ Smuts to Tom Banton, A bit round-armish, full and around off, Tom Banton taps it out to backward point.

JJ Smuts to Harry Brook, On middle and leg, Brook leans and works it through mid-wicket for a run.

JJ Smuts to Harry Brook, Nicely flighted on a fuller length, onto the stumps. Harry Brook watchfully blocks it off the front foot.

JJ Smuts to Tom Banton, Full, outside off, Tom Banton punches it down to long off for a run.

JJ Smuts to Harry Brook, Short of a length, on off, Harry Brook punches off the back foot to deep cover for a single.

Benjamin Manenti to Tom Banton, Full and down the leg side, Banton clips it towards square leg. A wicket and 6 runs for the brother of the skipper in his opening over.

Benjamin Manenti to Tom Banton, FOUR! Misfield, and Manenti is not happy with that casual effort by Jaspreet. Around the off pole, slightly short, drifting across the right-hander. Tom Banton stays put, opens the bat face at the last second to cut it to short third. Jaspreet Singh makes a meal of a straightforward stop and lets it through. The ball races away to the ropes behind.

Benjamin Manenti to Harry Brook, Full and outside off, Harry Brook drives it through the covers for a single to get off the mark.

Both set batters dismissed. 54/1 has become 67/3. Skipper Harry Brook walks in next at number 5, replacing Jacob Bethell, to walk his talk.

Benjamin Manenti to Jacob Bethell, OUT! CAUGHT! Manenti strikes in his first over and England find themselves in a spot of bother yet again. As mentioned at the pitch report, playing the slogs and sweeps is like inviting trouble at this surface and that's exactly what has happened here. Benjamin Manenti keeps it full and in front of the middle stump, getting a bit of extra bounce from the surface. Jacob Bethell collapses his back knee to slog sweep it over deep square leg, but the extra bounce does him in. It flies off the top edge and Bethell fails to control the shot. It flies straight into the hands of Jaspreet Singh stationed at deep fine leg. England are 67/3.

Benjamin Manenti to Jacob Bethell, Outside off, cut straight to backward point.

Benjamin Manenti to Tom Banton, Pushed across the batter, on a fuller length, around off from around the stump. Tom presses forward and eases it in front of backward point for a single.

Spin from both ends? Indeed. Benjamin Manenti will bowl now.

Crishan Kalugamage to Tom Banton, On middle, Banton works it through mid on for a single. 10 from the over.

Crishan Kalugamage to Tom Banton, FOUR! Fortuitous for Banton! This one doesn't rise much, full and a leg break outside off. Tom Banton looks to cut it off the back foot, but gets a thick under edge. The keeper crouches to gather the ball, but it bounces through the legs and over his gloves to race away to the fence behind.

Crishan Kalugamage to Tom Banton, Landed outside off, 88.6 kph, just a touch short, Tom Banton goes back, opens the face of his bat and guides it behind point for a couple.

Crishan Kalugamage to Jacob Bethell, A touch shorter and flatter, on the stumps. Jacob rushes onto the back foot and pulls it to deep mid-wicket. Anthony Mosca rushes to his right and slides to cut it off in the outfield. One taken.

Crishan Kalugamage to Tom Banton, Shorter, around off, Tom Banton goes back and nudges it through square leg for a run.

Crishan Kalugamage to Jacob Bethell, Floated up nicely at 86.2 kph, full and on leg, Jacob Bethell taps the front foot out and flicks it to long on for a single.

Fielding restrictions lifted as the Powerplay ends. Time for spin again and it will be the leg spin of Crishan Kalugamage.

Ali Hasan to Jacob Bethell, On middle and leg, Bethell flicks it towards short mid-wicket. A wicket and 6 runs from the over, Ali Hasan's bowling figures read 3-0-24-1 so far. Good finish to the Powerplay for Italy with ENGLAND ON 56/2.

Ali Hasan to Tom Banton, On a length, outside off, Tom Banton looks to push it through the off side but the ball stops a bit on the touch. His feet don't move and as a result, he gets a thick inside edge which goes past the stumps towards fine leg! As the batters take a single, Hasan gives Banton a stare!

DRINKS BREAK. Both the openers dismissed but England will be happy with their Powerplay returns. Brook mentioned at the toss that he wants his batters to play fearlessly and that's exactly what they have done. They have hit 4 fours and 3 sixes in 34 balls, that means a boundary roughly 5 balls. Buttler's poor form might be a concern but they will back the 2022 champion to come good soon. At the same time, Italy have not bowled too badly either. It is just that they have not been consistent enough. Only two overs out of the previous 5 have gone in double digits, so the field placements have been alright on this good-looking deck. It is just about not thinking about the batter, but just focussing on the landing area of the ball. Tom Banton walks in next, at number 4, replacing Phil Salt.

Ali Hasan to Phil Salt, OUT! CAUGHT! That's a fantastic catch by Anthony Mosca. Ali lets out a big roar as he gets a huge wicket. Hasan bashes the length hard, keeping it over middle. It lands and kicks up a bit, taking Salt by surprise as he lines up for the pull shot. Hits it nowhere near from the middle of the blade, in fact, it sails off the sticker of the manufacturer and he does not complete the followthrough of the bat swing. The ball dips in front of Anthony, stationed at deep square leg. He tracks the trajectory nicely and dives forward to scoop the ball. He does so, taking it cleanly, inches above the ground. Salt is hanging around, expecting the umpires to check the legality of the catch but the square leg umpire is convinced it is clean and gives Salt the matching orders. The 33-run stand is broken and England are 54/2 after 5.4 overs!

Ali Hasan to Jacob Bethell, A full toss, down the leg side, Jacob Bethell jumps down the track and looks to flick but misses. The ball goes off his pads towards short third and the batters scamper through for a leg bye.

Ali Hasan to Phil Salt, A touch shorter, on middle and leg, Salt nudges it behind square leg for a single.

Ali Hasan to Phil Salt, Misfield. Full and wide outside off, Phil Salt drives it through the covers where the fielder dives to his left, but fumbles, as the ball goes past him. The ball has not gone too far but the batters scamper back for the second. What should have been a dot, or max a single, becomes a couple. The stand moves to 31 (18).

Final over of the Powerplay. That 5th over might have just spoilt whatever good work Italy had done in the first 4 overs. Three on the trot for Hasan then.

Grant Stewart to Jacob Bethell, Full and down the leg side, Jacob flicks it straight to short mid-wicket. 17 from the over!

Grant Stewart to Phil Salt, 50 UP FOR ENGLAND! Inside the 5th over. Full, on middle, Salt works it through mid on for a run.

Grant Stewart to Phil Salt, SIX! That was six the moment he hit it! On a back of a length, on top of middle. Phil Salt presses back, waits for the ball to arrive and nails the pull shot behind deep backward square leg for a cracking six.

Grant Stewart to Jacob Bethell, Short, around middle, Jacob swivels and pulls it to deep backward square leg for a run.

Grant Stewart to Phil Salt, WIDE and a bye. Full and down the leg side, Phil Salt looks to flick but misses. The keeper does well to get across to his left but cannot collect the ball. Gets a glove on that and parries it towards short fine leg and the batters take a run.

Grant Stewart to Jacob Bethell, Hurrying into the batter, Bethell stays back and pushes it towards mid off for a quick single.

Grant Stewart to Jacob Bethell, SIX! CLUBBED! Stewart serves it on a fuller length, on middle and leg. Jacob Bethell spots the length nicely, jumps out of the crease, gets under it properly, and golfs it over the long on fence for an 87-meter six. A confident stroke by the young Bethell. He moves to 18 off 11.

Ali Hasan to Phil Salt, Oohhh.... on a length, outside off, Phil Salt pushes at it but misses. The keeper and bowler hear a noise and go up in an appeal for the catch but it is not given. Neither is interested in the review either.

Ali Hasan to Jacob Bethell, Outside off, JB drives it through the covers, where the fielder dives to his left and gets a hand to it. Mid off mops up and keeps the batters to a single.

Ali Hasan to Jacob Bethell, Dropped shorter now, outside off, Jacob pulls it ferociously but straight to mid-wicket.

Ali Hasan to Jacob Bethell, The length is a bit fuller on this occasion and Bethell swings it over mid-wicket. He miscues it but the ball lands safely outside the circle. Three fielders go after it - deep mid-wicket to his right, mid-wicket running back and mid on too. The mid-wicket fielder from the circle gets to the ball, slides and parries the ball to the mid on fielder. Two runs taken.

Ali Hasan to Jacob Bethell, FOUR! Off the top edge! Ali slams the deck hard, outside off and gets some bounce off the pitch. Jacob Bethell walks a couple of steps down to negate any movement and swings across to pull. But the ball gets big on him and flies off the top edge over short third. One bounce and into the fence for a boundary.

Ali Hasan to Jacob Bethell, Opportunity missed. Half volley, on middle and leg, coming in with the angle, Jacob Bethell flicks it straight to short mid-wicket.

Grant Stewart to Jacob Bethell, Full and down the leg side, JB flicks it through square leg for a single. A wicket and 5 runs to get Stewart up and running for the afternoon.

Grant Stewart to Jacob Bethell, Overpitched, outside off, Jacob drives it towards cover.

Grant Stewart to Jacob Bethell, Full and straight, Bethell pushes it back to the bowler.

Grant Stewart to Jacob Bethell, FOUR! Glorious! A bit too full by Stewart, around the off stump, Jacob Bethell gets a good stride forward, and with lovely extension of arms, he cracks the drive through mid off and cover for a boundary.

Grant Stewart to Jacob Bethell, Full and around off, Jacob Bethell flicks it straight to short mid-wicket.

The opening woes continue for England. Jacob Bethell walks in next, at number 3, replacing Jos Buttler.

Grant Stewart to Jos Buttler, OUT! CAUGHT! Stewart makes an instant impact. With 3 against Scotland, and an identical score this time around as well, Buttler's lean run in this T20 World Cup continues. Grant lands it around middle and off, with the seam positioned toward the first slip. It shapes away late on a fuller length. Jos Buttler tries to loft it downtown, but the bat turns at the point of contact while the ball spoons off the outer half toward mid off. Harry Manenti tracks back and takes a fine reverse cup catch. England are 21/1!

Will Smuts get another in the Powerplay? Not right now. Grant Stewart is given the ball.

Ali Hasan to Jos Buttler, Full and straight, around middle and off, Buttler drives it down the ground. Should have been an easy single but both batters nearly collide mid-pitch. In the end, Buttler has to hustle to get into the crease at the non-striker's end and so too Salt, at his end. 12 from the over.

Ali Hasan to Phil Salt, Down the leg side, too full, Salt clips it behind square leg for a run.

Ali Hasan to Phil Salt, FOUR! Placed nicely! A bit of inswing from middle, on a fuller length, Phil Salt whips it to the leg side. Not exactly from the middle of the bat, but he manages to find the gap between mid-wicket and square leg for a boundary.

Ali Hasan to Phil Salt, Outside off, on a length, Phil Salt punches it straight to cover.

Ali Hasan to Phil Salt, SIX! DISAPPEARED! A waist-height short ball, on the leg stump, and Ali slips in his followthrough. It sits up nicely for the batter. Phil Salt stays deep in the crease and pulls it behind deep backward square leg for the first six of the match.

Ali Hasan to Phil Salt, A touch short, around middle and off, Phil Salt looks to tuck it away but misses. The ball goes off his hips towards short mid-wicket.

No turn, no drift, nothing for spin. Ali Hasan, a left-arm seamer, born in Pakistan, but now based in Italy, will share the new-ball attack.

JJ Smuts to Phil Salt, Short again, outside off. PS rocks back and pulls it straight to deep mid-wicket for another single. 9 from the opening over.

JJ Smuts to Jos Buttler, Smuts senses that Buttler will charge at him and the latter does. So it is a missile, fired at the pads, at a shorter length. Buttler works it through mid-wicket for one.

JJ Smuts to Phil Salt, Fuller, around off, Phil goes back and works it through mid-wicket for one.

JJ Smuts to Jos Buttler, A bit more flight, 87.9 kph, but shorter again, Jos Buttler nudges it through square leg for a single to get off the mark. Unlike Salt, Buttler prefers to ease himself in first.

JJ Smuts to Phil Salt, Short again, outside off, Salt rocks back and pulls it through mid-wicket, where the fielder slides across to his left near the ropes, to stop the ball. A single taken.

JJ Smuts to Phil Salt, FOUR! Runs straightaway! JJ lands it around off, on a good length, Phil Salt stays put and blasts it down the ground, beating the bowler to his left, and mid off to his right for a boundary. England and Salt are off the mark in style.

Time for action - The national anthems have been sung and we are ready for the game to begin. The Italian side gets into a huddle and now disperses, after a while. Out walk the two English openers - Phil Salt and Jos Buttler. It will be the spin of JJ Smuts to start proceedings. Salt to face. Here we go!

National anthems - The match officials and the two teams head out to the middle, for the national anthems of both nations. It will be Italy's first, followed by that of England's.

Afghanistan stay alive - For now. They have gone past the total of 160 posted by United Arab Emirates and as per the scorecard, with 5 wickets and 4 balls remaining, it appears as if it was a comfortable win. But those who viewed that match will agree that the Afghans did make matters difficult for themselves in a pretty modest chase and eventually, it needed a calm head of Azmatullah Omarzai, whose unbeaten 40 turned out to be pivotal. Earlier, it was Omarzai's 4-fer who kept the UAE to 160/9 as well. With this win, Afghanistan move to third spot, but they will now need New Zealand to underperform in their final match.

PITCH REPORT - Nick Knight and Eoin Morgan are beside the pitch. Knight begins by informing that it is a decent hit down the ground, measuring 75 meters. About the square dimensions, Nick says there is a bit of a bias with 62 meters and 67 meters. On comes the 2019 ODI World Cup skipper of England, Eoin Morgan. Remember, he has played for KKR here in the IPL. Inspects the deck and says that it is a good surface. Morgan highlights that Scotland were on course for a score of 180-plus in the previous game. Also details that the pitch has held together pretty nicely. Singles out Tom Banton as the most impactful batter in the previous game., detailing that he targeted the boundaries down the ground and that was a pretty effective approach. Nick Knight now asks Morgs regarding the sweeps and slogs, to which, Eoin is of the opinion that due to the extra bit of bounce on offer here, whether hitting aerially or along the ground, the margin for error is very small with that approach.

We were going to bowl anyway - The captain of Italy, HARRY MANENTI, says that he was going to bowl anyway. Hence, feels that this sort of works nicely. Goes onto add that he and the management were not sure what to do had he won the toss, so is eventually happy that he does not have to decide. On the euphoria post the Nepal win, Manenti says that the vibe's been excellent. Adds that Italy have enjoyed a nice few days after the win, and have now settled down. Further says that coming off a win gives confidence and the players are raring to go for this clash. On meeting the hard-hitting England, Harry says that his own side is really confident at the moment. Adds that they came into the tournament pretty confident but didn't quite hit the strides the way they wanted to. However, he says that they have developed some rhythm as the games have gone by. On the team news, the skipper informs that Italy too, are going in with an unchanged team from their last match. On news regarding original skipper Wayne Madsen's fitness, HM replies that he is still not 100 percent. Keeps his fingers crossed and hopes that Madsen will be fit for their last league clash against West Indies.

Take it to the opposition - The skipper of England, HARRY BROOK, on being asked to give the reason for batting first, replies that there isn't much to look into the venue stats wise, so he fancies batting first. On his message to his team, Brook wants his side to be fearless with the bat, take it to the opposition and not think about the result. On the team changes, Harry informs that England are going in with the same team from their last match. On being asked about England's progress so far, the captain honestly says that everybody knows that England haven't played their best cricket. Accepts that they have scraped through a couple of games, but hopes to put on a much better show in this contest.

Italy (UNCHANGED Playing XI) - Justin Mosca, Anthony Mosca, JJ Smuts, Harry Manenti (C), Marcus Campopiano, Benjamin Manenti, Grant Stewart, Gian-Piero Meade (WK), Jaspreet Singh, Crishan Kalugamage and Ali Hasan.

England (UNCHANGED Playing XI) - Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (WK), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (C), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Liam Dawson and Adil Rashid.

TOSS - Time for the flip of the coin. The two captains - the two Harrys - Brook and Manenti - are out in the middle in a hot afternoon in Kolkata. But, there is a lovely wind blowing across the ground. Brook will toss, while Manenti will call. Heads is the call but it is a Tail. ENGLAND CHOOSE TO BAT.

Thriller in store in Delhi? Meanwhile, in match number 28, Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates are producing a fine battle at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. When reports last came in, Afghanistan, chasing 161, needed 42 runs from the last 4 overs for a win, with 6 wickets in hand. Should not be an issue, but who can say what in this format? You can check the updates from that matchcentre but do remember to hop back here soon, because the toss and team news will be coming up shortly.

Pitch expectations - In the three matches played at Eden so far, hovering between 5.30 am GMT and 9.30 am GMT, teams batting first have largely got the better of the conditions, although in all the games, the captains have elected to chase. Yes, England did win that last match chasing but they too, were in trouble at the start of the chase. From a predicting point of view, because it is a 3 pm local start and the sun sets early in these parts of the country, the floodlights get switched on pretty early, even before the second innings can begin. Under the floodlights, the ball usually skids more and comes onto the bat nicely. However, so far, we have seen anything but that. It will be interesting to see what does the captain winning the toss do today. As always, spinners make merry at this venue.

Wayne Madsen still not fit - Neither of the teams has announced its playing XI, but Italy have confirmed that regular skipper Wayne Madsen is still not fit to play in this clash. So Harry Manenti will continue to lead the side. This will just be the third time that Harry will be leading a side across all T20s and having won both his previous games as a captain, he will aim for a hattrick.

Loss not an option - It never can be. However, England might want to look at all the realms of possibility. While a win will take the Brits into the Super Eights, a loss could turn the tables upside down. Because of England's poor net run rate, it is highly possible that a defeat here could push them down to number 4, below Italy. And if that happens, the match between Scotland and Nepal would be a direct shootout between three teams - a Scot win would take them through, while a defeat could possibly take Italy through! This is the last league game for England, so they just cannot afford to take anything lightly.

3 vs 26 - That's the difference in the T20I rankings between England (3) and Italy (26). But that definitely does not mean that this will be a walkover or have a certified result in advance. The Brits have one leg in the Super Eights but one false step could put them into peril. This is a T20, where any team can beat any other. That's exactly the thought process with which Italy will enter this contest. Hello and a warm welcome to match 29 of this World Cup at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

... MATCH DAY ...

High stakes in Kolkata - Match 29 of the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup sees England take on Italy in an all-European affair at the Eden Gardens. A win for England will confirm their passage to the Super 8 stage, joining West Indies as the two qualifiers from Group C. An Azzurri victory, however, would keep them firmly in the race and throw the group dynamics wide open heading into the final round of matches. Hopefully, Italy can be the start of our rise - Those were Harry Brook's words after the victory over Scotland, as he admitted England haven't quite put together a complete performance yet and have been a touch niggly. That honesty rang true, given how nervy they looked at the start of the chase in that game. After a setback against the West Indies, they bounced back, and that win also snapped their hoodoo against European oppositions in T20 World Cups. Phil Salt and Jos Buttler are still searching for a defining contribution, but there were positives. Tom Banton stepped up and guided the side home with composure, while Jofra Archer, after a couple of tough outings, rediscovered his rhythm, with his pace and sharpness back on display. England will look to build on those gains and seal qualification. Italy riding the underdog wave - The tournament debutants will be riding a wave of confidence after securing their first-ever World Cup win. Nepal came in as favourites, backed by passionate support, but Italy silenced them with a convincing all-round display. That victory was as close to a spotless performance as you could get. To deliver it after losing their skipper Wayne Madsen to a shoulder dislocation in the opening game made the achievement even more special. The Azzurri will now hope their captain is fit enough to return, which would provide a significant boost in both leadership and batting strength. Freedom vs Expectation - Italy carry a nothing-to-lose attitude into this contest, and that freedom can be dangerous. The pressure squarely rests on England, who are expected to deliver. History shows that such freedom often brings the best out of underdogs. Form (Last 5 completed T20Is, most recent first) - England - WLWWW | Italy - WLWLL. Conditions in Kolkata - This will be the third game with a 3 pm start at Eden Gardens in this tournament. In the previous fixture between England and Scotland, the ball did a bit more, both in the air and off the seam, at the start of England's chase compared to the beginning of Scotland's innings. Whether that had anything to do with the floodlights starting to take effect remains up for debate, but it was certainly noticeable. First cricketing chapter - This will be the first meeting between these two sides in international cricket. While they share a long-standing rivalry in other sports, let's hope this marks the beginning of a compelling new chapter on the cricket field.