T20 World Cup: Can confident Scotland ace England challenge?
What's the story
England will face Scotland in their third match of the ongoing ICC 2026 T20 World Cup. The game will be played on February 14 at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. England's campaign has been shaky so far, with a close call against Nepal and a defeat to West Indies. They currently sit fourth in Group C with a negative net run rate (NRR).
Steady progress
Scotland's steady rise and England's struggle
In contrast to England's rocky start, Scotland have been steadily improving. They put up a good fight against West Indies and then registered a convincing win over Italy, boosting their confidence and net run rate. This puts them second in Group C with a healthy +0.95 NRR. The momentum and belief they have will make this match an opportunity not just to compete but also strengthen their position in the group.
Venue advantage
Pitch report and other details
This will be the third match at Eden Gardens, with Scotland having the edge of familiarity after playing both their games here. The pattern so far suggests that teams have preferred batting first, setting a challenging target and relying on their bowlers to defend it. Meanwhile, the game will start at 3:00pm IST and will be broadcast live in India on the JioStar Network Channels. Live streaming can be accessed via Jio Hotstar app and website.
Team news
Possible changes for both teams
For England, Jamie Overton replaced Luke Wood against West Indies to strengthen the batting depth. He responded well with a tidy 2 for 33. If England thinks an additional left-arm option could be more effective against Scotland, Wood may return to the XI. Meanwhile, Scotland could consider bringing Chris Greaves into their lineup considering England's vulnerability against spin in this World Cup. In their only T20I encounter, England and Scotland played out a no-result match due to rain.
XIs
Here are the probable XIs
England (Probable XI): Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (c), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Luke Wood. Scotland (Probable XI): George Munsey, Michael Jones, Brandon McMullen, Richie Berrington (c), Tom Bruce, Matthew Cross (wk), Mark Watt, Michael Leask, Oliver Davidson, Chris Greaves, Brad Currie.
Performers
Here are the key performers
As many as 33 of Adil Rashid's wickets have come across 32 T20 WC games at 24. Having played 35 games in the tourney, Jos Buttler has scored 1,060 runs at an average of 40.76. Michael Leask starred with his all-round heroics against Italy. After slamming a five-ball 22*, the spinner claimed 4/17 from his four overs. George Munsey ended up scoring 84 off just 54 balls in the game.
Poll
