England vs Nepal T20 World Cup 2026

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 returns to action at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium as England take on Nepal in what promises to be a compelling first encounter between the two sides. England arrive as one of the tournament favorites, but Nepal’s rise in recent years means this game will be more than just a formality.

Eng vs Nep Live Stream

Big Picture: England vs Nepal

England come in on the back of 10 wins in 11 T20Is, showing depth in batting, pace, and spin. Harry Brook, despite recent off-field distractions, will lead a team brimming with confidence. The likes of Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, Sam Curran, and spinners Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson give England options across all departments.

Nepal, meanwhile, are the story of the tournament’s underdogs. After impressive qualifying wins and strong showings in the Nepal Premier League, the team under Rohit Paudel is battle-hardened, with Sandeep Lamichhane leading the spin attack and Aasif Sheikh providing firepower at the top. While experience against top-tier nations is limited, their fearless approach could trouble England if the conditions favor spin.

Form Guide

Team	Last 5 T20Is	Form Summary
England	W W W W W	Depth in all departments, in red-hot form
Nepal	W W W W W	Confident underdogs, strong in qualifiers and NPL

Players to Watch

England:

Harry Brook (c): Captain and top-order lynchpin; form and temperament key.
Phil Salt: Explosive opener, capable of a fast start.
Adil Rashid: Veteran spinner, vital in controlling middle overs.

Nepal:

Sandeep Lamichhane: Can turn matches with his leg-spin mastery.
Aasif Sheikh: Hard-hitting opener, dangerous in short bursts.
Karan KC: Quick bowler who can exploit early movement.

Probable Playing XI

England: Phil Salt (wk), Jos Buttler, Will Jacks, Harry Brook (c), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, Luke Wood

Nepal: Aasif Sheikh (wk), Kushal Bhurtel, Rohit Paudel (c), Dipendra Airee, Aarif Sheikh, Gulsan Jha, Karan KC, Sompal Kami, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi/Nandan Yadav, Sher Malla

Pitch & Weather

The Wankhede pitch usually favors batters with short boundaries and true bounce, making high-scoring encounters likely. Pacers can extract early swing, but spin will play a key role in the middle overs.

Expected first innings score: 170–180
Weather: Humid and pleasant, 21–25 °C, mostly clear skies

Toss & Match Scenarios

Toss winners often prefer bowling first at Wankhede.
England batting second: Likely chase of 140–150 if Nepal sets the target.
Nepal chasing: Will need early wickets to disrupt England’s power-hitters.

Prediction: England are favorites given their experience and form, but Nepal’s spinners and fearless batting could create surprises if conditions favor spin.