🏏ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026: M23: ENG vs Scotland at Kolkata🏏

🏏ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026: M23: England vs Scotland at Kolkata on 14/02/2026 at 3:00 PM IST🏏

Kolkata the stage as England, Scotland resume auld rivalry

Grudge match given added edge by coinciding with Six Nations clash in Edinburgh

England arrive at this Group C contest with more questions than they would have anticipated at the start of the tournament. Two games in, they sit fourth on the table with a negative net run rate, having been pushed close by Nepal and then outplayed by West Indies. Scotland, by contrast, occupy second place with a healthy +0.95 NRR, turning what many expected to be a routine fixture into one that carries genuine stakes for both sides.

England's campaign has lacked fluency. They were stretched in all phases by Nepal and never quite imposed themselves against West Indies once the tempo rose. The batting has oscillated between caution and urgency without fully settling into rhythm, while the bowling has not consistently controlled key passages. For a side accustomed to dictating terms in this format, this is less about overhaul and more about rediscovering clarity and control.

Scotland, meanwhile, have built steadily. They were competitive against West Indies before delivering a commanding win over Italy that boosted both their confidence and the net run rate. Their batting has shown intent at the top and composure through the middle, while the bowling unit has operated with discipline. With momentum and belief on their side, Scotland will see this as an opportunity not merely to compete, but to reinforce their position in the group.

Team News:

England:Jamie Overton replaced Luke Wood against West Indies to bolster the batting depth and responded with a tidy 2 for 33. If England believe an additional left-arm option, with extra pace, could be more effective against Scotland, Wood may well return to the XI.

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: Brad Wheal came in for Safyaan Sharif in the previous game, but neither has been particularly economical so far. With England showing vulnerability against spin (10 wickets lost to spin so far in this World Cup), Scotland could consider bringing Chris Greaves into the mix.

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

ENG vs SCO Probable Best Performers

Probable Best Batter: Jacob Bethell

England top-order batter Jacob Bethell could be the key player in this clash. He has already scored one fifty in this World Cup against Nepal and has looked in control regardless of the bowlers he has faced. His runs will be crucial in steering the game in a positive direction for England.

Probable Best Bowler: Sam Curran

England left-arm pacer Sam Curran has found his rhythm and is on the rise. He played a vital role in the opener, defending a narrow lead in the last over to prevent Nepal from crossing the finishing line. His four overs are consistently crucial, as he effectively uses variations to pick up key wickets.

When: Saturday, February 14 at 3:00 PM Local Time

Where: Match 23, Eden Gardens, Kolkata

What to expect: This will be the third match in Kolkata, with Scotland carrying the advantage of familiarity after playing both their games here. West Indies successfully defended 182 in a 3 PM start, while Scotland defended 207 in the 11 AM fixture, suggesting that scoreboard pressure has been a key factor at the venue. The pattern so far points towards batting first, posting a substantial total and trusting the bowlers to defend - a template England and Scotland are likely to consider for this game as well, especially since sides batting first have a 5-2 advantage in T20Is at this venue since 2021.

Head to head: In their only previous meeting - in the 2024 - Scotland raced to 90 without loss in a 10-over game before rain forced a no result. With much of that core still intact, Scotland will believe they have unfinished business and an opportunity to shape the group decisively.

In the spotlight: Tom Banton and Michael Jones

Three consecutive single-figure scores across this tournament and the Sri Lanka series that preceded it leave Tom Banton searching for runs, particularly amid calls for Harry Brook to leapfrog him into the No. 4 spot. An unbeaten 54 in a Player-of-the-Match performance against Sri Lanka in the second of their three games in the lead-up suggests the touch is there. Now he must rediscover it at a time when his side needs it most.

Having managed just one run against West Indies as Munsey too departed cheaply after a promising start, Michael Jones further highlighted the importance of Scotland's opening duo with a 30-ball 37 in a 126-run stand - Munsey struck 84 off 54 - that set up victory over Italy. With the quality of the opposition now magnified, it is imperative that he supports his partner with an even bigger contribution to a union that could prove critical in getting enough runs on the board against England.

Pitch and conditions: Runs on offer

So far at this World Cup, the Eden Gardens pitch has shown that there are runs on offer, even if in lopsided results, with a good batting surface improving into the evening. Scotland reached 207 for 4 before bowling Italy out for 134 and West Indies made 182 for 5 before a five-wicket haul from seamer Romario Shepherd kept Scotland to 147 all out. In the IPL, it has been a high-scoring ground in recent years, too. The weather forecast is perfectly pleasant for this day-night game; mostly sunny, up to 30 degrees Celsius, with low humidity.

What they said:

"No, I don't think so. That series against Sri Lanka showed that. I thought we played spin really well out there. They (West bowled) well; they kept themselves in the game the whole time. We lost quite a few wickets in clusters, which never really helps...One thing I would say is we were probably a little bit careful" - Harry Brook, England captain, insists they don't have a problem against spin.

"We have actually beaten them before in a 50-over game. I don't think we've played them much in T20 cricket. The last World Cup, unfortunately, the game got washed out halfway through...But obviously we've seen a lot of them. For us, it's just preparing well this week, make sure we're focused on what we need to do as a team" - Richie Berrington, Scotland captain.

Thank you Raji for the thread and for tagging.

Best wishes to both the teams.

Brook after loss to West Indies

“One thing I would say is we were probably a little bit careful. Chasing nearly 200 is always a big ask. Like I said, we thought the pitch would get a little bit better, and that didn’t happen.”

“They bowled well and kept themselves in the game the whole time. We lost quite a few wickets in clusters, which never really helps.”

“We thought it was chasable, definitely,” Brook said at the post-match press conference. “We obviously planned for dew, and it didn’t quite get as dewy as we thought. It didn’t quite slide onto the bat as much as we were expecting.”