ICC Men’s T20 WC 2026 | Match 29: England vs Italy | Preview and Predictions

Two-time Men’s T20 World Cup champions England need a win after their loss to the West Indies, while debutants Italy will look to make the world take notice once more in this David-versus-Goliath encounter at Eden Gardens.

For Match 29 of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, here we present our preview and predictions.

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 | Match 29: ENG vs ITA | 15:00, February 16, 2026

England have had a mixed start to their campaign, having picked up wins against minnows Nepal and Scotland but gone down to a stronger team in the West Indies.

Harry Brook and Co have been inconsistent with the bat, with the likes of Phil Salt, Jos Buttler, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, and Sam Curran all getting good starts but failing to convert them into big scores. England bat deep, with Liam Dawson at No. 8 and Jofra Archer at No. 9 both capable of hitting big. With an explosive top order of Salt, Buttler, and Bethell, captain Brook will expect better performances from both his batters and himself.

In terms of their bowling department, England’s star pacer Jofra Archer has been a tad bit expensive, leaking runs at the top as well as at the death, though other fast bowlers Sam Curran, Jamie Overton, and Luke Wood have been clinical and among the wickets. Curran, in particular, has been a revelation with both bat and ball. On slow, sticky, and gripping wickets, he and Adil Rashid, who is leading the spin attack, have been clinical. Rashid, Will Jacks, and Liam Dawson have been economical and among the wickets, and Brook will expect more of the same from them on a pitch they are used to by now.

Italy, on the other hand, are coming off an incredible win over Nepal, which marked a historic first for the T20 World Cup debutants.

The Mosca brothers at the top of the order were key — and sole actors — in Italy’s ten-wicket win over Nepal. With the Manenti brothers having also got some runs under their belts against Scotland, the Italian camp will hope for more runs against the English.

On a slow and turning Wankhede pitch, Crishan Kalugamage, Ben Manenti, and JJ Smuts were all over the Nepali batters. Harry Manenti, who’s captaining the side, will hope his spinners step up once again in Kolkata. 

The Eden Gardens strip has shown that it has runs on offer, as is usual, and also something for the slower bowlers. While Italy comes into this game on the back of a stunning win against Nepal, defeating England may be too much of an ask.

There will be runs on offer at the Gardens again, and spinners can expect assistance once more. Given England’s strong spin trio of Adil Rashid, Liam Dawson, and Will Jacks, along with their generally stronger squad on paper, we believe the two-time T20 World Cup champions have the win locked in here.

Fantasy XI: Jos Buttler (wk), Phil Salt, JJ Smuts, Harry Manenti, Ben Manenti, Harry Brook (vc), Sam Curran (c), Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid, Ali Hasan, Crishan Kalugamage

Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Winners Prediction: England