ICC Men's T20 WC 2026 | Match 2: West Indies vs Scotland | Preview and Predictions
Two-time champions West Indies will start their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign against Scotland, who have had very little time to prepare for this game set to be played at Eden Gardens on February 7, 2026.
Here, we present our preview and predictions for Match 2 of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 | Match 2: WI vs SCO | 15:00 IST, February 7, 2026
The West Indies come into this World Cup slightly on the back foot, having lost all three T20I series and seven out of nine games heading into the tournament. Regular batting capitulations and a lack of cutting edge in the bowling department have been two of their biggest issues among many of late.
Their last two series, against Afghanistan and then South Africa, have put on display the soft underbelly of the current Caribbean collective, which wasn’t the case with their previous successful T20 sides. The likes of Brandon King, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, and Sherfane Rutherford have been doing the bulk of the run-scoring in recent weeks, though accumulating these runs on a consistent basis has proved to be another challenge.
Similarly, the WI bowling department has also looked toothless and uninspiring in most matches. After Alzarri Joseph was ruled out with injury, and Shamar Joseph still not back to full fitness, the Windies lack wicket-taking threat both up front as well as during the middle overs, especially with the likes of Andre Russell and Sunil Narine no longer in the side to carry the mantle anymore.
As for their opponents, it was a very late call-up but an exciting proposition nonetheless for Scotland. The associate nation has played two warm-up games against Afghanistan and Namibia to better acclimatise themselves to the subcontinental conditions ahead of the marquee tournament.
However, they’ve tasted defeat in both matches, having sustained a comprehensive 63-run hammering by Afghanistan followed by a narrow six-run defeat in a high-scoring thriller against Namibia. It is important to keep in mind that this Scottish team will only get better as the tournament progresses, even more so given the lack of preparation they’ve had. That said, the likes of Brandon McMullen, skipper Richie Berrington, and all-rounder Mark Watt have looked good in these two warm-up games.
It is also important to remember that, despite their status as an associate nation, in the last T20 WC Scotland competed extremely well in a tough group and almost caused an upset against Australia, which would have seen them progress at the expense of England, who ended up reaching the semi-finals. This will serve as a reminder to all in terms of the threat Scotland can pose in a major tournament, with T20 being the perfect format to produce an upset.
In terms of weather forecast and pitch report for this game, expect nice and clear conditions throughout the day. The wickets here at Eden Gardens have generally been high-scoring. Both the IPL and T20I matches here see teams regularly post scores over 200. Although the recent Test match between India and South Africa saw a rank-turner, we expect the wicket to be batting-friendly for the World Cup.
Looking ahead to this fixture, there’s no denying that both countries come into this contest undercooked, though the Scots may argue that they alone deserve to keep the tag. However, despite Scotland’s lack of preparation, the soft underbelly of this West Indies team makes them susceptible to upsets against such opposition.
That said, considering that they are playing in a high-scoring venue, and given the number of power-hitters in their ranks, we expect Shai Hope and Co to start their campaign with a win.
Fantasy XI: Brandon King, Shai Hope, George Munsey, Brandon McMullen (vc), Shimron Hetmyer (c), Richie Berrington, Jason Holder, Rovman Powell, Matthew Forde, Mark Watt, Gukadesh Motie
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Winners Prediction: West Indies
