The Rohit Paudel-led Nepal side missed out on a historic win over England in their ICC T20 World Cup 2026 opener; however, they looked better than the two-time champions in many ways. Italy, on the other hand have made their World Cup debut with a loss to European rivals Scotland.
The NEP vs ITA game will mark the second game for both these teams, who are still in the quest for their first win in this edition of the World Cup. With teams like England and the West Indies already in this group and Scotland being brought in as Bangladesh’s replacement, this group seems too competitive by the standard of these two minnows.
This article includes the match prediction, probable players from both teams, the impact of the toss, and the head-to-head record for the contest between Italy and Nepal in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
NEP vs ITA Match Prediction: Who Will Win the 17th Match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026?
Match Details:
Match: Nepal vs Italy
Date: February 12th, 2026
Time: 3:00 PM IST
Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.
Live Streaming: JioHotstar
Live Broadcast: Star Sports Network
NEP vs ITA Match Prediction, Head-to-Head Record
The two minnows from two different parts of the world, Nepal from the Asian subcontinent and Italy, on the other hand, a Mediterranean nation from Europe, have never played against each other in international cricket and will face each other for the first time in this edition of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
NEP vs ITA Pitch Report & Conditions
The Wankhede Stadium often has the reputation of being one of the best batting tracks in India. Also, the ground offers fast outfields and some fair bounce, which allows the batters to settle comfortably on the top of the ball.
NEP vs ITA Weather Report
The temperature is expected to be hot; however, during this time of the year the humidity is low; hence, the players would not find the conditions patchy. No rainfalls have been predicted in the forecast; however, the sun and cloud cover percentage can affect the pitch conditions as well.
NEP vs ITA T20 World Cup Probable XIs:
Nepal Playing XI: Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh, Rohit Paudel (c), Dipendra Singh Airee, Aarif Sheikh, Gulshan Jha, Lokesh Bam, Karan KC, Sher Malla, Nandan Yadav, and Sandeep Lamichhane.
Italy Playing XI: Justin Mosca, Anthony Mosca, JJ Smuts (c), Marcus Campopiano, Harry Manenti, Ben Manenti, Gian-Piero Meade (wk), Grant Stewart, Thomas Draca, Ali Hasan, and Crishan Kalugamage.
Toss Impact
The toss always has an impact at the Wankhede Stadium. Wankhede has always backed chasing, and the team winning a toss here usually opts to field first to get some grip of the pitch before they can get on the driving seat in their innings.
Form And Fitness
Nepal players are fit, and even Sompal Kami, who missed the previous game, is likely to return anytime soon. However, Italy are in deep trouble with their skipper Wayne Madsen being ruled out with a major shoulder injury.
NEP vs ITA Score Prediction
Wankhede is a high-scoring track; however, it can be anticipated that Nepal batting first would score a total of nearly 160, while it might be reduced if Italy bats first, and then the score would be somewhere around 140.
NEP vs ITA: Players To Perform Prediction
Italy Key Players: Justin Mosca, JJ Smuts, Harry Manenti, and Crishan Kalugamage
Nepal Key Players: Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh, Dipendra Singh Airee, Lokesh Bam and Sandeep Lamichhane.
NEP vs ITA: Best Batter Prediction
ITA – Justin Mosca, or Harry Manenti
NEP – Kushal Bhurtel or Dipendra Singh Airee
NEP vs ITA: Best Bowler Prediction
ITA – Grant Stewart or Crishan Kalugamage
NEP – Karan KC or Sandeep Lamichhane.
Conclusion: Who Will Win the NEP vs ITA T20 World Cup Match?
Nepal have never played against Italy, nor have the opposition ever played in the subcontinent before they were crushed by Scotland. Going into the second game, Italy would be giving their 100% as Nepal would leave no stone unturned to not miss out on another win after the narrow defeat to England. Nepal are favorites.
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