Nepal were one of the finest teams in the Asian qualifiers, and so were Italy in the European qualifiers. However, Nepal more narrowly missed out on a memorable victory against England in the opening game when they lost by just 4 runs. On the other hand, Italy faced a rather crushing defeat to Scotland in their World Cup main event debut.
A clash of the minnows from Group C, as Nepal clashes against Italy in their second match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The Nepal vs Italy match marks a clear opportunity for either team to return to winning ways after they started their ICC T20 World Cup campaign with losses in their opening game.
The following article includes a detailed preview of the ICC T20 World Cup clash between the two minnows, Nepal and Italy. The article follows a clear knowledge of their probable playing XI, the pitch reports and the weather conditions, alongside the head-to-head records and the key battles in the game.
NEP vs ITA T20 World Cup Match Preview:
Match Date: The Nepal vs Italy match will be played on Thursday, February 12th.
Venue: The match will take place at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.
Time: The match is scheduled to start at 3:00 PM IST.
NEP vs ITA Squads
Nepal Squad: Rohit Paudel (c), Dipendra Singh Airee, Sandeep Lamichhane, Kushal Bhurtel, Karan KC, Nandan Yadav, Gulshan Jha, Lalit Rajbanshi, Aasif Sheikh, Sundeep Jora, Aarif Sheikh, Basir Ahamad, Sompal Kami, Sher Malla, and Lokesh Bam.
Italy Squad: Wayne Madsen (c), Marcus Campopiano, Gian Piero Meade, Zain Ali, Ali Hasan, Crishan Syed Naqvi, Benjamin Manenti, Jaspreet Singh, JJ Smuts, Jorge Kalugamage, Harry Manenti, Anthony Mosca, Justin Mosca, Grant Stewart, and Thomas Draca.
NEP vs ITA 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.
NEP vs ITA T20 World Cup Match Key Battles
JJ Smuts vs Karan KC
The most experienced player in the Italian side is the former South African national all-rounder who was later picked to play for Italy. They also once included Joe Burns, the former Australian opener. Smuts will be crucial with the bat at no. 3, and Karan KC, the genuine wicket-taker for Nepal, should be the bowler eyeing this massive wicket.
Harry Manenti vs Sandeep Lamichhane
Harry Manenti is one of the Manenti cricketers from Italy. They have both been picked to star in the BBL season last time, and Manenti has been Italy’s most dangerous batter, especially during chases. Sandeep Maichhane brings along tons of experience, and spinners are the clear weakness of the Italian maestro.
Aasif Sheikh vs Grant Stewart
Nepalese opener Aasif Sheikh has been consistent about run-scoring for his country, which has propelled them to this position, and hence, a lot would depend on him this time if Nepal are handed the opportunity to bat first at the Wankhede Stadium. The new ball bowling star for Italy, Stewart, was exceptional against Scotland and will be given the role in the key battle against the Nepalese opener.
Dipendra Singh Airee vs Crishan Kalugamage
Dipendra Singh Airee, the all-rounder who is widely known for his records for Nepal, is another crucial member of that batting order. He is one of those players who can clear the fence with ease and hence, should be dealt with cautiously. Kalugamage, the leg-spinner, is well aware of the subcontinent’s conditions, and hence, he might trick him into playing a shot and trap him deep in the field.
NEP vs ITA T20 World Cup Match Key Players:
Nepal Key Players: Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh, Dipendra Singh Airee, Lokesh Bam and Sandeep Lamichhane.
Italy Key Players: Justin Mosca, JJ Smuts, Wayne Madsen, Harry Manenti, and Crishan Kalugamage
NEP vs ITA T20 World Cup Match – Free Live Streaming and Telecast Details
TV Broadcast in India: The seventh World Cup match, including the Nepal vs Italy clash, will be broadcast live across India on the Star Sports Network.
Online Live Streaming in India: Fans from around the world can watch the match live on the JioHotstar app. An active subscription will be required.
NEP vs ITA T20 World Cup Match Weather and Pitch Report – Wankhede
NEP vs ITA: Weather Report in Mumbai
Cricketing action shifts back to Mumbai. The temperature would start to rise in Mumbai during this time, and the European players would find the heat a bit scorching on their skin. With no chance of rain, the sun will be shining bright with no cloud cover around the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
NEP vs ITA: Pitch Report at the Wankhede Stadium
Either of these two teams are highly dependent on their bowling unit; especially for Italy, who have now parted ways with their skipper, bowling can be crucial. Wankhede is a batting track that offers considerable help to the batsmen, and hence, the bowlers usually coin this ground as a nightmare stadium.
NEP vs ITA Head-to-Head Records
Nepal are an Asian underdog team, while the Italian side made their way to the main stage of a World Cup for the first time in 2026. Hence, these two teams have never met in any format of the game and have not played a single T20 World Cup game against each other.
|
Stats |
Matches |
ITA Won |
NEP Won |
Draw |
Tied |
NR |
|
Overall |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
In T20 World Cups |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Last 5 T20Is |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
NEP vs ITA T20 World Cup Match – Conclusion
Nepal are yet to win a game in this World Cup edition, and the match against Italy could be one of their finest chances to secure a win. The games that follow will be difficult, as they are against the West Indies and Scotland. Italy, on the other hand, will be on the quest for their first major impact on the main event of the multi-nation event.
