The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai is set to witness a fascinating David vs Goliath encounter as cricketing giants England take on the spirited underdogs Nepal in the 5th Match of Group C at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
England, the 2010 T20 World Cup champions and perennial title contenders, bring their explosive batting arsenal and world-class bowling attack to Mumbai.
Under Harry Brook’s captaincy, the Three Lions aim to stamp their authority early in the tournament with a commanding performance.
Nepal, the inspiring Asian cricket nation that has captured hearts with its remarkable rise, steps onto the grandest stage with nothing to lose and everything to prove.
Led by Rohit Paudel, the Rhinos have shown they can compete with established nations and will be eager to create history against one of cricket’s powerhouses.
With England’s firepower against Nepal’s fearless spirit, this Group C clash at the iconic Wankhede promises contrasting styles, emotional narratives, and the unpredictable drama that makes T20 cricket so captivating.
Match Details
The legendary Wankhede Stadium, the fortress of Mumbai cricket and home to countless memorable matches, hosts this intriguing Group C encounter between vastly different cricketing journeys.
Here’s your complete guide to the fixture scheduling and venue information.
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Match Number | 5th Match, Group C |
| Date | February 09, 2026 |
| Time (Local) | 3:00 PM |
| Time (GMT) | 9:30 AM |
| Venue | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
The Wankhede Stadium, with its intimate 33,000 capacity, will create an electric atmosphere for this Group C showdown, with boundaries stretching between the Garware Pavilion End and Tata End.
Weather Report
Mumbai’s coastal climate will play a significant role in this afternoon’s encounter. Here’s the meteorological outlook for match-day conditions at the Wankhede.
| Parameter | Forecast Details |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 28-32°C (Warm and Humid) |
| Humidity | 70-80% |
| Rain Chance | 10% (Mostly sunny expected) |
| Wind Speed | 12-18 km/h |
| Cloud Cover | Clear skies with occasional clouds |
The humid Mumbai conditions will favor batsmen early in the innings. Evening dew will significantly impact the second innings, making the ball skid onto the bat and assisting chasing teams considerably.
Pitch Report
The Wankhede Stadium pitch is renowned for being one of India’s most batting-friendly surfaces, offering true bounce and carry that reward aggressive stroke-play, which often makes tickets for world cup matches at Wankhede Stadium highly in demand among fans.
Here’s a detailed analysis of what both teams can anticipate from this Mumbai belter.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Pitch Nature | The surface offers true bounce and excellent carry to wicketkeepers. Batting paradise with minimal assistance for bowlers initially. |
| Batting Assistance | The pitch heavily favors batsmen with consistent bounce and pace. Powerplay overs see explosive scoring with minimal lateral movement. |
| Bowling Assistance | The new ball moves slightly in the first 2-3 overs. Spinners get minimal turn. Pace bowlers must use variations and changes of pace effectively in the middle overs. |
| Boundary Size | Square boundaries measure approximately 60-65 meters. Straight boundaries extend to around 70-75 meters. |
| Ideal First Innings Score | A score of 170-185 is competitive when batting first. Teams have successfully chased 190+ under lights with dew assistance. |
| Toss & Dew Impact | Toss is crucial. Evening dew makes gripping difficult for bowlers. Captains strongly prefer chasing to exploit the dew factor in the second innings. |
The pitch characteristics point toward a high-scoring encounter where explosive batting and smart death bowling execution will determine the outcome at this batsman’s paradise.
England vs Nepal – Squads
Both teams have assembled strong squads with contrasting experience levels and playing philosophies.
England Squad
England arrives with one of the most formidable T20 squads in world cricket, combining explosive power-hitters with genuine pace and spin options. Under Harry Brook’s leadership, the defending champions from 2010 aim to reclaim their crown.
Full Squad: Harry Brook (c), Jofra Archer, Tom Banton (wk), Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler (wk), Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Rehan Ahmed, Phil Salt (wk), Josh Tongue, Luke Wood
Nepal Squad
Nepal combines emerging talents with experienced campaigners who have consistently punched above their weight in international cricket. Under Rohit Paudel’s captaincy, the Rhinos will draw inspiration from their recent victories and fearless approach to the game.
Full Squad: Rohit Paudel (c), Aarif Sheikh, Aasif Sheikh (wk), Dipendra Singh Airee, Basir Ahamad, Kushal Bhurtel, Gulsan Jha, Sundeep Jora, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lokesh Bam, Sher Malla, Lalit Rajbanshi, Sompal Kami, Nandan Yadav
Key Players to Watch
Individual brilliance can shift momentum dramatically in high-stakes World Cup encounters, especially on Mumbai’s batting-friendly surface, where big-hitters thrive.
Key Batters – England
| Player | Impact Factor |
|---|---|
| Phil Salt | The explosive wicketkeeper-opener destroys bowling attacks in powerplays with audacious stroke-play and fearless approach against pace and spin. |
| Jos Buttler | The veteran wicketkeeper-batter remains one of T20 cricket’s most destructive forces with innovative shots and the ability to accelerate scoring at will. |
| Harry Brook | The captain and middle-order anchor combine classical technique with modern power-hitting, providing stability while maintaining aggressive intent. |
Key Batters – Nepal
| Player | Impact Factor |
|---|---|
| Kushal Bhurtel | The aggressive opener sets platforms with fearless powerplay hitting and has consistently troubled quality bowling attacks with innovative strokeplay. |
| Aasif Sheikh | The wicketkeeper-batter provides stability at the top with technically sound batting and smart game awareness in pressure situations. |
| Dipendra Singh Airee | The dynamic middle-order batter accelerates scoring with clean hitting and provides crucial breakthroughs with his handy off-spin bowling. |
Key Bowlers – England
| Player | Impact Factor |
|---|---|
| Jofra Archer | The express pacer brings raw pace, hostile bouncers, and lethal yorkers to unsettle batsmen, particularly devastating in death overs. |
| Adil Rashid | The veteran leg-spinner bamboozles batsmen with googlies, wrong’uns, and impeccable control, especially effective in middle overs. |
| Sam Curran | The left-arm pace all-rounder delivers crucial powerplay and death over wickets with variations, slower balls, and exceptional death bowling skills. |
Key Bowlers – Nepal
| Player | Impact Factor |
|---|---|
| Sandeep Lamichhane | The leg-spin maestro remains Nepal’s biggest match-winner with unplayable googlies, variations, and the ability to control middle overs brilliantly. |
| Karan KC | The pace-bowling all-rounder swings the new ball dangerously and provides crucial breakthroughs in powerplay phases with disciplined lines. |
| Sompal Kami | The experienced seam-bowling all-rounder brings variations, intelligent slower balls, and death over expertise to complement Nepal’s spin attack. |
Recent Form – Last Five Matches
Both teams arrive with contrasting recent form, showcasing their current momentum and confidence levels heading into this crucial Group C encounter.
England – Last 5 Matches
| Result | Match Details | Date |
|---|---|---|
| W | 3rd T20I, England vs Sri Lanka – England won by 12 runs | 03 Feb 2026 |
| W | 2nd T20I, England vs Sri Lanka – England won by 6 wickets (DLS method) | 01 Feb 2026 |
| W | 1st T20I, England vs Sri Lanka – England won by 11 runs (DLS method) | 30 Jan 2026 |
| NR | 3rd T20I, England vs New Zealand – No result | 23 Oct 2025 |
| W | 2nd T20I, England vs New Zealand – England won by 65 runs | 20 Oct 2025 |
England arrives in red-hot form with four consecutive victories in their last five completed matches. The Three Lions showcased dominance against Sri Lanka with a clean sweep, demonstrating both batting firepower and bowling discipline. Their consistency across conditions makes them formidable opponents.
Nepal – Last 5 Matches
| Result | Match Details | Date |
|---|---|---|
| W | 21st Match, Super Six, Nepal vs Samoa – Nepal won by 124 runs | 17 Oct 2025 |
| W | 17th Match, Super Six, Nepal vs Oman – Nepal won by 38 runs | 15 Oct 2025 |
| W | 14th Match, Super Six, Nepal vs Qatar – Nepal won by 5 runs | 13 Oct 2025 |
| W | 11th Match, Super Six, Nepal vs U.A.E. – Nepal won by 1 run | 12 Oct 2025 |
| W | 8th Match, Group B, Nepal vs Japan – Nepal won by 5 wickets | 10 Oct 2025 |
Nepal enters this tournament on an incredible winning streak with five consecutive victories. The Rhinos showed remarkable resilience in close encounters against the UAE and Qatar, while demonstrating dominant performances against Samoa. Their confidence and momentum cannot be underestimated.
Live Streaming & Broadcast Details
Cricket fans can watch this Group C clash live via ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Live Streaming across official broadcast platforms.
| Region/Country | Television | Online/Streaming |
|---|---|---|
| India | Star Sports Network | JioHotstar |
| Sri Lanka | Dialog TV, Star Sports, TV Supreme | ThePapare.com, Dialog Play, PEO TV |
| Pakistan | PTV, Myco | Tamasha, ARY Zapp, Tapmad |
| United Kingdom & Ireland | Sky Sports Cricket, Sky Sports Main Event | NOW |
| Australia | – | Prime Video |
| New Zealand | SKY Sport | SKY Sport Streaming |
| United States | Willow TV | Willow DTC, CricBuzz DTC, Willow YouTube |
| Nepal | Kantipur TV | – |
| Caribbean Islands | ESPN | – |
Indian cricket fans can experience premium coverage on Star Sports Network featuring expert analysis and multilingual commentary, while mobile streaming is seamlessly available on JioHotstar for convenient viewing anywhere.
