Nepal was one of the best teams in the Asian qualifiers and Italy was also one of the best teams in the European qualifiers. However, Nepal missed out on a memorable win against England in the opening game when they lost by only 4 runs. Italy, on the other hand, suffered a crushing defeat to Scotland in their World Cup main event debut.
In its second match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, the contest between Nepal and Italy is between the giants of Group C. The Nepal vs Italy match is a clear opportunity for either team to get back to winning ways, as they started their ICC T20 World Cup campaign with a loss in their opening game.
The following article contains a detailed preview of the ICC T20 World Cup clash between the two giants, Nepal and Italy. The article gives a clear idea of their probable playing XI, pitch report and weather conditions as well as head-to-head records and key battles in the game.
NEP vs ITA T20 World Cup Match Preview:
Match date: Nepal vs Italy match will be played on Thursday 12th February.
venue: This match will be held at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Time: The match is scheduled to start at 3:00 PM IST.
NEP vs ITA Squad
Nepal squad: Rohit Paudel (captain), Deepender Singh Airey, Sandeep Lamichhane, Kushal Bhurtel, Karan KC, Nandan Yadav, Gulshan Jha, Lalit Rajbanshi, Asif Sheikh, Sandeep Jora, Arif Sheikh, Baseer Ahmed, Sompal Kami, Sher Malla and Lokesh Bam.
Italy squad: Wayne Madsen (captain), Marcus Campopiano, Gian Piero Meade, Zain Ali, Ali Hasan, Crisan Syed Naqvi, Benjamin Mainenty, Jasprit Singh, JJ Smuts, George Kalugamage, Harry Mainenty, Anthony Mosca, Justin Mosca, Grant Stewart, Thomas Dreka.
NEP vs ITA Probable XI:
Nepal playing eleven: Kushal Bhurtel, Asif Sheikh, Rohit Paudel (captain), Deependra Singh Airey, Arif Sheikh, Gulshan Jha, Lokesh Bam, Karan KC, Sher Malla, Nandan Yadav and Sandeep Lamichhane.
Italy Playing XI: Justin Mosca, Anthony Mosca, JJ Smits (captain), Marcus Campopiano, Harry Manenti, Ben Manenti, Gian-Piero Meade (wk), Grant Stewart, Thomas Dreka, Ali Hasan and Krishan Kalugamage.
Key Battles of NEP vs ITA T20 World Cup Match
JJ Smits vs Karan Casey
The most experienced player in the Italian team is the former South Africa national all-rounder who was later selected to play for Italy. These once included former Australian opener Joe Burns. Smuts will be important in batting at number. 3, and Karan Casey, who has been a real wicket-taker for Nepal, will be the bowler to watch out for in this big wicket.
Harry Manenti vs Sandeep Lamichhane
Harry Manenti is one of the Manenti cricketers from Italy. Both of them were named stars in the BBL last season, and Manenti has been Italy’s most dangerous batsman, especially during chases. Sandeep Maichane brings a lot of experience with him and spinners are a glaring weakness for the Italian maestro.
Asif Shaikh vs Grant Stewart
Nepali opener Asif Shaikh has been consistently scoring runs for his country, which has brought them to this position, and hence, a lot will depend on him if Nepal are given the chance to bat first at the Wankhede Stadium this time. Italy’s new-ball bowling star Stewart had an exceptional performance against Scotland and will be given a role in the crucial clash against the Nepalese opener.
Deependra Singh Airi vs Chrishan Kalugamage
Dipendra Singh Airey, the all-rounder who is widely known for his records for Nepal, is another important member of that batting line-up. He is one of those players who can cross the fence easily and hence, should be dealt with carefully. Leg spinner Kalugamage is well aware of the conditions in the subcontinent and hence, he can trick them into playing shots and trap them inside the ground.
Key players of NEP vs ITA T20 World Cup match:
Major players of Nepal: Kushal Bhurtel, Asif Shaikh, Deependra Singh Airi, Lokesh Bam and Sandeep Lamichhane.
Major players of Italy: Justin Mosca, JJ Smits, Wayne Madsen, Harry Manenti, and Krishan Kalugamage
NEP vs ITA T20 World Cup Match – Free Live Streaming and Telecast Details
TV broadcasting in India: The seventh World Cup match, including the Nepal vs Italy match, will be telecast live on Star Sports Network across India.
Online Live Streaming in India: Fans around the world can watch the match live on 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
Cricket activities have shifted back to Mumbai. During this time, the temperature in Mumbai will start rising and the European players will find the heat a bit scorching on their skin. With no chance of rain, the sun will be shining with no clouds around Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
NEP vs ITA: Pitch report at Wankhede Stadium
Either of these two teams is highly dependent on their bowling unit; Especially for Italy, who are now separated from their captain, bowling could be crucial. Wankhede is a batting track that helps the batsmen a lot, and hence, bowlers generally consider this ground as a nightmare stadium.
NEP vs ITA Head-to-Head Records
Nepal is an Asian underdog team, while the Italian team made it to the main stage of the World Cup for the first time in 2026. Therefore, 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.
|
statistics |
Matchbox |
ita won |
NEP won |
Drag |
Tied up |
N.R. |
|
overall |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
In T20 World Cup |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
last 5 t20i |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
NEP vs ITA T20 World Cup Match – Conclusion
Nepal have not won a single game so far in this World Cup edition, and the match against Italy could be one of their best chances to ensure a win. The subsequent games will be tough as they are against West Indies and Scotland. Italy, on the other hand, will be looking to make their first major impact on the main event of the multi-nation event.
Also read: Virat Kohli becomes Michael Leask in Scotland vs Italy T20 World Cup match, gives a fond farewell to Harry Manenti
