ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 In the 29th Group C match at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, England overcame a strong challenge from Italy and organized another exciting contest. England’s 24-run win started with explosive batting will jacks and a decisive all-round performance Sam Curran.
England score 202/7 after aggressive batting performance
England, who came to bat first and maintained the run rate above ten per over, scored a huge score of 202 runs for 7 wickets in 20 overs. Many batsmen contributed to the innings, although it lacked a traditional anchor.
Philip Salt created the atmosphere in the match by playing a quick inning of 28 runs in 15 balls before becoming the victim of Ali Hasan. Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethel contributed, but wickets at regular intervals prevented England from completely dominating the powerplay.
In the middle overs, Tom Banton and Harry Brook tried to consolidate the match, but the Italian bowlers counter-attacked and kept the match intact. However, the turning point came when Will Jacques struck late on. Remaining unbeaten on 53 off just 22 balls, Jaques hit boundaries at will and finished with a strike rate above 240. His fearless hitting in the death overs ensured that England crossed the 200-run mark.
Half century in 21 balls for Will Jacques#ENGvITA #viljax #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/9bjL8VcJjO
– CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) 16 February 2026
Sam Curran also played a key role with the bat and played a quickfire innings of 25 runs in 19 balls before being dismissed.
Italy responded with warlike spirit
Chasing 203, Italy showed remarkable resilience. After the initial shock, Justin Mosca carried the innings forward with a well-crafted 43. However, the real momentum shift came through Ben Manenti’s explosive 60 off 25 balls, which brought Italy firmly back into the game.
Grant Stewart accelerated the chase by playing a stormy inning of 45 runs in 23 balls, which kept the hopes alive till the end of the innings. At one point Italy looked set for an upset, especially after crossing the score of 130 in the 15th over.
When the pressure increased, Curran stepped forward. The left-arm fast bowler bowled decisively and took three important wickets for 22 runs in his three overs.
Curran removed Grant Stewart at a crucial juncture, stalling the Italian attack. He also dismissed Marcus Campopiano and Gian Meade, derailing Italy’s chase.
Jamie Overton and Jofra Archer supported with timely successes, but it was Curran’s control under pressure that turned the match decisively in England’s favour. Italy was all out for 178 runs On the last ball of his innings.
With this victory, England has reached the Super 8 stage of the competition.
England has reached the Super Eight#ENGvsITA #T20WorldCup2026 pic.twitter.com/kHOwkZQ2Ui
– CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) 16 February 2026
