Nepal to face England in opening match of 2026 T20 World Cup

KATHMANDU: The groups and full match schedule for the ICC T20 World Cup, to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka in February–March 2026, have been officially announced.

The details were revealed during a special event held in Mumbai on Tuesday.

According to the published groupings, Nepal has been placed in Group C, considered one of the toughest pools in the tournament.

Nepal will compete against two-time world champions England and West Indies, along with Bangladesh and Italy.

Nepal will open their World Cup campaign on February 8, facing England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai—marking Nepal’s first-ever meeting with England in international cricket.

The team will then play Italy on Feb 12, West Indies on February 15, and Bangladesh on February 17.

All of Nepal’s group-stage matches will be held in Mumbai.

Nepal has previously played against top sides such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and South Africa.

In the last edition of the T20 World Cup, Nepal had pushed South Africa to the limit, falling short by just one run in a tense group-stage clash.

Other Groups

• Group A: India, Pakistan, Netherlands, Namibia, USA

• Group B: Australia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Oman

• Group D: South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan, UAE, Canada

The T20 World Cup will run from Feb 7 to March 8, 2026.

Nepal’s Fixtures (All in Mumbai)

• Feb 8: vs England

• Feb 12: vs Italy

• Feb 15: vs West Indies

• Feb 17: vs Bangladesh