Italy make T20WC history while co-hosts script second wins

Three big games at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 took place on Thursday as India registered their biggest win by the margin of runs in the tournament's history. Co-hosts Sri Lanka also defeated Oman to register their second successive win.

Meanwhile, in Mumbai, Italy scripted their first-ever T20 World Cup win with a flawless performance against Nepal.

India march to convincing win

Scorecard

Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus won the toss and elected to field against India in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 clash in New Delhi.

Co-hosts India flexed their muscle in batting, putting on 209/9 in 20 overs.

After a quickfire 22 by Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (61) and Tilak Varma (25) gave India the perfect launch pad with a 79-run partnership in just 31 balls. Kishan, who has been in sparkling form since returning to the team earlier this year, produced another punchy knock, hitting six fours and five sixes.

India motored to 120/2 in 10 overs and Hardik Pandya made sure the defending champions maintained the momentum with a 28-ball 52. Pandya and Shivam Dube (23) added an 81-run partnership for the fifth wicket to take India well past the 200-mark.

However, Namibia was able to limit the damage in the last couple of overs as they lost five wickets, slipping from 205/5 to 209/9. Captain Erasmus led the fightback with 4/20 in his four overs. The off-spinner sent back Kishan, Varma, Pandya and Axar Patel and was also involved in Dube's run out.

Louren Steenkamp and Jan Frylinck came out with attacking intent, immediately putting the Indian bowlers under pressure with a scoring rate touching 10. Frylinck looked fluent during his 22 off 15 balls before Arshdeep Singh provided the much-needed breakthrough, dismissing him to halt Namibia’s early charge.

Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton joined Steenkamp at the crease, and the pair ensured Namibia finished the Powerplay strongly at 57/1, their best Powerplay total in T20 World Cup history. Steenkamp continued to find the boundaries with confidence as Namibia maintained their aggressive approach.

However, the momentum shifted dramatically when the No.1 ICC Men’s T20I bowler, Varun Chakaravarthy, was introduced into the attack. He made an instant impact, striking on his very first ball to bowl Steenkamp. Captain Gerhard Erasmus walked in and counterattacked brilliantly, smashing two towering sixes in Axar Patel’s first over to keep Namibia’s hopes alive.

Chakaravarthy once again turned the tide in India’s favour, removing Loftie-Eaton (13 off 13) and JJ Smit (0) within the space of three deliveries to dent Namibia’s middle order. Axar Patel soon joined the party, bouncing back strongly after an expensive over to dismiss Erasmus and further tighten India’s grip on the game. He capped it up with a superb wicket-maiden over.

Axar struck again shortly after, thanks to a stunning diving catch by Jasprit Bumrah to remove Malan Kruger, who had just powered a boundary over mid-on. The collapse gathered pace as Bumrah unleashed one of his trademark toe-crushing yorkers to send Ruben Trumplemann back for 6.

Hardik Pandya then wrapped up the tail with consecutive wickets, dismissing Bernard Scholtz and Ben Shikongo to leave Namibia nine down. In the final act, Green attempted a reverse shot but failed to make contact, and in the process dislodged the bails for a hit wicket, bringing the innings, and the game, to a close.

With this win India extended their winning streak of 10 matches at T20 World Cup - the longest streak by any team.

Italy seal historic win

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Italy created history on Thursday, as they defeated Nepal by 10 wickets to register their first win in a men's World Cup match.

Coming into this match, both the teams had a point to prove. Tournament debutants Italy are eager to show that they are not here to make up the numbers, while Nepal suffered a heartbreaking loss to England in their opening match.

In this battle of associate nations, it was Italy who came out with the right intent at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

After electing to field, they put in a clinical performance with the ball and in the field to dismiss Nepal for 123. They never let up in the chase as well, cantering to the target in 12.4 overs. It was the kind of calm, dominant show befitting an experienced team rather than World Cup rookies.

From pole to podium, the Italians were in charge.

The Nepal innings never really got going after losing Kushal Bhurtel. Captain Rohit Paudel tried to inject some urgency with a 23 off 14 balls and Aarif Sheikh top-scored with 27 lower down the order.

However, Italy's spin-heavy attack and impressive fielding kept Nepal at bay. Not only did they clamp down the scoring, they also took timely wickets. Karan KC gave the innings a late fillip with a quickfire 18, but Nepal folded at 123 in 19.3 overs.

Leg-spinner Crishan Kalugamage finished with three wickets, including that of captain Pauel and the experienced Dipendra Singh Airee, while off-spinner Benjamin Manenti was exceptional, claiming 2/9 in his four overs.

The Italians made a meal of the modest total. Anthony Mosca and brother Justin Mosca were unstoppable, as they matches each other stroke for stroke, power for power. Justin struck five fours and three sixes for 60 not out, while Anthony, three years older, slammed six sixes and three fours for an unbeaten 62 off 32 balls.

Sri Lanka hit World Cup 2026 high against Oman

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Sri Lanka laid down the marker at the T20 World Cup 2026 with a 105-run win over Oman in Kandy. With the Lankan batters in punishing mood, the co-hosts scored the 225/5, highest total at this T20 World Cup and the fourth highest in Men's T20 World Cup history. They restricted Oman to 120/9 to register a dominant win.

Oman captain Jatinder Singh won the toss and elected to field on Thursday. Though Sri Lanka lost two early wickets, that of Kamil Mishara and Pathum Nissanka, they were off to a brisk start, ending powerplay on 58/2.

Kusal Mendis (wk) and Pavan Rathnayake made merry on a good batting track. Their 94-run partenership, off 52 balls, gave the co-hosts the ideal launch pad. Rathnayake was the more aggressive of the two, hitting eight fours and a six for 60 off 28 balls.

Captain Dasun Shanaka picked up the baton from Rathnayake, launching some big hits against a beleaguered Oman attack. With the help of five sixes and two fours, he reached a half-century in just 19 balls, recording Sri Lanka's fastest T20I fifty.

At the other end, Mendis played the perfect foil for the power hitters in the team, scoring a steady 61 off 45 balls. Sri Lanka hammered 129 runs in the last 10 overs, including 17 runs in the final over to charge past the 200-mark.

The Oman bowlers were carted around the park, with five of the six bowlers going at more than 10 an over. Jiten Ramanandi claimed two wickets, while Odedra and Mehmood picked one each.

Faced with a towering task, Oman faltered early on and were 36/3 in the first six overs. Dushmantha Chameera gave Sri Lanka the perfect start, as he bowled Singh in the first over with a peach of a delivery that hit the top of the stumps. With the scoreboard pressure building, Aamir Kaleem and Hammad Mirza also fell on single-digit scores.

Oman stemmed the collapse with a 42-run stand between Mohammad Nadeem and Wasim Ali but the runs were not coming fast enough to pressure back on the Lankan bowlers. Nadeem gave the visiting side something to celebrate as he scored an unbeaten half-century -- 53 off 56 balls.

For Sri Lanka, Maheesh Theekshana was the pick of the bowlers. He conceded only 11 runs while claming the wickets of Kareem and Ali.