Two-time winners West Indies will look to rewind the clock and recreate the glory days when they take on late entrants Scotland in Match 2 of the tournament from Eden Gardens in Kolkata. West Indies who won the tournament in 2012 and 2016 will look to bring back the glory days under captain Shai Hope and coach Daren Sammy. Sammy was the victorious captain in the previous two triumphs.
West Indies from 2021 onwards has had a downward spiral in T20 World Cup 2026 as they failed to reach the knockout stages in subsequent editions. In 2021, they crashed out in group stage and failed to get past the Qualifiers in 2022. In 2024 at home, they made the Super 8s but failed to qualify for the semis losing to both England and South Africa. Scotland on the other hand, failed to qualify initially but came at the 11th hour to replace Bangladesh. They will be led by Richie Berrington. The stage is set for an interesting battle in Kolkata. ‘
Overview
The stage is set for the second match of the day and tournament to kick off as West Indies lock horns with late entrants but solid Scotland side at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. This is an afternoon game set to start at 3 PM IST. West Indies led by Shai Hope who took over from Rovman Powell after last year’s World Cup leads the two-time champions in a format they love the most but also are very inconsistent.
West Indies are ranked 7th now and a year ago they were in the top 2 in T20I rankings and the reason for their downfall has been consistent losses to opponents they should win in the last few months. They have lost more than they have lost. West Indies lost to Nepal albeit with a depleted side but a loss is a loss. They lost to Afghanistan and South Africa lately by winning only the dead rubber games. They lost to New Zealand in New Zealand as well. They only beat Bangladesh in Bangladesh 3-0.
West Indies posses a solid team and they have got multiple match winners on their given day. They have players like Brandon King, Shimron Hetmyer in their ranks alongside Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Jayden Seales, Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Johnson Charles, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie to name a few. They have got match winners but they seem to lack the cohesion at times. They are unpredictable and know Scotland can be dangerous as we saw in the 2022 edition when Scotland beat them.
Scotland will be led by Richie Berrington and they may have come in late into the tournament but they possess a solid team on paper. Scotland did not qualify for the tournament as they missed out to Italy and Netherlands and were doing other activity till a late call came in. Now, they are in the same group as Italy as fate would have it. They will challenge West Indies for sure.
Scotland posses the likes of George Munsey, Brandon McMullen in their ranks alongside Mark Watt, Safyaan Sharif, Michael Leask to name a few players. George Munsey and McMullen are key alongside Berrington who is their best batter in the side. They have Tom Bruce in their ranks recently relocated from New Zealand as well. There is Matt Cross in the side alongside Brad Wheal as well. So, Scotland has a good chance to upstage the mighty West Indies.
The stage is set for what could be a thriller in Kolkata.
Head-To-HeadÂ
West Indies and Scotland have faced each other in just one game and it was Scotland who came out on top in the 2022 T20 World Cup beating West Indies by 42 runs after posting 160/5 and then defending the score by bowling West Indies out for 118. West Indies will be out for revenge in Kolkata.
Pitch and Weather ReportÂ
A 3pm start time in Kolkata would mean a floodlit run chase. There have been five afternoon games at Eden Gardens in the last three IPL seasons, all of them have been high scoring as three scores of 200 plus were narrowly defended and targets of 162 and 180 were chased with ease. In IPL 2025, the average first innings score was 199. We expect a belter to be dished out at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
As far as weather goes, the temperatures are forecast to reach the mid-late 20s with no chance of rain expected whatsoever. So, we can expect a full game of cricket in Kolkata.
Predicted/Probable Playing XIs of both sidesÂ
Here, we will try and predict the probable playing XIs of both sides.
West Indies XI: Shai Hope (c &wk), Brandon King, Shimron Hetmyer/Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Jayden Seales.
Scotland XI: George Munsey, Michael Jones, Brandon McMullen, Richie Berrington (c), Tom Bruce, Matt Cross (wk), Michael Leask, Chris Greaves, Mark Watt, Brad Wheal, Safyaan Sharif.
Key Players to watch out for in this clash
Shai Hope: The West Indies captain Shai Hope has an important role to play in this clash. He is one of the few players in the side who can play in both gears. With so many stroke-makers in the side, the West Indies will need a glue and Shai Hope is that glue to this side. Roston Chase could be another but he is not reliable at all. So, Hope will want to start well in this tournament.
Akeal Hosein: Akeal Hosein will also be a key player to watch out for. Since this is an afternoon game, we expect the pitch in the first innings aiding the spin and Akeal Hosein is the spearhead of this attack from spin point of view. He can bowl in powerplay and middle phase and can provide the control West Indies needs. Let’s see how he goes in Kolkata.
Brandon McMullen: One of the upcoming talents and global traveller Brandon McMullen is one of the key players for Scotland. He bats at 3 and can set the innings up by holding things together. He showed his talent against Australia two years ago scoring 60 off 34 balls and has been in prime form lately. He will want to carry on his good work in this series with another impactful knock.
Safyaan Sharif: The spearhead of the pace attack with loads of experience, Safyaan Sharif will bring a lot to the table for Scotland. Sharif can strike with the new ball and put the West Indies under the pump if he gets it right. He has been in the circuit for quite a while and would like to make it count in this tournament.
Key Stats and Records to look forward to ahead of this clashÂ
- Jason Holder needs two wickets to reach 100 T20I wickets. He would be the 35th bowler to reach that landmark in men’s T20Is, but the first West Indies player.
- Scotland’s 42-run win over West Indies at the 2022 World Cup was the teams’ only previous meeting in T20Is.
- Shai Hope scored 1733 runs in all T20 cricket last year. Only Nicholas Pooran with 1918 runs and Sahibzada Farhan with 1847 runs scored more.
- Holder and Johnson Charles were both squad members when West Indies won the 2016 World Cup in India. Daren Sammy, their head coach, was the captain.
- This the second time that Scotland have appeared at a T20 World Cup despite missing out on qualification. They were invited to the 2009 edition in England when Zimbabwe withdrew.
- Scotland only finished fourth in the European qualifiers for this tournament, below Jersey, but were invited to replace Bangladesh by virtue of their world ranking.
Predicted Outcome of the Match
This Group C match will be interesting to watch. West Indies carry the pedigree while Scotland has a solid team with nothing to lose kind of. They have a solid team. Both teams have lost warm up games in this tournament so far. Scotland lost both while West Indies lost their only one. Looking at the teams and situation, we will give slight edge to the West Indies for their experience in this format. But rule out Scotland at your own risk. They may surprise the West Indies like they did in 2022. We can expect a relatively close game in Kolkata.
Let’s see how things pan out when these two teams face-off at the Mecca of Indian cricket Kolkata.
Also Read:Â ICC T20 WC 2026: Pakistan Aims To Get Off To A Winning Start In Tournament