After receiving an early scare from lower-ranked Nepal, England will look for a more authoritative showing when they face the West Indies in a crucial and evenly poised Group C clash of the T20 World Cup here on Wednesday.

Both teams are two-time champions and are chasing a third T20 World Cup title, joining co-hosts and defending champions India in that elite bracket. In a format where margins are razor-thin, consistency on the day could prove decisive.

England were reminded of that reality in their tournament opener, where they were pushed to the brink by Nepal. Harry Brook’s side scraped through with a four-run victory, a result that exposed vulnerabilities despite earning full points.

England survive Nepal scare, bowlers under scrutiny

England posted a competitive 184/7, with Brook and young Jacob Bethell scoring half-centuries and the rest of the batting unit chipping in with useful starts. While the batting showed promise, the bowling raised concerns.

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Sam Curran emerged as England’s saviour, defending 10 runs in the final over with exceptional control to deny Nepal a famous upset. However, the overall bowling effort lacked cohesion.

Adil Rashid went wicketless for the first time in a long while, while Jofra Archer, despite possessing all the tools for T20 cricket, was taken apart as Nepal highlighted gaps in England’s attack.

Despite the narrow win, England remain second in the group standings, behind the West Indies, who opened their campaign with a convincing 35-run victory over Scotland.

West Indies seek consistency in high-stakes clash

The West Indies will be aware that there is little room for error, especially at a venue where the surface has offered assistance to bowlers early in the tournament. At the Wankhede Stadium, both India and England had to show discipline with the bat, with the short boundaries only truly coming into play during Nepal’s chase in the fourth innings on the surface.

The Caribbean side enjoyed an all-round performance in their opener, riding on a brisk 64 from Shimron Hetmyer and a superb five-wicket haul from Romario Shepherd to shut the door on Scotland.

However, inconsistency remains a concern for the mercurial West Indies. They lost a T20I series 1–2 to Nepal last September and were comprehensively beaten 0–3 by England in their most recent bilateral meeting — results that will keep them under pressure heading into Wednesday’s contest.

With both sides evenly matched and the stakes high, the clash promises to be a pivotal moment in Group C.

Teams (from)

England:
Harry Brook (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Tom Bandon (wk), Phil Salt (wk), Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Josh Tongue.

West Indies:
Shai Hope (c & wk), Johnson Charles (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Brandon King, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Jayden Seales.

Match starts: 7:00 PM IST