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NEW DELHI: Scotland will aim to prove that their late entry into the T20 World Cup is far from a fluke when they open their campaign against two-time champions West Indies on Saturday, looking to turn an unexpected lifeline into a genuine chance to unsettle heavyweight opponents.

After nearly a month of back-and-forth with the Bangladesh Cricket Board, the ICC were eventually left with no option but to replace Bangladesh with Scotland, paving the way for a dramatic last-minute inclusion just under two weeks before the tournament got underway.

'We should be here': Scotland spinner backs T20 World Cup spot while sympathising with Bangladesh

Bangladesh were originally scheduled to play four group matches in India, three of them in Kolkata, but the BCB stood firm on its decision not to travel, repeatedly citing “security concerns”.

The situation escalated after the BCCI, on January 3, instructed Kolkata Knight Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad amid worsening diplomatic ties between India and Bangladesh.

A day later, matters came to a head as the BCB formally informed the ICC that the national team would not travel to India for the tournament, remaining unmoved despite discussions and effectively opening the door for Scotland’s inclusion based on rankings.

We should be here

Despite finishing fourth in the European Qualifier behind Netherlands, Italy and Jersey, Scotland are adamant they are no mere stand-ins.

"We're very sympathetic towards Bangladesh players. But we still massively believe that we should be here," said left-arm spinner Mark Watt, one of Scotland’s most experienced campaigners with 77 T20Is and 82 ODIs, on the eve of their opener.

"We had a blip in the summer and we believe that we should be here and we believe that we can be beating teams higher ranked than us. So there's no second guessing our invite into this tournament. We're all ready to go," he added.

Confidence backed by results

Scotland’s belief is rooted in past performances.

They famously stunned West Indies by 42 runs during the 2022-23 T20 World Cup in Australia, with Watt returning figures of 3/12, and have beaten the Caribbean side twice across formats, including a seven-wicket ODI victory at the 2023 World Cup Qualifier.

"I don't think teams will take us lightly. We've caused a few upsets in the past. We had a really good start against England in the last World Cup game that was sadly rained off. I don't think teams will be taking us lightly at all."

Despite the lack of preparation time, optimism within the squad remains high, especially among the younger players who have been thrust onto the global stage almost overnight.

"We got a lot of youngsters in the team at the moment and how more excited can they be. Ten days ago they were sitting and doing nothing, now they're here in India playing in a World Cup, it's absolutely amazing for them, we're all so excited to be here and ready to go."

Eye on bigger upsets

With England also part of their group, Watt stressed that Scotland’s broader ambition is to challenge established Test nations.

"Scotland playing at the World Cup, that's going to inspire the younger generation, that's what our job is to do -- go out there and beat Test-playing nations and inspire young kids to grow up and look at us on the TV and say I want to be able to do that."

Preparing for conditions in Kolkata, Watt even reached out to Afghanistan’s spin stars Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi during a warm-up match in Bengaluru.

"I spoke to a few of the Afghani players, like Nabi and Rashid about what's the best way to bowl in Kolkata," he said.

Scotland’s squad offers a blend of experience and youthful energy.

Former New Zealand batter Tom Bruce adds solidity to the middle order, Afghanistan-born 19-year-old quick Zainullah Ihsan brings raw pace, while Watt’s variations and Brandon McMullen’s explosive batting — highlighted by a 95 off 39 balls in a warm-up game — underline their upset potential.

West Indies, however, remain a dangerous proposition despite mixed recent results.

Sherfane Rutherford (334 runs) and Shai Hope (276 runs) were among the top performers in the recently concluded SA20 for Pretoria Capitals, while Shamar Joseph and Akeal Hosein provide significant firepower with the ball.

Teams:

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

Scotland: Richie Berrington (captain), Tom Bruce, Matthew Cross, Bradley Currie, Oliver Davidson, Chris Greaves, Zainullah Ihsan, Michael Jones, Michael Leask, Finlay McCreath, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Safyaan Sharif, Mark Watt, Brad Wheal

Match starts: 3:00 PM IST

(With PTI Inputs)