ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, Match 5: ENG vs NEP, head-to-head, pitch report and predicted playing XIs

England will face Nepal in Match 5 of Group C clash of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, on Sunday, 8th February, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. England have the opportunity to get off to a good start in the match, whereas Nepal will aim to announce their presence against one of the favorites for the tournament.

England comes into the World Cup as two-time champions and will be aiming to add a third title to their name. Led by Harry Brook, the side is packed with match-winners. England possesses great strength in batting as well as bowling departments with players like Jos Buttler, Will Jacks, and Sam Curran. They would like to dominate early on and set the tone for the rest of the tournament.

Meanwhile, Nepal qualified for the World Cup competition after an impressive showing in the Asia-EAP Regional Qualifiers. This will be their third appearance at a T20 World Cup. Under the leadership of Rohit Paudel, Nepal will hopefully play fearless cricket and vie for a historic win beyond the group stages. It all depends on the availability of the important players such as Kushal Bhurtel, Dipendra Singh Airee, and Sandeep Lamichhane.

ENG vs NEP: Head-to-Head in T20Is

England and Nepal have never played a T20I. This will be the first encounter in this format of the game, so there is no head-to-head record, both teams are currently at 0-0.

ENG vs NEP: Pitch Report

This pitch is known for its batting-friendly nature with a fast outfield. High scores are common at the Wankhede Stadium, and a batter loves batting with true bounce. As the match is scheduled in the evening, dew is unlikely to have a major impact, making it a good wicket for stroke play.

See Also: ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026: NZ vs AFG Today Match Prediction – 4th Match, Who Will Win Today?

ENG vs NEP: Predicted Playing XIs

England (ENG):

Philip Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (c), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Luke Wood

Nepal (NEP):

Kushal Bhurtel, Rohit Paudel (c), Aasif Sheikh (wk), Sundeep Jora, Gulsan Jha, Lokesh Bam, Dipendra Singh Airee, Karan KC, Sher Malla, Nandan Yadav, Sandeep Lamichhane