In the first warm-up matches ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, Afghanistan defeated Scotland by 61 runs, led by Darwish Rasooli, who scored 84 runs off 46 balls. Meanwhile, Italy edged out Canada by 10 runs, and the USA lost to India A, scoring 200 runs.
Afghanistan Secures Win Against Scotland
Darwish Rasooli’s impressive innings helped Afghanistan to a 61-run victory over Scotland. He scored 84 runs from 46 balls before retiring, setting Afghanistan up for 184 runs for 6 in their 20 overs.
Mohammad Nabi contributed with a quick 34 runs off 16 balls and also shined with the ball. Several Scottish players started their innings well, but none surpassed 21 runs. Matthew Cross and Michael Jones both scored 21 runs before getting out, with Ziaur Rahman taking 2 wickets for 20 runs. Nabi recorded 2 wickets for just 9 runs in 2 overs, while Azmatullah Omarzai was the standout bowler with 3 wickets for 14 runs.
USA Falls to India A
The USA’s batting performance fell short against India A in Navi Mumbai. Wicketkeeper Narayan Jagadeesan scored 104 runs, helping India A post 238 runs for 3 in their 20 overs. Captain Ayush Badoni added a quick 60 runs off 26 balls.
Shubham Ranjane was the USA’s best bowler, taking 1 wicket for 12 runs. In response, the USA put up a spirited fight despite losing wickets. Andries Gous scored 44 runs at the top of the order, and Sanjay Krishnamurthi contributed 41 runs off just 18 balls, hitting four sixes. Ravi Bishnoi led the Indian bowling attack with 3 wickets for 37 runs, while Naman Dhir picked up 2 wickets in the final over, leading to the USA’s total being bowled out for 200 runs.
Italy Edges Canada
Italy marked their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup debut with a close 10-run win over Canada. Italy batted first, with Justin and Anthony Mosca each scoring 22 runs, and JJ Smuts adding 49 runs from 37 balls.
Harry Manenti contributed a crucial 33 runs not out, helping Italy to reach a total of 156 runs for 4 in their allotted overs. Dilpreet Bajwa took 1 wicket for 24 runs, and along with Yuvraj Samra, who scored 33 runs, gave Canada a solid start.
Bajwa continued to score, reaching 37 runs, but Italy’s bowlers maintained pressure, with Benjamin Manenti and Ali Hasan each taking 1 wicket for 22 runs. Canada needed 16 runs in the final over, but despite Nicholas Kirton’s efforts with 33 runs, they fell short.
Match Summaries
Afghanistan vs Scotland – BCCI Centre of Excellence 1, Bengaluru
Afghanistan 184/6 in 20 overs (Darwish Rasooli 84, Ibrahim Zadran 36; Mark Watt 2/32, Brad Wheal 2/57)
Scotland 123 all out in 19.3 overs (Matthew Cross 21, Michael Jones 21; Azmatullah Omarzai 3/14, Mohammad Nabi 2/9)
Result: Afghanistan wins by 61 runs
USA vs India A – Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai
India A 238/3 in 20 overs (Narayan Jagadeesan 104, Ayush Badoni 60 not out; Shubham Ranjane 1/12, Ali Khan 1/36, Jasdeep Singh 1/36)
USA 200 all out in 19.4 overs (Andries Gous 44, Sanjay Krishnamurthi 41; Ravi Bishnoi 3/37, Naman Dhir 2/6)
Result: India A wins by 38 runs
Canada vs Italy – MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Italy 156/4 in 20 overs (JJ Smuts 49, Harry Manenti 33 not out; Dilpreet Bajwa 1/24, Kaleem Sana 1/26, Saad Bin Zafar 1/26)
Canada 146/6 in 20 overs (Dilpreet Bajwa 37, Yuvraj Samra 33; Grant Stewart 1/18, Benjamin Manenti 1/22, Ali Hasan 1/22)
Result: Italy wins by 10 runs
