England Survive Another Scare, Beat Italy by 24 Runs, Afghanistan beat UAE in T20IWC

 

Two-time champions England narrowly avoided another major upset in the T20 World Cup 2026 as they edged past a fighting Italy by 24 runs. After escaping defeat against Nepal off the very last ball in their opening match, England once again found themselves in deep trouble, but Sam Curran’s brilliance in the death overs helped them save face. With this win, Harry Brook’s side registered their third victory and booked a place in the Super 8 stage.

At the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, England looked set for a big total after choosing to bat first. However, Italy’s bowlers kept them under pressure throughout the innings. Phil Salt (28) gave England a quick start, but Jos Buttler (3) continued his poor run. Once Salt was dismissed, England lost wickets regularly and were reduced to 105 for 5, with captain Harry Brook also back in the pavilion.

Sam Curran and Will Jacks then steadied the innings with a crucial partnership, taking England past 150. Even after Curran’s dismissal, Jacks continued the assault and smashed a brilliant unbeaten 53 off just 21 balls to lift England to a strong total of 202. For Italy, Grant Stewart and Krishan Kalugamage picked up two wickets each.

In reply, Jofra Archer struck twice in the very first over, putting Italy immediately under pressure. They lost three wickets inside four overs, and it seemed the chase would end quickly. But Italy’s young batters once again surprised England. Justin Mosca and Ben Manenti counter-attacked with a sensational 92-run partnership, playing fearless cricket. Manenti smashed the fastest fifty for Italy, reaching the milestone in just 22 balls.

The stand was finally broken when Will Jacks dismissed Manenti for a superb 60 off 25 balls, which included six sixes and four fours. Soon after, Mosca (43) was trapped by Adil Rashid, and Italy started to lose momentum.

However, Grant Stewart kept the contest alive with a blazing 45 off 23 balls, hitting five sixes and putting England under serious pressure. He struck multiple sixes off both Archer and Rashid, reducing the equation to just 30 runs needed from the final two overs.

Once again, Sam Curran proved to be England’s saviour. He conceded only five runs in the penultimate over and dismissed Stewart, finishing with outstanding figures of 3 for 22. Italy were eventually bowled out for 178 on the final ball of the match, falling 24 runs short, as England escaped yet another dramatic upset.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan Keep Super 8 hopes alive with 5-Wicket win over UAE

Afghanistan eased the pain of their heartbreaking defeat against South Africa with a crucial five-wicket victory over the United Arab Emirates at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in New Delhi. The win kept Rashid Khan’s side alive, at least mathematically, in the race for a place in the Super 8 stage.

There was significant interest in Afghanistan ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, given the impact their players have made in T20 leagues across the world. Expectations were even higher after they reached the semifinals in the previous edition of the tournament. However, their double Super Over loss to South Africa had dealt a heavy blow to their campaign. By defeating UAE on Monday, Afghanistan finally opened their account in the tournament.

Batting first UAE scored 160/9 in 20 overs with Sohail Khan getting 68 & Alishan getting 40 but the rest hardly contributed 

The star of the match was Azmatullah Omarzai, who delivered a brilliant all-round performance. He first picked up four wickets with the ball and then scored a vital 40 runs off just 21 balls while chasing. Ibrahim Zadran also played a key role with a composed half-century.

Chasing a target of 161, Afghanistan reached the target in 19.2 overs, losing only five wickets in the process.

With this result, Afghanistan now have two points from three matches. They had earlier lost to New Zealand and South Africa and currently sit third on the Group D points table. However, they remain well behind on net run rate, making their qualification chances difficult but still alive.