Last Updated on 2 months ago by Charbel Coorey

Associate nations have impressed in the 2026 T20 World Cup so far, and we are in for an intriguing match to begin day three of the tournament.

Debutants Italy, who are enjoying an excellent run of form, take on Scotland in a high-stakes encounter at Eden Gardens. The Italians won both their warm up games, including a 112-run thumping of the UAE on February 6.

Also, in late January, Italy landed a big scalp against Ireland in the third match of a closely-fought T20I series. In July 2025, they upset Scotland by 12 runs which played a crucial part in their World Cup qualification. They’ll be pumped for this match, and rightly so.

Scotland start this match as favourites but they’ll have to be on their game. They were competitive for the most part against West Indies on Saturday, but couldn’t contain the dynamic Shimron Hetmyer and then fell away in the final six overs with the bat after Richie Berrington (42 off 24 balls) and Tom Bruce (35 off 28 balls) gave the Scots hope of chasing the 183-run target.

With England and West Indies to meet later in Group C, victory here for either side is crucial in the quest for a top two spot.

T20 World Cup 2026 7th Match: SCO vs ITA Possible Playing XIs

Scotland could persist with the same XI that played against the West Indies, although they have the capable Chris Greaves and Brad Wheal in the squad.

Scotland: 1. George Munsey, 2. Michael Jones, 3. Brandon McMullen, 4. Richie Berrington (c), 5. Tom Bruce, 6. Matthew Cross (wk), 7. Mark Watt, 8. Michael Leask, 9. Oliver Davidson, 10. Safyaan Sharif, 11. Brad Currie

Italy: 1. Justin Mosca, 2. Anthony Mosca, 3. JJ Smuts, 4. Wayne Masden (c), 5. Harry Manenti, 6. Ben Manenti, 7. Gian-Piero Meade (wk) 8. Grant Stewart, 9. Jaspreet Singh, 10. Ali Hasan, 11. Crishan Kalugamage

Eden Gardens Kolkata Pitch Report and Weather

Eden Gardens is one of the best batting grounds in India. West Indies and Scotland played in nice batting conditions on Saturday as the Windies accelerated to 182 before the Scots showed promise in the chase.

Since the start of 2024, pace bowlers have taken 115 in all men’s T20s here at an average of 31.50 and economy of 10.65. Spinners have picked up 67 wickets at an average of 30.88 and economy of 8.54.

Expect the team who wins the toss to chase even in this day game. A clear day is forecast with a top temperature of 27 degrees.

Fantasy Cricket Tips for SCO vs ITA T20 World Cup 2026: Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Top wicket-keeper picks:

• Tom Bruce is likely to bat the highest out of the wicketkeeping options in this match. The Kiwi-born batter looked in promising touch for his 28-ball 35 against West Indies.

Key batter picks:

• George Munsey has struck two half-centuries in his last five T20Is, including 72 (61) against Italy last year.
• Richie Berrington looked in fine touch in Scotland’s tournament opener. The captain struck 42 off 24 balls. Like Munsey, Berrington is crucial for the Scottish.
• Italy skipper Wayne Madsen has scored 205 runs in seven T20Is at an average of 34.16 and strike rate of 132.25. This includes two fifties.

Top all-rounder picks:

• Harry Manenti scored 33* and 29 in the warm-up matches. Also, he won player of the match in Italy’s win over Scotland last year. Manenti struck 38 and took a fantastic 5/31.
• Brandon McMullen bats in the top three and can contribute overs. He has seven fifties in 23 innings in T20Is, striking at 145.14.
• JJ Smuts batted at three in the warm-up matches, which included an innings of 49 (37) against Canada. He also took 2/9 against the UAE. The left-arm spinner is a solid c/vc option in Dream11.
• Grant Stewart provides batting impact down the order and is a capable seam bowler for Italy. He smashed 44 off 27 balls and took 0/20 (4) in the win against Scotland in July 2025.

Key bowler picks:

• Ben Manenti offers value as a bowler pick as he can also bat. He batted in the top six in the warm-up matches and is an experienced offspinner who has plied his trade in the BBL.
• Mark Watt is 11 wickets away from 100 wickets in T20Is. He averages 21.55 and concedes just 7.02 per over.

Other Players to Consider for your Fantasy Cricket Teams

• Brad Currie bowls in the important overs and he produced a solid display against West Indies (2/23).
• Gian-Piero Meade is the most popular wicketkeeper pick in Dream11 but keep an eye on where he listed in the XI. He typically bats at 6-7 in the order.
• Matthew Cross can also fetch wicketkeeping points and bats in the top six for Scotland.
• Anthony Mosca smashed 56 off 22 balls in Italy’s last warm-up match against the UAE.

Other Stats and Facts

• Head-to-head: Matches 2, Scotland 1, Italy 1.
• Italy’s Grant Stewart has a batting strike rate of 159.79 in 18 T20I innings.

T20 World Cup 2026 7th Match: SCO vs ITA Dream11 Prediction Today

Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article, as well as your own instincts, to create your teams.

Option 1:

Option 2:

T20 World Cup 2026 7th Match: SCO vs ITA Match Prediction – Who will win?

This has the makings of a cracking contest, which is tough to pick. Scotland are favourites and could prevail in a close match. But, don’t be surprised if the team batting first wins.

Disclaimer: The fantasy cricket stats, tips and predictions provided on CricBlog are intended for informational purposes for Dream11 free contests in line with the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025. The stats and writer’s views are in place to guide fans in creating their teams. While we strive to offer accurate and insightful advice, CricBlog does not guarantee success or winnings in any fantasy contests. Users are encouraged to make their own informed decisions and play responsibly.

All statistics and matchups in this article have been verified by ESPNcricinfo, and Cricmetric.