ISLAMABAD: Italy captain Harry Manenti won the toss and chose to bowl as Nepal were put in to bat in their Group C match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, on Thursday.
Manenti said conditions and the prospect of a quicker outfield later influenced the decision, with several sides in the tournament having preferred to chase under lights.
The game is a pivotal one for both teams, who are still searching for their first win in the competition. With Super 8 spots at a premium, another defeat would leave little room for error for either side. Nepal arrive encouraged by their narrow four-run defeat to England, when they pushed a chase of 185 deep into the final over.
Italy, playing their maiden men’s T20 World Cup, have also been competitive in patches and will be eager to convert that into points as the group tightens.
There was a late change for Italy as captain Wayne Madsen was ruled out with injury, prompting Marcus Campopiano to come into the XI, while Thomas Draca also made way for Jaspreet Singh.
Nepal named a familiar core led by skipper Rohit Paudel, with Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh expected to provide impetus at the top and Sandeep Lamichhane leading the spin attack.
