England and Nepal are set to take on each other in their first game of the T20I World Cup 2026 on 8 February at the Wankhede stadium, Mumbai. The match will begin at 3:00 PM. Two-time champions England and Nepal are placed in Group C in the tournament. Apart from these two teams, West Indies, Italy and Scotland are also part of the group.
The two sides are yet to face each other in international cricket. However, Nepal has been playing competitive cricket for quite some time now and will be raring to go in their first match of the tournament. England on the other hand, will like to begin their tournament on a winning note.
Here’s a detailed look at the ICC rankings, last one-year performance, timeline, key players, and full squads ahead of the England vs Nepal Head to Head in T20I.
ENG vs NEP Head to Head Overall Stats and Record
England and Nepal have rarely faced each other in international cricket, with only a handful of head-to-head meetings, mostly in shorter formats such as T20Is and sixes cricket. Their most notable recent head to head came at the 2024 Hong Kong International Sixes, where Nepal defeated England.
| Format | Matches | ENG Won | NEP Won |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sixes (T20 variant) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| ODI | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T20I | 0 (pre-2026) | 0 | 0 |
ICC T20I Team Rankings
| Team | ICC T20I Ranking |
|---|---|
| England | 3rd |
| Nepal | 16th |
England vs Nepal: T20I Performance in Last 1 Year
| Team | Matches Played | Matches Won | Matches Lost | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 13 | 10 | 1 | 76.92% |
| Nepal | 17 | 12 | 4 | 70.59% |
Despite playing fewer matches, England boast a superior win percentage. Nepal, however, have been highly active and successful, winning over 70% of their games in the last year.
England National Cricket Team vs Nepal National Cricket Team Timeline
Batting & Bowling Leaders
| Team | Top Run Scorer | Runs | Top Wicket Taker | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | Jos Buttler | 415 | Adil Rashid | 19 |
| Nepal | Kushal Bhurtel | 509 | Sandeep Lamichhane | 21 |
- Jos Buttler continues to be England’s backbone in T20Is, while Nepal’s Kushal Bhurtel has been outstanding with the bat.
- With the ball, Adil Rashid and Sandeep Lamichhane remain key match-winners for their respective sides.
READ MORE: PAK vs NED Head to Head in T20 World Cup: Full Timeline & Results
England vs Nepal: Players to Watch Out For
Batters
| Team | Player | Runs | Innings | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | Phil Salt | 1587 | 48 | 166.5 |
| England | Harry Brook | 1068 | 47 | 152.6 |
| Nepal | Aasif Sheikh | 1639 | 67 | 120.5 |
| Nepal | Kushal Bhurtel | 1807 | 68 | 127.3 |
England’s aggressive batters Phil Salt and Harry Brook bring explosive firepower, while Nepal rely on the consistency of Aasif Sheikh and the all-round batting ability of Kushal Bhurtel.
Bowlers
| Team | Player | Wickets | Economy | Innings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | Adil Rashid | 150 | 7.45 | 130 |
| England | Liam Dawson | 22 | 7.77 | 22 |
| Nepal | Sandeep Lamichhane | 129 | 6.03 | 68 |
| Nepal | Kushal Bhurtel | 30 | 6.52 | 26 |
Sandeep Lamichhane’s economy rate makes him Nepal’s biggest threat, while England’s Adil Rashid offers experience and control in the middle overs.
England vs Nepal T20 World Cup 2026 Full Squads
England Squad
Harry Brook (c), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Josh Tongue, Luke Wood.
Nepal Squad
Rohit Paudel (c), Dipendra Singh Airee, Sandeep Lamichhane, Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh, Sundeep Jora, Aarif Sheikh, Basir Ahamad, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Nandan Yadav, Gulshan Jha, Lalit Rajbanshi, Sher Malla, Lokesh Bam.
