Mumbai, Feb 12 (NationPress) Italy has won the toss and chosen to bat against Nepal in their second encounter of the 2026 T20 World Cup taking place at the Wankhede Stadium this Thursday. Unfortunately, Italy's captain Wayne Madson is sidelined due to an injury, with Harry Manenti stepping in as captain.

After the toss, Italy's acting captain Manenti expressed, "We’ll bowl today. There were definitely some nerves, as with any international cricket match. We felt things didn’t go our way today. Losing our captain, Wayne Madsen, was likely a pivotal moment, and we struggled to regain our momentum during a crucial phase of the game. Scotland is a strong team, and today we face another formidable opponent in Nepal, which we are eager to take on. He has played extensively for Italy, and I’m looking forward to seeing him play again."

He further added, "Our focus has consistently been on being brave. We’re competing against teams ranked significantly higher than us globally, and from an external perspective, we are seen as the underdogs. However, within our squad, there is a strong belief in our capabilities. We aim to be audacious and take the game to our opponents, and we hope to demonstrate that today. Italy cricket has progressed significantly since earlier times."

Nepal's captain, Rohit Paudel, remarked, "Honestly, we would have preferred to bowl. The toss is beyond our control, so we will maximize our opportunity to bat first. This is the same pitch where our last match was held, and it is expected to turn in the second innings, which we intend to exploit. Competing in familiar Asian conditions is a significant advantage. Playing all our matches here at the Wankhede Stadium is beneficial, and we will aim to capitalize on that."

He added, "We believe we can improve from our last match in both batting and bowling. The final three to four overs are crucial for us. We need to maintain our composure, handle the pressure, and stay focused in those moments. It’s fantastic to have such supportive fans; their encouragement means a lot to us. After the match against England, we noticed numerous social media posts from fans in Nepal watching us live. That really motivates the entire team."

Playing XIs:

Nepal: Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh (wk), Rohit Paudel (c), Dipendra Singh Airee, Aarif Sheikh, Lokesh Bam, Gulsan Jha, Karan KC, Nandan Yadav, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi

Italy: Anthony Mosca, Justin Mosca, JJ Smuts, Harry Manenti (c), Ben Manenti, Marcus Campopiano, Grant Stewart, Gian Meade (wk), Jaspreet Singh, Crishan Kalugamage, Ali Hasan.