West Indies vs Scotland Prediction & Match Preview – T20 World Cup 2026

The West Indies, two-time champions, come into the tournament with inconsistent form after losses to South Africa, Afghanistan and New Zealand. They tend to bounce back quickly, and Indian pitches suit their aggressive style. Shai Hope has 245 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 142.44, and Brandon King has scored 49 off 30, 27 off 16, 47 off 35 and 50 off 41 in his last four T20Is. Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford and Shimron Hetmyer add power, with Powell and Hetmyer drawing on IPL experience.

Jayden Seales brings pace, Romario Shepherd and Jason Holder offer variation, and Holder averages 27.56 in the IPL. Akeal Hosein and Roston Chase form the spin pair.

Scotland reached the tournament after Bangladesh withdrew, finishing fourth in the qualifiers, and have lost warm-up games to Afghanistan and Namibia. Richie Berrington and George Munsey, who has 2,302 runs in 81 T20Is, lead the batting, while Brandon McMullen hit 115 runs at a strike rate of 225 in two warm-ups. Chris Greaves, Mark Watt, Brad Wheal and Michael Leask lead their bowling hopes.

Probable playing XI

Pitch report

Eden Gardens is generally batting-friendly early, with true bounce, a quick outfield and shorter side boundaries that make first-innings totals competitive, from the mid-150s to 180 and beyond. The surface can slow a little later, helping spinners in the middle overs, while pacers need variations. Teams sometimes prefer to bowl first at night because of dew.

Weather

Early February in Kolkata is typically warm and mostly dry. Afternoon temperatures are often around 29–30 °C with relatively low humidity, sunny to partly cloudy skies and a very low chance of rain, with light breezes.

Expected scores

• 1st innings: 160–170
• 2nd innings: 155–165

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