A betting preview and tips for the 2026 T20 World Cup matches taking place on Monday 9th February including Scotland v Italy, Zimbabwe v Oman and South Africa v Canada
FLOWER POWER – The Proteas enter the World Cup fray and will be looking to show their colours early doors. Let’s take a look at who will be smelling the roses after Mondays’ matches.
ITALY v SCOTLAND, Eden Gardens
Scotland have the advantage of having their first outing of the tournament under the belt and return to the same ground where they kept West Indies honest on Saturday.
Whilst Hetmyer was in full bloom the Scots were able to mostly keep the powerful Windies under wraps. They will feel confident that they won’t be offering the inexperienced Italians any fertile ground for growth at the Garden.
Man of the Match – Brandon McMullen @ 13.00 with Pokerbet
Comes in at No 3 for Scotland and could offer a few overs of medium. Looked in decent touch so happy to have a nibble.
Top Match Bowler – Brad Currie @ 6.50 with Pokerbet
I was very impressed with how Currie held his nerve in the 20th over against the islanders. It is also often handy having the death bowler in your staking plan.
ZIMBABWE v OMAN, Colombo (SSC)
The batsmen wilted the last time we saw action at this track in Sri Lanka. In that tournament opener Pakistan needed a late cameo from Ashraf to escape a shock loss to the Dutch.
A fifty to be scored in the match – No @ 3.83 with Pokerbet
I can’t see the SSC assisting the batters and will opt for a bit of a struggle with the willow on both sides.
Player of the Match – Sikandar Raza @ 7.00
South Africans know him well after a stunning SA20 campaign. The skipper should be in the middle of everything for the Zimbabweans.
SOUTH AFRICA v CANADA, Ahmedabad
South Africa have experience of notching up a 200 on the ground only a few months ago (it was in a losing chase just to add some context) so should feel confident that they can prune the hopes of their North American opponents.
Whilst the Protea is a beautiful flower it is also a hardened fynbos species which comes back stronger and better after a fire. The South Africans will be focussed on getting their campaign going on a good-looking note but also on in a manner which shows their rugged versatility and ability to bounce back after the setback that was the 2024 version of this event. The last thing the South Africans want is to be turned into potpourri by the unfancied Canadians.
Top Canada Wicket Taker – Saad Bin Zafer @ 5.00 with Pokerbet
I will back the Zafer against the Saffas here. Whilst the current SA batting line-up has plenty of lefties I still think the left arm orthodox can enjoy some success.
Man of the Match – Lungi Ngidi @ 15.00 with Pokerbet
If SA bowl first there is a decent chance that the bowlers will be in the running for this prize. Ngidi has been the best white-ball bowler for the South Africans in quite some time, so this price appeals.
South Africa total fours – Over 15.5 @ 1.95 with Pokerbet
Pre toss there is the risk that Canada bat and South Africa restrict them to less than 100. Anything over 120 or SA batting first and the likes of Markram, QdK and Rickleton should be sending deliveries to the boundary with more frequency than an on-line flower shop on Valentines Day.