T20 WC: England, Afghanistan look to set early pace

Defending champions England will be keen to overcome a lack of ideal preparation due to rain and hit the ground running when they face Scotland in their T20 World Cup opener in Bridgetown, Barbados on Tuesday.

Explosive batsman Phil Salt, fresh off a red-hot Indian Premier League season, will be one to watch, while the return of paceman Jofra Archer bolsters England's bowling attack.

Although rain disrupted their recent four-match T20I series against Pakistan, England remains a strong contender to lift the trophy for a historic third time.

This will be the first-ever T20 meeting between England and Scotland. The Jos Buttler-led side is the overwhelming favorite at Kensington Oval, which offered a two-paced surface during the Namibia vs Oman clash on Sunday.

Scotland aim to upset the favourites

England's white-ball form hasn't been smooth sailing since their 2022 T20 World Cup victory in Melbourne. They endured a forgettable ODI World Cup campaign in India last year, finishing seventh. A series defeat to West Indies in both ODI and T20 formats followed.

However, a recent 2-0 series win against Pakistan has restored some confidence. England will also draw hope from their past success at Kensington Oval, where they won their first T20 World Cup title under Paul Collingwood's captaincy in 2010.

On paper, Scotland is no match for England. However, the team will be aiming to make an impression after dominating the European qualifiers, winning all six matches to secure their World Cup berth.

Teams:

England: Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, Mark Wood

Scotland: Richie Berrington (c), Matthew Cross, Brad Currie, Chris Greaves, Oli Hairs, Jack Jarvis, Michael Jones, Michael Leask, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Safyaan Sharif, Chris Sole, Charlie Tear, Mark Watt, Brad Wheal.

Venue: Kensington Oval, Barbados

Time: 8:00 PM IST

Afghanistan favoured against Uganda in other opener

In the day's other match, Afghanistan is the clear favorite against tournament debutants Uganda. Afghanistan's impressive performance at the 2023 ODI World Cup, including victories against England, South Africa, and Pakistan, will serve as a major confidence booster.

Teams:

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan (c), Nangyal Kharoti, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik.

Uganda: Brian Masaba (c), Simon Ssesazi, Roger Mukasa, Cosmas Kyewuta, Dinesh Nakrani, Fred Achelam, Kenneth Waiswa, Alpesh Ramjani, Frank Nsubuga, Henry Ssenyondo, Bilal Hassun, Robinson Obuya, Riazat Ali Shah (vc), Juma Miyaji, Ronak Patel.

Venue: Providence Stadium, Guyana

Time: 6:00 AM IST

Where to watch: T20 World Cup 2024 matches will be telecast in India on the Star Sports Network. It will be streamed live on Disney plus Hotstar app and website.