Italy Faces West Indies in Final T20 World Cup Group Stage Match

KOLKATA, India (AP) — Italy won the toss and elected to field against West Indies in its last T20 World Cup group game on Thursday. West Indies has already qualified for the Super 8s with three consecutive wins in Group C and will compete in Group 1 alongside co-host India, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.

Italy’s Tournament and Captaincy Change

This marks Italy’s first-ever appearance in a major ICC global event. The team is currently led by stand-in captain Harry Manenti, after Wayne Madsen was ruled out of the tournament due to a dislocated shoulder sustained during the opening group game against Scotland.

Manenti’s Strategy at the Toss

Manenti expressed hope that his bowlers would find some swing in the day game and secure early wickets. “Hope there’s a bit in the wicket,” Manenti said at the toss. “We take some confidence from the England game and West Indies is another powerful team.”

Italy’s Group Stage Performance

Italy has faced challenges in the group stage, suffering defeats against Scotland and England. However, they achieved a notable 10-wicket victory over Nepal in Mumbai.

West Indies’ Form

West Indies has demonstrated strong batting performances, with captain Shai Hope, Shimron Hetmyer, and Sherfane Rutherford all recording half-centuries across their three group games. Captain Hope stated he wasn’t concerned about losing the toss, saying, “it’s not in our hands,” and confirmed an unchanged squad from their previous nine-wicket win against Nepal.

Upcoming Match

Later on Thursday, Zimbabwe, which eliminated Australia from the tournament, will conclude its group stage with a game against Sri Lanka in Colombo.