South Africa’s Lungi Ngidi, centre, celebrates the dismissal of Afghanistan’s Gulbadin Naib during the T20 World Cup cricket match between Afghanistan and South Africa in Ahmedabad, India, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP)

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup has continued with closely fought matches. On Friday (February 13), Zimbabwe defeated Australia by 23 runs in a Group B game. In Group D, UAE beat Canada by five wickets in Delhi. In Group A, USA recorded their first win of the tournament with a 93-run victory over the Netherlands.The tournament moves to February 14 with three group-stage fixtures: New Zealand vs South Africa (Group D), Oman vs Ireland (Group B) and England vs Scotland (Group C). The day features established teams and emerging sides at an important stage of the competition.Ireland and Oman meet in Group B with both teams yet to register a point. Although qualification is still mathematically possible, the match could decide who finishes at the bottom of the group. Ireland have shown competitive phases despite two losses. Oman have struggled in both their matches.England head into their Group C match under pressure. After two games, they are fourth in the table with a negative net run rate. They were tested by Nepal and then beaten by West Indies. Scotland are second with a +0.95 net run rate, which gives this contest added importance.England have not found consistency so far. They were extended in all departments by Nepal and could not control the game against West Indies. Their batting has shifted between caution and acceleration, while the bowling unit has not managed key phases regularly. The focus now is on improving execution rather than making major changes.Scotland have built momentum. They competed well against West Indies and then beat Italy, which improved their net run rate. Their top order has scored at a steady rate, the middle order has supported it, and the bowlers have maintained discipline. The team will look to strengthen its position in the group.In Group D, New Zealand and South Africa are close to qualifying for the Super Eights. Afghanistan remain dependent on other results and need favourable outcomes involving UAE and Canada, which appears unlikely. As a result, the match between South Africa and New Zealand carries limited impact on qualification.However, when two strong T20 sides face each other, the game can still produce high-quality cricket regardless of the standings.