Italy faces United Arab Emirates in a crucial T20 World Cup warm-up clash today. This match gives both teams vital practice ahead of the big tournament.
Italy vs United Arab Emirates, 15th Match, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Warm-up Matches 2026. The game kicks off on February 6, 2026, at 3:00 PM IST (10:30 AM PKT local Chennai time). It will be played at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk, Chennai.
Chepauk’s pitch offers a balanced contest, leaning slightly toward spinners as the game wears on, with an average first-innings score around 151 in T20s. Batsmen can build innings early, but pacers with variations and spinners like Ben Manenti could dominate later—teams batting first have won six of the last 10 T20s here. Weather looks cloudy with temperatures near 29°C, 59% humidity, winds at 14 km/h, and a 79% chance of precipitation that might bring interruptions, though no major rain is forecast.
These warm-ups are gold for Italy and UAE to fine-tune strategies before the T20 World Cup 2026. Italy wants to build confidence after recent qualifier successes, while UAE aims to shake off a poor run and test their revamped squad with new faces like Hashit Kaushik. A strong showing here boosts morale and helps iron out weaknesses under tournament-like pressure at a spin-friendly venue like Chepauk.
Italy rides momentum with two straight wins in this warm-up series, including a solid chase against Canada at this ground—they’ve posted competitive totals and chased smartly lately. Their last five: W W L L L overall, but recent T20 form shows resilience in batting. UAE, however, is in a slump, losing their last five outings, including a narrow defeat to Nepal here; they’ve struggled to close games despite flashes from their top order.
UAE vs ITA Match Details
- Match: 15th Warm-up Match
- Teams: UAE vs ITA
- Date: 06 Feb 2026
- Time: 02:30 PM
- Venue: Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai,
T20 World 2026 Live Streaming Info
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 kicks off on February 7, 2026, and wraps up with the final on March 8, 2026. Hosted across India and Sri Lanka with 20 teams, it spans about a month—group stages from early February, Super 8s mid-month, semis late February/early March, and the final in Colombo or Mumbai.
- In India, tune into Star Sports Network (Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2) or stream on Disney+ Hotstar and JioCinema.
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- For Sri Lanka, options include SLRC, Channel Eye, and Siyatha TV on TV, plus Sri Lanka Cricket YouTube and Dialog ViU online.
- UK fans have Sky Sports Cricket, TNT Sports 1, and talkSPORT on television, alongside Sky Go, Discovery+, and NOW TV for streaming.
- In South Africa, SuperSport covers it on TV and via their app.
- Australia might check Fox Sports for TV and Kayo Sports for live streams.
- USA and Canada: Willow TV on TV, Sling TV or Willow HD app for streaming.
- New Zealand: Sky Sport NZ on TV and Sky Go app.
- Bangladesh: Gazi TV (GTV) and Rabith BD app.
- Afghanistan: RTA Sport and Ariana TV.
Rest of the world: ICC.tv for free streaming where no local rights holder exists. Subscriptions often apply, and VPNs can assist with geo-blocks where permitted.
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Live Streaming Info:
The 15th T20 World Cup warm-up match will be live on Star Sports.
Live Score Info:
ICC T20 World Cup 2026: All matches on ESPN and Cricbuzz have live scores.
ITA Probable XI: Zain Naqvi, Anthony Joseph Mosca, Wayne Madsen, JJ Smuts, Justin Mosca, Marcus Campopiano, Grant Stewart, Ben Manenti, Harry J Manenti, Crishan Kalugamage, Jaspreet Singh.
UAE Probable XI: Muhammad Waseem, Aryansh Sharma, Alishan Sharafu, Muhammad Zohaib-Khan, Shoaib Khan, Hashit Kaushik, Muhammad Arfan, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Rohid-Khan, Muhammad Jawadullah, Simranjeet Singh Kang.
Head-to-Head
The sides have met just once, back in the 2013-14 T20 World Cup Qualifier in Abu Dhabi, where Italy chased down 92 to win by 5 wickets (UAE 91 all out, Italy 158/5). Total matches: 1; Italy 1 win, UAE 0 wins, no ties or no-results. No recent meetings, so today’s the first in over a decade—Italy holds the edge psychologically.
Italy Analysis
Italy’s strength lies in a balanced attack and gritty middle order, with captain Wayne Madsen anchoring innings and chipping in with spin. They’ve been consistent in chases, thanks to all-rounders like JJ Smuts, who blends handy runs and wickets. Weakness? Over-reliance on top-order fireworks if early breakthroughs happen. Key players: Smuts (recent 54 and wickets), Ben Manenti (multiple hauls like 4W), Justin Mosca (attacking opener), and Grant Stewart (death-over specialist). Recent performances show them adapting well to subcontinent conditions.
UAE Analysis
UAE boasts explosive batting led by captain Muhammad Waseem, but their weakness is finishing games—their losses stem from collapses under pressure. Strengths include pace options like Junaid Siddique (high points tally) and emerging all-rounders like Hashit Kaushik (recent 53). They’ve got depth with newbies, but inconsistency plagues the bowling. Standouts: Kaushik (53, 19*), Siddique (wickets machine), Alishan Sharafu (middle-order stability), and Aryansh Sharma (wicketkeeper-batsman). Recent form is rocky, but they beat Malaysia and Kuwait in late 2025 qualifiers.
Key Talking Points
Watch for spin battles—Chepauk favors tweakers, so Manenti vs Waseem could decide it. Italy’s chase expertise vs UAE’s top-order power; dew might aid second innings. Momentum favors Italy, but UAE’s desperation could spark a fightback. No injuries reported for either side.
Prediction
Italy edges it by 8-10 runs if batting first, or a comfortable chase, thanks to better recent form, head-to-head win, and spin suitability at Chepauk. UAE has firepower but needs to stem collapses—expect a close contest, but Italy’s balance tips the scales