T20 World Cup 2026: Match 15, ENG vs WI – Top 3 player battles to watch out for

England and the West Indies will look to register back-to-back wins when they clash in their Group C ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 fixture in Mumbai on Wednesday. Both teams have two points from their opening games.

England got past Nepal in a nervous opener, surviving a late scare despite posting 184/7, with Jacob Bethell and captain Harry Brook scoring fifties and Sam Curran defending 10 runs in the final over. 

On the other hand, the West Indies made a stronger statement by beating Scotland by 35

runs. Shimron Hetmyer’s 64 and Romario Shepherd’s five-wicket haul took them over the line. The contest will also witness players having faced each other in recent bilateral and franchise leagues sharing records.

Here are top 3 player battles to watch out in ENG vs WI, T20 WC 2026

3. Jos Buttler vs Matthew Forde

Jos Buttler enters the clash with a poor start to the tournament, managing just 26 runs from the last game. On the other hand, Matthew Forde went wicketless in the West Indies' opener against Scotland. Notably, the two players have faced off against each other in two innings, with the veteran English batter scoring just 14 runs at a strike rate of 140.00. However, Forde has been unable to pick Buttler's in both encounters and will look to break that jinx in the upcoming contest. 

Matches	Innings	Runs Scored	Balls Bowled	Strike Rate	Economy Rate	Wicket Taken
2	2	14	10	140.00	8.40	0

 2. Brandon King vs Adil Rashid

West Indian batter Brandon King hasn't fired against Adil Rashid so far, scoring 26 runs across four innings at a strike rate of just 76.47. Rashid has been England’s best bowler, delivering 34 balls at an economy rate of 4.58 without conceding many runs. Though Rashid hasn’t taken a wicket against King yet, his ability to slow the scoring could force risky shots.

Matches	Innings	Runs Scored	Balls Bowled	Strike Rate	Economy Rate	Wicket Taken
4	4	26	34	76.47	4.58	0

1. Phil Salt vs Romario Shepherd

The contest between Phil Salt and Romario Shepherd will be a headliner battle in the forthcoming game of the T20 World Cup. Both players previously shared a dressing room in the IPL for RCB last year and have spent considerable time knowing each other. Shepherd is brimming with confidence after picking a record hat-trick against Scotland. 

Meanwhile, Salt had an off day against Nepal, scoring just one run. Notably, the two have been up against each other on four occasions in T20Is, with Salt scoring 72 runs and losing his wicket on one occasion at the hands of the strong West Indian all-rounder.

Matches	Innings	Runs Scored	Balls Bowled	Strike Rate	Economy Rate	Wicket Taken
4	4	72	29	248.27	14.89	01