Phil Salt declared fit for England's T20 WC opener: Details
07 Feb 2026

England's explosive batsman, Phil Salt, has been declared fit for the team's opening match of the ICC T20 World Cup.

He will be partnering wicket-keeper Jos Buttler at the top of the order against Nepal at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.

Salt missed a recent game against Sri Lanka due to a back spasm but returned to training successfully on Friday.

Notably, England announced their XI on the eve of the contest.

Banton replaces Duckett at number 4
Batting order

In a strategic move, England has opted for Tom Banton over Ben Duckett to bat at number four.

This decision comes after Banton's impressive performance of 54 off 33 balls against Sri Lanka five days ago.

The rest of the batting lineup includes Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (captain), Sam Curran, and Will Jacks.

Wood gets the nod over Overton
Bowling strategy

For their opening match, England have chosen left-arm fast bowler Luke Wood over Jamie Overton.

He will be joining the likes of express bowler Jofra Archer and Sam Curran in the seam attack.

The team also has four spinners at their disposal: Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson as spearheads, with all-rounders Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks providing additional support.

Here is England's XI for the opener
Fact

England's XI for Nepal clash: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (c), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Luke Wood.