Kathmandu: Nepal will play their opening match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup against cricketing giants England on February 8 next year in Mumbai, India.

Nepal were drawn in Group ‘C’ along with England, West Indies, Bangladesh and Italy, according to the grouping and fixtures revealed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Nepal will play their second game against Italy on February 12, followed by a fixture against West Indies on February 15 and wrap up their group stage against Bangladesh on February 17. Nepal are scheduled to play all four group stage games at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

The global showpiece set to run from February 7 to March 8 is co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

Groupings
Group A: India, USA, Namibia, Netherlands, Pakistan
Group B: Australia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Oman
Group C: England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Italy, Nepal
Group D: South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Canada, UAE

According to the ICC, the top two sides from each group progress to the Super Eights phase of the tournament.
The top four sides at the completion of the Super Eights (following division into two groups) qualify for the knockout stages of the event. The semi-finals will be held in Kolkata/Colombo and Mumbai ahead of the title decider on March 8 in Ahmedabad or Colombo.
Nepal will be vying in the World T20 for the second time in a row and third overall after their maiden appearance during 2014 in Bangladesh. Nepal have failed to cross the initial stage in both of their previous appearances.