Afghanistan vs Scotland — Afghanistan cruise to 61-run warm-up win

Introduction: Why Afghanistan vs Scotland mattered

The warm-up meeting between Afghanistan and Scotland ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 attracted attention as teams finalised preparations. The fixture, listed as a warm-up match in the T20WC 2026 programme, offered both sides a valuable chance to test combinations and conditions ahead of the main event. Hosting the match at the historic BCCI Centre of Excellence 1 added local significance and a competitive setting for the contest.

Match details and context

According to the ICC Match Centre, the BCCI Centre of Excellence 1 played host as Afghanistan squared off against Scotland in what was billed as a potentially close affair. Sofascore recorded the live start time as 2 February 2026 at 09:30:00 UTC. The fixture served as the opening warm-up encounter and was part of each side’s short preparatory schedule before tournament play.

Result and short summary

In the match, Afghanistan delivered a strong performance and secured a convincing victory. As reported in match highlights for the T20WC 2026 warm-ups, Afghanistan beat Scotland by 61 runs. Reports characterised the result as a comfortable win for Afghanistan, underlining their readiness and momentum heading into the competition proper.

Key takeaways from the warm-up

While warm-up matches do not determine tournament standings, they provide practical benefits: opportunities to finalise playing XIs, evaluate pitch behaviour, and provide match practice under competitive conditions. The margin of victory — 61 runs — suggests Afghanistan were able to control several phases of the game. For Scotland, the fixture will function as a diagnostic exercise, highlighting areas to address before the World Cup matches commence.

Conclusion: What this means moving forward

Afghanistan’s comfortable warm-up win over Scotland at the BCCI Centre of Excellence 1 gives their squad positive momentum as they head into T20 World Cup action. Scotland will take lessons from the defeat to refine strategy and selection. Fans and analysts will watch forthcoming warm-ups and group matches to see whether form shown here translates into tournament success. The Afghanistan vs Scotland warm-up therefore offered both reassurance and reminders as teams finalise preparations for the main event.