Why Johnson Charles is Not Playing Today in WI vs SCO T20 World Cup 2026?

The fourth match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, featuring West Indies against Scotland, is expected to be an interesting Group C contest. West Indies arrive at the tournament with mixed form, having struggled for consistency after suffering a series defeat against Afghanistan in Dubai, followed by another setback in their next series against South Africa.

Despite those results, there are encouraging signs for the Caribbean side, with several of their key players delivering standout performances across some of the biggest cricket leagues in the world.

Scotland has won the toss and opted to field first at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The West Indies lineup consists of several hard-hitting batsmen and multiple all-rounders; however, they have decided to take the field without the likes of Johnson Charles in the Playing 11.

Why Johnson Charles is Not Playing Today in WI vs SCO T20 World Cup 2026?

Any injury concern to the West Indies top order batter, Johnson Charles, has not been confirmed, so he has likely been dropped from the playing 11. They are looking to find the right balance at the top with the likes of their skipper, Shai Hope and Brandon King, opening the batting.

Charles played in WI's warm-up match against Afghanistan but got out for just 8 runs. He is the second wicketkeeper in the side behind the skipper, Shai Hope. Interestingly, Charles was also a part of WI's title-winning squad in the 2016 edition. Shimron Hetmyer, who missed the warm-up match earlier, came into the Playing 11 as Johnson Charles replacement.

On the other hand, Scotland approach the clash as underdogs but have the potential to bring an upset against the mighty West Indies, having shown gradual improvement despite limited competitive cricket in recent months.

Scotland in Contention for a Record Run Chase Against West Indies

In the fourth match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, West Indies put up a total of 182 for 5 against Scotland at Eden Gardens, which is one of the best cricket stadiums in the world. Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, Scotland skipper Richie Berrington saw an impressive performance from his bowlers by keeping the run rate under control during the powerplay, but the momentum shifted in the middle overs.

Shimron Hetmyer led the charge with the fastest half-century for West Indies in the T20 World Cup off just 22 balls, while valuable support from Rovman Powell and Sherfane Rutherford allowed West Indies to cross the 180-run mark.

While Scotland is also in firm contention during the run chase, as Richie Berrington scored 42 runs off 24 balls and has kept the run chase going. If Scotland ends up winning this game, it will be one of the most significant run chases for the nation in their cricketing history.