In a truly historic moment for Italian cricket, the Italy national cricket team, often referred to as "Gli Azzurri" (the same nickname as their globally renowned football counterparts, the Italy national football team), have secured a maiden qualification for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka in 2026. They join the Netherlands as the 14th and 15th teams to book their tickets for the prestigious tournament, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
The dramatic conclusion of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Europe Qualifier at The Hague in the Netherlands saw both nations confirm their spots. While the Netherlands secured a dominant nine-wicket victory over Italy in their crucial encounter, it was Italy's superior net run rate that edged them past a valiant Jersey side, who, despite shocking Scotland with a thrilling one-wicket win, were ultimately eliminated.
The Italian cricket team, after winning the toss and electing to bat first, posted a competitive 134/7. Their innings was steadied by contributions from Ben Manenti (30) and Grant Stewart (25), though the Netherlands' Roelof van der Merwe delivered a Player of the Match performance with figures of 3/15.
In response, the Dutch, led by openers Max O’Dowd (47 not out) and Michael Levitt (34), chased down the target with relative ease, reaching victory in the 17th over. This extended chase proved crucial for Italy, ensuring their net run rate remained superior to Jersey's.
With Italy and the Netherlands joining the ranks, a total of 15 teams have now officially qualified for the 20-team World Cup event. The already qualified nations include:
Co-hosts: India and Sri Lanka
Super 8s from T20 World Cup 2024: Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, USA, and West Indies
The next three best-ranked teams (as of June 30, 2024): Ireland, New Zealand, and Pakistan
Americas Regional Final winner: Canada
Five more spots remain up for grabs, which will be determined through regional qualifiers:
Africa Qualifiers (Zimbabwe, September 19 - October 4): Two teams will qualify from Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
Asia-East Asia Pacific (EAP) Qualifiers (Oman, October 8 - 17): Three teams will secure their berths from Malaysia, Qatar, UAE, Japan, Kuwait, Nepal, Oman, PNG, and Samoa.
