ITA captain Wayne Madsen has caught everyone's eye ahead of their debut
The veteran has represented SA for their national hockey team
Madsen replaced Joe Burns, who was omitted from the squad
The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is just days away from the start with 20 teams gearing up for the ultimate prize in the 20-over format. The marquee tournament starts from February 7 and will end till March 8. India are the defending champions and will co-host the tourney alongside Sri Lanka.
Suryakumar Yadav-led side start off the competition against USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
However, all eyes will be on Italy as they make their debut in this year's competition after qualifying for the tournament. The Gli Azzurri, who are famous for their football, will be playing a cricket tournament for the first time in their history.
Former Australia player Joe Burns led the side and was instrumental in their qualification for the tourney, but the selectors omitted the veteran batter from the main squad. The Italian cricket board have named Wayne Madsen as their new skipper.
Who Is Wayne Madsen?
Wayne Madsen was born in South Africa and started his cricketing journey in 2003, where he made his debut in the domestic circuit with the KwaZulu-Natal cricket team.
Madsen has played county cricket as well as franchise cricket in top T20 domestic leagues, including the Pakistan Super League, The Hundred, and the Bangladesh Premier League.
Madsen's international debut came for Italy in 2023 and since then, he has featured in 7 T20Is.
However, what's caught everyone's eye is that Madsen has also represented South Africa in the hockey arena. He has made 39 appearances for the national team and was also part of the side that played at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and the Men's Hockey World Cup.
Madsen will lead his side out at the T20 World Cup in their first match against Bangladesh on February 9 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata before facing Nepal at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, three days later.
