Italy book a place in 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup

In what turned out to be a riveting end to the Europe Qualifiers for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, Italy and Netherlands sneaked through to the event that is scheduled to be hosted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) next year in India and Sri Lanka.

Ahead of the last day, with final two matches, four teams were in contention -- Jersey, Netherlands, Italy and Scotland. Jersey faced Scotland in the first match and defeated them by one wicket in a last-ball thriller. Scotland made 133/7 in 20 overs and Jersey reached it in 20 overs, losing nine wickets.

The Joe-Burns-led Italy, who had beaten Scotland earlier, then faced Netherlands at The Hague.

After being restricted to 134/7, Italy needed to hold Netherlands for at least 15 overs in order to progress to the T20 World Cup as one of the two teams.

A steady knock by Benjamin Manenti and a late blitz by Grant Stewarts pushed Italy to a total of 134/7 in their 20 overs, which Netherlands eventually chased down comfortably in the 17th over losing just one wicket, but it was enough for Italy to qualify for their first-ever World Cup tournament.

As many as 15 teams have qualified for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 so far; the Asia EAP qualifier will see three more sides qualify from the competition while two further teams will make it through from the Africa qualifier.

USA and Canada are the two other Associates to have entered the fray already. This is Italy's first entry into a Cricket World Cup.

Cricket in Italy has seen a significant boost over recent years, thanks to initiatives by the Italian Cricket Federation. Local leagues, youth development programs, and international partnerships have played vital roles in nurturing talent the sport’s popularity. The team’s qualification is a culmination of these efforts, highlighting the progress made and the potential for further growth.

ICC, Italy, Cricket, T20 World Cup, Netherlands, Joe Burns