Italy make history with men’s T20 World Cup qualification

Dubai: Italy created history by qualifying for their first-ever ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, securing a spot in the 2026 edition to be held in India and Sri Lanka.

Despite losing their final match against the Netherlands, Italy finished second in the Europe Qualifier thanks to a crucial win over Scotland in their previous outing.

The final day of the Europe Qualifier was a thrilling affair, with all four teams — Netherlands, Italy, Scotland, and Jersey — still in contention for the two available spots. Ultimately, the Netherlands and Italy clinched qualification.

After being restricted to 134/7, Italy’s path to qualification hinged on their ability to delay the Netherlands’ chase. They needed to stretch the innings past the 15-over mark — and succeeded, holding off the hosts until the 17th over despite a flying start from Michael Levitt and Max O’Dowd during the Powerplay.

In the first innings, veteran Roelof van der Merwe starred with the ball for the Netherlands, claiming 3 for 15 in four tight overs. Italy struggled to build partnerships, with Kyle Klein also bowling a disciplined spell. However, a steady knock from Benjamin Manenti and a late flourish by Grant Stewart helped Italy post a competitive 134/7.

The Netherlands chased down the target comfortably, but Italy had done just enough to secure a historic qualification.

Meanwhile, Jersey narrowly missed out on a spot despite recording their first-ever win against Scotland — a notable achievement in itself.

With Italy and the Netherlands advancing from Europe, 15 teams have now confirmed their participation in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Three more teams will qualify through the Asia-East Asia Pacific (EAP) event, while two additional spots are up for grabs in the Africa qualifier.