Eight Associate Nations will compete at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. Here is a closer look at their paths to the competition and some potential names to watch, starting with the debutants.
Italy
In an era in which their footballers have struggled to make it to World Cups, Italian cricket is breaking new ground and will appear at this tournament for the first time.
Their journey began in European sub-regional qualifying, where they topped a group containing France, the Isle of Man, Luxembourg and Turkey before beating Romania in the final on home soil.
They then came through a nerve-shredding ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Europe Regional Qualifier, where a narrow victory over the Netherlands in the final match saw the Italians pip Jersey to a spot in the tournament proper.
Wayne Madsen will lead a side that includes JJ Smuts who was capped 19 times by South Africa, with Italy placed in Group C alongside England, Nepal, Scotland and West Indies.
Canada
Having previously featured at three ICC Men’s Cricket World Cups, Canada made their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup debut in 2024, where they earned a notable win over Full Members Ireland.
They are back, and placed in Group D with Afghanistan, New Zealand, South Africa and the UAE, having won six from six at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Americas Regional Qualifier.
All-rounder Shivam Sharma took 11 scalps to finish as the competition’s leading wicket-taker and is one to watch, so too is 22-year-old captain Dilpreet Bajwa.
Speaking prior to the tournament, head coach Ingleton Liburd said: “The players displayed exceptional commitment and focus throughout the Qualifier. We’re now fully focused on preparing the team to compete at the highest level.”
Namibia
Namibia will make their fourth successive appearance at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup after joining Zimbabwe as the two teams to make it through Africa’s Regional Qualifier.
Having won their three group games, JJ Smit starred in the crucial semi-final win over Tanzania which secured Namibia’s spot. The all-rounder first struck an unbeaten 61 before taking three for 16 with the ball.
Namibia lost the final to Zimbabwe but were assured of a place regardless and will be led once again by their indomitable captain, Gerhard Erasmus.
Nine of the squad from the last ICC Men’s T20 World Cup return, with Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton looking to again capture his fine form from the Qualifier, where he took 10 wickets at 6.40.
Nepal
Nepal came through the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia–EAP Regional Qualifier undefeated, beating Japan and Kuwait in the group stage before topping the table in the Super Six.
Tight finishes have become routine for Nepal, and they were again involved in some thrillers at the qualifying event, beating the UAE by one run and Qatar by five runs in two close contests.
Rohit Paudel, 23, will captain the squad in India and Sri Lanka, supported by Dipendra Singh Airee as vice-captain.
It is Nepal’s third appearance at an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, and they will be hoping this is the year they make it out of the group stage for the first time.
Netherlands
The Netherlands joined Italy in progressing from the European Regional Qualifier, topping the group with three wins from four to book their seventh appearance at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
They have twice advanced beyond the group stages of the competition and are led for a third consecutive ICC Men’s T20 World Cup by captain Scott Edwards as they prepare to line-up in Group A against co-hosts India, Pakistan and USA.
“Our squad has depth and variety in options which we feel will be effective against the opposition and in these conditions,” said head coach Ryan Cook.
“With experience in the past few World Cups, having played against all of the teams in our group recently and having exposure to the conditions in Sri Lanka and India, we’re confident in our preparations over the past few months.”
Oman
Oman finished second behind Nepal in the Super Six stage of the aforementioned Asia-EAP Regional Qualifier to seal a place at their fourth ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Nadeem Khan and Jiten Ramanandi took 11 wickets apiece at the Qualifier, while Oman’s all-time leading T20I run-scorer, Jatinder Singh, will captain the squad having missed out on the 2024 edition.
Following qualification, the skipper said: “It’s a proud moment, the boys are really looking forward to it. To play at such a high-profile tournament, you need experience, so it’s a blessing in disguise we had the Qualifier to provide that.”
Oman will contest Group B with co-hosts Sri Lanka, Australia, Ireland and Zimbabwe.
Scotland
Scotland replaced Bangladesh in the tournament as the highest-ranked team in the world who hadn’t already qualified for the tournament.
They sit 14th in the ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings, are ranked higher than seven teams already in the tournament and will be making their seventh appearance at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Steve Snell, Cricket Scotland Head of Performance, says the team are ready and raring to go despite their late call-up.
He said: “The coaching staff, selectors and I are all really excited about the squad that has been picked. We feel it’s well-balanced and caters for a lot of different scenarios and challenges that the team will face in India.”
UAE
The UAE are set for their third appearance at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup after finishing third behind Nepal and Oman at the conclusion of the Super Six stage of the Asia-EAP Regional Qualifier.
Captain Muhammad Waseem’s side narrowly missed out on the 2024 competition but made up for it this time around, becoming the 20th and final nation to seal their spot back in October last year.
They did so thanks to an eight-wicket victory over Japan in their last match of that Qualifier, which earned them a spot in the competition.
Alishan Sharafu finished as the Qualifier’s leading run scorer, with 283 at an average of 56.60 and an impressive strike-rate of 143.65.
USA
USA did not need to come through qualification, with their spot secured by virtue of their historic performances on home turf at the 2024 event.
There, they not only secured a famous win over Pakistan but also made it out of the Group Stage and into the Super 8s.
Defeats to South Africa, West Indies and England may have followed but the USA’s performances had already captured the imagination of their home support by then.
Aiming to repeat that performance again, head coach Pubudu Dassanayake said: “The World Cup squad is strong, balanced, and ready to dominate in every department. We’re fully confident in our team’s potential.”
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