From Europe to India: Italy book dream debut at 2026 T20 World Cup

Italy secured a historic qualification for their first-ever ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, joining the Netherlands as the two teams to progress from the Europe Qualifiers for the 2026 edition to be held in India and Sri Lanka.

Despite losing their final match to the Netherlands, Italy advanced on net run rate, having done just enough to stretch the chase into the 17th over, the minimum required for qualification.

Italy had posted 134/7 after being put in to bat. They struggled to build momentum, with Roelof van der Merwe picking up three wickets for just 15 runs in a tight spell. Kyle Klein also kept the scoring in check. Benjamin Manenti’s steady innings and a late push by Grant Stewart helped Italy reach a defendable total.


In response, the Netherlands began aggressively, with Michael Levitt and Max O’Dowd dominating the powerplay. But Italy managed to slow the innings down and drag the match into the 17th over — the key factor that helped them qualify.

While the Netherlands won the match, both teams secured tickets to the 2026 T20 World Cup. Jersey, despite a historic win over Scotland, their first, missed out due to net run rate.

Fifteen teams have now qualified for the 2026 tournament, with five more spots remaining — three from the Asia-East Asia Pacific qualifier and two from Africa.

T20 World Cup Qualified Teams (as of July 11, 2025):

Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, England, India, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, USA, West Indies.