Italy shocked the entire cricketing world with their dominant performance in the ICC T20 World Cup Europe Qualifiers. Even though they lost their last game against Netherlands, their superior run-rate of +0.612, helped them earn a place in the showpiece T20 event in India and Sri Lanka in 2026.
This is a historic moment for the European nation as they aren’t quite known for making the strides in international cricket. Italy has predominantly been a football-loving nation and are the second-most successful side in the history of the FIFA World Cup.
Italy has bagged 4 FIFA World Cup titles and much to the surprise of everyone – Italy will be playing in the Cricket World Cup and not in the Football World Cup in 2026.
Netherlands and Italy have qualified for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. Jersey fell agonizingly short of securing a berth as they finished with 5 points (same as Italy) but an inferior run-rate.
Who were the top performers for Italy in the Qualifiers?
Justin Mosca and Harry J Manenti led the charge with the willow as they scored 80 and 83 runs respectively in the tournament.
Both the batters set the foundation for the team. Former Australian cricket, Joe Burns, too has played a stellar role in making sure Italy qualifies to the finals.
Harry J Manenti bagged 8 wickets in the tournament and finished as the highest wicket-taker. His impeccable bowling performances alongside his batting performances helped Italy in creating this world record.
Italy will be extremely proud of their cricket team’s performances. This goes on to show that cricket is increasingly becoming a global sport and is not restricted to only the Commonwealth Nations.
There are several Qualifiers which take place all across the globe and this systematic approach has helped in the associate nations, getting an opportunity of playing at the highest level.
