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Italy have reinforced their chances of qualifying for the T20 World Cup 2026 after beating Scotland by 12 runs in the seventh match of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier. Under Joe Burns, Italy have played exceptionally so far as they are reigning the points table with five points earned through two victories in three outings. In the seventh contest, Italy skipper Joe Burns emerged victorious at the toss against his counterpart Richie Berrington and elected to bat first. Riding on opener Emilio Gay’s rapid 50 off just 21 and Grant Stewart’s unbeaten 44 off 27, Italy posted a total of 167/6 in their 20-over quota.
Defending the score, Italy witnessed the courage of Harry Manenti, who earlier accumulated 38 with the bat and stepped up with the ball in the second innings. Maneti, with his medium-pace bowling, dominated Scotland’s batting attack and restricted them to a score of 155/5 in 20 overs. Manti gave away only 31 runs in his four-over spell and bagged all five wickets. His sensational all-round display got him the player of the match (POTM) award. Following this triumph, Italy will look to win their last game against The Netherlands in Voorburg on July 11, and a win will potentially help them get another step closer to securing a place in the T20 World Cup 2026.
T20 World Cup 2026 in India-Sri Lanka will feature 20 teams
The T20 World Cup 2026 will witness the 20 teams. The format will be similar to the T20 World Cup 2024 in the United States and West Indies. India and Sri Lanka will be hosting the upcoming T20 event in February-March 2026. India, who are the defending champions, are likely to play under Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy.
Another host Sri Lanka will also look to play quality cricket at home as they haven’t reached the semi-final of T20 World Cups since 2014, when they won the title under Lasith Malinga’s leadership.
