All 20 Teams Confirmed for 2026 ICC T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. All 20 teams have now qualified to compete at the co-hosted 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. The 10th edition of the marquee tournament will take place from February to March 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. The month-long tournament will feature a total of 20 teams in 55 matches, making it the largest T20 World Cup ever staged. Matches will be played at some of the most iconic stadiums of the subcontinent.
The tournament format will consist of sorts of 5 groups of teams each, with the top 2 teams in each group proceeding to the Super Eight phase, leading to the semifinals and final. India, co-hosts and former champions in 2007, will now look to defend their crown from the 2024 tournament and aim for succession.
Direct Qualifying Teams
Hosts: As the co-hosts, India (IND) and Sri Lanka (SL) automatically qualified to compete.
Top Teams from the 2024 T20 World Cup
The 2024 T20 World Cup will feature seven teams qualifying (excluding the hosts): Afghanistan (AFG), Australia (AUS), Bangladesh (BAN), England (ENG), South Africa (SA), the USA, and the West Indies (WI).
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ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings
Three teams qualified via the ICC Men’s T20I team rankings: Ireland (IRE), New Zealand (NZ), and Pakistan (PAK). All of them have been long-time competitors in the shortest format.
Regional Qualifiers
Eight teams qualified for the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup through the regional qualifying tournaments, once again highlighting the growth and development of cricket in regions outside of its traditional foundations.
Americas Qualifier: Canada (CAN)
From the Americas, Canada defeated Bermuda in a thrilling final window to qualify for their second consecutive T20 World Cup. Led by Saad Bin Zafar, Canada’s exceptional discipline and experience in key moments shone through the tournament.
Europe Qualifier: Italy (ITA), Netherlands (NED)
In the European Qualifier, it was the Netherlands and Italy who stood out. The Netherlands, a frequent participant at the World Cup, cemented their dominance with another strong qualifying campaign; this will mark the country’s seventh time participating at the T20 World Cup. On the other hand, Italy made their own history by qualifying for the first time in their history, shocking teams of a higher stature by playing to their team’s strengths and boasting an incredibly consistent opening batting partnership.
Africa Qualifier: Namibia (NAM), Zimbabwe (ZIM)
In Africa, both Namibia and Zimbabwe reign supreme. Zimbabwe, one of the most reliable associate nations, will once again qualify for a T20 World Cup for the third consecutive cycle. Zimbabwe had played with great courage and showed experience under the captaincy of Sikandar Raza and secured their own third appearance overall.
Asia – East Asia Pacific (EAP) Qualifier: Nepal (NEP), Oman (OMN), United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Nepal (NEP), Oman (OMN), and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) attained the final spots in the Asia–East Asia Pacific (EAP) Qualifier. Nepal’s qualification was particularly special – spurred on by enormous home support and some strong young talent, including Rohit Paudel and Sompal Kami, Nepal bested other participants during the sub-regional qualifiers before taking home the title in the final stage.
This is the second T20 World Cup for Nepal, their first being in 2014, and it marks a very special return for a passionate cricketing nation. With Oman’s consistency and the UAE’s combination of depth and youth, both sides will continue to show strong representation on the cricket world stage.
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In the 2026 T20 World Cup, cricketing giants India, Australia, England and Pakistan will take on new teams like Nepal, Oman and Italy, making it one of the most powerful and diverse tournament line-ups in history. The tournament will be played in early 2026. It will provide exciting cricketing action and new sparks on the world’s largest stage of the game.
