Full List of 20 Teams for T20 World Cup 2026

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Set to Redefine World Cricket Excitement. Italy’s Dream Debut

The lineup for next year’s 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka has been confirmed.

The 2026 tournament is set to be hosted by India and Sri Lanka in the early stages of 2026. This will be the 10th edition of the men’s T20 World Cup. The fact that the date is still early 2026 is important for teams to plan travel, training and preparation accordingly.

The final three spots have been filled as the 20 teams that will compete at next year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup have been locked in.

The full qualification process involves a mixture of automatic qualification (hosts + top-ranked teams) and regional qualifiers.

The “final three spots” refer to the last remaining places from the regional qualifiers (in particular, Asia/East Asia-Pacific region), which filled out the 20-team field. With the final spots now filled, everyone knows who is in, and that sets the stage for the tournament build-up.

The final three spots in the 20-team tournament were confirmed earlier this week, with Nepal, Oman and UAE earning their place via the Asia/East Asia-Pacific Qualifier. The Nepal national cricket team and the Oman national cricket team secured their spots first in the Asia/EAP qualifying event.

The United Arab Emirates national cricket team (UAE) clinched the final of the three spots by winning a key game vs Malaysia in that qualifier. That qualifier tournament had nine teams fighting for three spots.

It shows how competitive the “last three” were, and underscores how these “associate nations” (outside the big full member nations) are making an impact.

It will be a second consecutive appearance at the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 and third overall for Nepal, while Oman will feature for a fourth time and the UAE a third and first time since 2022.

Nepal appeared in 2024, and thus this will indeed be their second straight and their third overall appearance. (Their prior participation was in 2014).

Oman has featured before, and this marks their 4th appearance (they played in 2016, 2021, and 2024).The

The UAE had last qualified in 2022, so this is their first time back since then. These appearances show growing competitiveness and the opportunity for these nations to raise their profile.

The event is scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka during the early stages of 2026, with the European side, Italy, to make their inaugural appearance at the tournament after they progressed via the European Qualifier alongside the Netherlands.

The Italy national cricket team qualified for the first time ever for this tournament, making this a historic moment for them. The Netherlands national cricket team also progressed via the Europe regional qualifier alongside Italy.

Hosting in India and Sri Lanka means teams must adapt to Asian conditions (spin, heat, subcontinent pitches), which can favour certain teams and challenge others.

Italy’s entry shows how cricket is expanding beyond the traditional “big cricket nations”.

India will enter the event as the reigning champions, having beaten South Africa by seven runs in the most recent final in 2024, while they are one of three multiple T20 World Cup winners alongside England and the West Indies.

The Indian national cricket team won the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup, making them the defending champions. They are indeed one of the three teams to have won the tournament multiple times (India, England national cricket team, and West Indies cricket team).

As reigning champs and host, India will have a strong spotlight on them expectations will be high.

The T20 World Cup 2026 tournament will be played using the same format as the 2024 event, with the 20 teams placed into four different groups of five teams ahead of the Super Eights phase that will include the top two finishers from each group.

The format means: First round – 4 groups × 5 teams = 20 teams. The top two from each group move on. Then the Super Eights: 2 groups of 4 teams each (so 8 teams) compete, with the top two from each Super Eight group advancing to the semi-finals.

This structure was used in 2024 and is being repeated. It offers a clear path:

Group Stage → Super Eights → Semi-Finals → Final.

For nations like Italy, Nepal, Oman, UAE, this format offers more matches and opportunities to advance; they’ll need consistency across multiple games, not just one knockout.

The Super Eights will feature two groups of four sides, with the top two finishers from each group then progressing to the knockout semi-finals.

Once the Super Eights begin, every match is crucial because the margin of victory (net run-rate) often comes into play, especially if teams finish level on wins.

It also means that teams from stronger groups need to be ready for a higher quality of opponent in the Super Eights, often facing full members or higher-ranked associates.

For fans and journalists (like yourself), this format provides multiple storylines: can a newcomer (like Italy) make it past the group? Can Nepal/Oman/UAE upset a full member strongly? Will India and other big teams dominate as expected?

In summary

The stage is set for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. With the final three spots now confirmed (Nepal, Oman, UAE), and historic participation for Italy, fans have plenty of new stories to follow. Hosts India carry the champion’s burden, and the format gives a clear roadmap from groups to Super Eights to the semis and final. For independent journalists like you, Chetansinh, this offers strong angles: the rise of associate nations, the debutants, the challenge for hosts, and how teams will adapt to sub-continental conditions.

Teams locked in for T20 World Cup 2026