2026 Men's T20 World Cup qualification explained
| 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup qualification |
| Cricket Format: | Twenty20 International |
| Fromdate: | 9 June 2024 |
| Todate: | 2025 |
| Matches: | (Sub-regional) |
| Previous Year: | 2024 |
| Next Year: | 2028 |
The 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup qualification is an ongoing process by which teams will qualify for the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup.[1] A series of regional qualification tournaments will determine the teams which will take part in the tournament.[2]
Format
The top eight teams from the previous edition along with the 2026 hosts and the next best two to four teams (depending on the finishing positions of the hosts in the previous edition) from the ICC Men's T20I Team Rankings will get qualified automatically for the tournament. The remaining eight teams will be decided by regional qualifiers. Each regional qualifier will be held in two stages:[3]
- Sub-regional qualifiers: This stage comprises one or more tournaments depending on the ICC region. Matches are held in either single round-robin or double round-robin format. The stipulated number of teams advance into the next stage.
- Regional final: Top teams unable to earn automatic qualification along with teams advancing from the sub-regional qualifier take part in this stage. Matches are held in either single round-robin or double round-robin format. The stipulated number of teams advance to the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
ICC Region! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Slots per region | No. of direct
qualified teams | Remaining slots | Regional qualifiers |
|---|
| No. of participants | Start date | End date |
|---|
| Africa | 3 | 1 | 2 | 20 | 21 September 2024 | 2025 |
|---|
| Americas | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10 | December 2024 | 2025 |
|---|
Asia
EAP | 10 | 5
2 | 3 | 16
9 | 30 August 2024
17 August 2024 | 2025 |
|---|
| Europe | 4 | 2 | 2 | 32 | 9 June 2024 | 2025 |
|---|
| Total | 20 | 12 | 8 | 87 | | | |
|---|
Qualified teams
Hosts India and Sri Lanka qualified directly as hosts.[4] As hosts India reached the Super 8 stage of the previous T20 World Cup, only seven teams were required to avail of Super 8 qualification. The extra quota thus went to qualification by world rankings.[5]
Team! scope="col" Method of
qualification | Date of
qualification | Venue(s) | No. of teams | Last
time
qualified | Total
times
qualified | Previous best
performance |
|---|
| Co-hosts | | rowspan=2 | | | 10 | |
|---|
| | 10 | Winners (2014) |
|---|
| 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup
(Top 7 teams from the previous tournament,
excluding the hosts) | 17 June 2024 |
| | | 8 | Semi-finals (2024) |
|---|
| | 10 | Winners (2021) |
|---|
| | 10 | Super 8 (2007, 2024) |
|---|
| | 10 | Winners (2010, 2022) |
|---|
| | 10 | Runners-up (2024) |
|---|
| | 2 | Super 8 (2024) |
|---|
| | 10 | Winners (2012, 2016) |
|---|
| | 29 June 2024 | rowspan="3" | | | 9 | Super 8 (2009) |
|---|
| 2024 | 10 | Runners-up (2021) |
|---|
| 2024 | 10 | Winners (2009) |
|---|
| | 2025 | rowspan="2" | | | | |
|---|
| | | |
|---|
| | 2025 | | | | | |
|---|
| | 2025 | rowspan="3" | | | | |
|---|
| | | |
|---|
| | | |
|---|
| | 2025 | rowspan="2" | | | | |
|---|
| | | |
|---|
| Total | | | | 20 | | | | |
|---|
Africa Qualifier
The qualification stages are as follows:
- Africa Qualifier A: Six teams played round-robin matches from 21 to 26 September 2024 in Tanzania
- Africa Qualifier B: Six teams played round-robin matches from 19 to 24 October 2024 in Kenya
- Africa Qualifier C: Six teams played round-robin matches from 23 to 28 November 2024 in Nigeria
- Africa Regional Final: To be decided
Africa sub-regional qualifiers
In the sub-regional phase, Qualifier A was held in Tanzania in September 2024,[6] Qualifier B was held in Kenya in October 2024[7] and Qualifier C was held in Nigeria in November 2024.[8] The top two sides of each sub-regional qualifier will advance to the regional final, where they will join Namibia and Uganda who received a bye after participating in the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup.
Africa Qualifier A
See main article: 2024 Men's T20 World Cup Africa Sub-regional Qualifier A.
Africa Qualifier B
See main article: 2024 Men's T20 World Cup Africa Sub-regional Qualifier B.
Africa Qualifier C
See main article: 2024 Men's T20 World Cup Africa Sub-regional Qualifier C.
Africa regional final
See main article: 2025 Men's T20 World Cup Africa Regional Final.
Americas Qualifier
The qualification stages are as follows:
- Americas Sub-regional Qualifier: Nine teams to play round-robin matches from 6 to 16 December 2024 in Argentina
- Americas Regional Final: To be decided
Americas sub-regional qualifier
See main article: 2024 Men's T20 World Cup Americas Sub-regional Qualifier.
Asia–East Asia-Pacific Qualifier
The qualification stages are as follows:
- EAP Qualifier A: Four teams played double round-robin matches from 17 to 24 August 2024 in Samoa.
- Asia Qualifier A: Seven teams played round-robin matches from 30 August to 9 September 2024 in Malaysia.
- EAP Qualifier B: Four teams played double round-robin matches from 28 September to 5 October 2024 in South Korea.
- Asia Qualifier B: Seven teams played round-robin matches from 19 to 28 November 2024 in Qatar.
- Asia–EAP Regional Final: To be decided.
Asia sub-regional qualifiers
In the Asia sub-regional phase, Qualifier A was held in Malaysia in August and September 2024.[9] and Qualifier B was held in Qatar in November 2024.[10] The top two sides of each Asia sub-regional qualifier will advance to a combined regional final, where they will join Nepal and Oman who received a bye after participating in the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup along with the EAP finalists.
Asia Qualifier A
See main article: 2024 Men's T20 World Cup Asia Sub-regional Qualifier A.
Asia Qualifier B
See main article: 2024 Men's T20 World Cup Asia Sub-regional Qualifier B.
East Asia-Pacific sub-regional qualifiers
In the East-Asia Pacific sub-regional phase, Qualifier A was held in Samoa in August 2024[11] and Qualifier B was held in South Korea in September and October 2024.[12] The winners of EAP sub-regional qualifiers will advance to a combined regional final, where they will join Papua New Guinea who received a bye after participating in the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup along with the Asia finalists.
EAP Qualifier A
See main article: 2024 Men's T20 World Cup East Asia-Pacific Sub-regional Qualifier A.
EAP Qualifier B
See main article: 2024 Men's T20 World Cup East Asia-Pacific Sub-regional Qualifier B.
Asia–East Asia-Pacific regional final
See main article: 2025 Men's T20 World Cup Asia–East Asia-Pacific Regional Final.
Europe Qualifier
The qualification stages are as follows:[13]
- Europe Qualifier A: Ten teams divided into two groups of five played round-robin and knockout matches from 9 to 16 June 2024 in Italy.
- Europe Qualifier B: Ten teams divided into two groups of five played round-robin and knockout matches from 7 to 14 July 2024 in Germany.
- Europe Qualifier C: Ten teams divided into two groups of five played round-robin and knockout matches from 21 to 28 August 2024 in Guernsey.
- Europe Regional Final: To be decided.
Europe sub-regional qualifiers
In the sub-regional phase, Qualifier A was held in Italy in June 2024,[14] Qualifier B was held in Germany in July 2024[15] and Qualifier C was held in Guernsey in August 2024.[16] The winners of each sub-regional qualifier advanced to the regional final.
Europe Qualifier A
See main article: 2024 Men's T20 World Cup Europe Sub-regional Qualifier A.
! Winner! Margin! Runners-up
244/4 (20 overs) | Italy won by 160 runs
scorecard |
84 (17.4 overs) | |
Europe Qualifier B
See main article: 2024 Men's T20 World Cup Europe Sub-regional Qualifier B.
! Winner! Margin! Runners-up
71/4 (7.1 overs) | Jersey won by 6 wickets
scorecard |
69 (15.4 overs) | |
Europe Qualifier C
See main article: 2024 Men's T20 World Cup Europe Sub-regional Qualifier C.
! Winner! Margin! Runners-up
159/4 (18.4 overs) | Guernsey won by 6 wickets
scorecard |
158/7 (20 overs) | |
Europe regional final
See main article: 2025 Men's T20 World Cup Europe Regional Final. The winners of each sub-regional qualifier advanced to the regional final, where they joined Scotland and Netherlands who received a bye after participating in the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup. Italy advanced from Qualifier A,[17] Jersey advanced from Qualifier B[18] and Guernsey advanced from Qualifier C.[19] [20] The top two sides of regional final will advance to the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Notes and References
- Web site: Stop clock set to become a permanent fixture in white-ball internationals from T20 World Cup 2024. International Cricket Council. 15 March 2024.
- Web site: All you need to know about 2026 T20 World Cup qualification. Cricbuzz. 18 May 2024.
- Web site: How does qualification for the 2026 T20 World Cup work? . Wisden . 10 June 2024.
- Web site: Sri Lanka, India to co-host ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2026 . 2024-09-14 . www.adaderana.lk . en.
- Web site: Sportstar . Team . 2024-07-02 . T20 World Cup 2026: Pakistan, New Zealand, Ireland secure automatic qualification despite failing to make it to Super Eight . 2024-09-14 . Sportstar . en.
- Web site: Tanzania Cricket to host 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub-Regional Africa Qualifier A in September 2024. Czarsports . 13 July 2023.
- Web site: Kenya Cricket to host 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub-Regional Africa Qualifier B in October 2024. Czarsports . 13 July 2023.
- Web site: Nigeria Cricket to host 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub-Regional Africa Qualifier C in November 2024. Czarsports . 13 July 2023.
- Web site: Malaysia Cricket to host 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier A in August/September 2024. Czarsports. 31 May 2024 . 10 June 2023.
- Web site: Qatar Cricket to host 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier B in November 2024 . Czarsports . 23 September 2024.
- Web site: Samoa Cricket to host 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup EAP Sub-regional Qualifier A in August 2024 . Czarsportz . 2 January 2024 . 7 January 2024.
- Web site: A historic first for South Korea as dates and venues for the 2024 Pathway Events are announced . International Cricket Council . 5 March 2024 . 5 March 2024.
- Web site: Italy, Germany, Denmark set to host ICC event for first-time ever in 2024 . Asian News International . 14 December 2023 . 16 December 2023.
- Web site: Italy Cricket to host 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Europe Sub-regional Qualifier "A" in June 2024 . Czarsportz . 14 December 2023 . 16 December 2023.
- Web site: Germany Cricket to host 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Europe Sub-regional Qualifier "B" in July 2024 . Czarsportz . 14 December 2023 . 16 December 2023.
- Web site: Guernsey Cricket to host 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Europe Sub-regional Qualifier "C" in August 2024 . Czarsportz . 14 December 2023 . 16 December 2023.
- Web site: Italy advance in Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Qualification after victory in Rome . International Cricket Council. 17 June 2024.
- Web site: Jersey win in Germany to advance in ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 pathway . International Cricket Council. 15 July 2024.
- Web site: Guernsey reach T20 World Cup qualifiers . BBC Sport . 28 August 2024 . 28 August 2024.
- Web site: Hard work pays off in historic Guernsey win . Guernsey Press . 29 August 2024 . 29 August 2024.
