MEN’S T20 WORLD CUP 2026
UAE booked their berth alongside Nepal and Oman as the last three qualifiers © AFP
United Arab Emirates became the 20th and final side to seal their spot for the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup after an eight-wicket win over Japan in the Asia-EAP Qualifier in Al Amerat on Thursday.
Haider Ali’s 3 for 20 and a 70-run opening stand between Alishan Sharafu and Muhammad Waseem engineered UAE’s chase of 117, booking their berth alongside Nepal and Oman as the last three qualifiers for next year’s tournament in India and Sri Lanka.
The hosts will be joined by the top seven sides from the 2024 edition: South Africa, Afghanistan, England, Australia, Bangladesh, USA and West Indies, along with New Zealand, Pakistan and Ireland, who qualified via T20I rankings.
Canada claimed the Americas slot, while Italy (making a historic debut) and Netherlands advanced from Europe. Namibia and Zimbabwe came through the Africa qualifiers before Asia-EAP wrapped up qualification this week.
The 2026 T20 World Cup will retain the same 20-team format from the previous edition in USA-West Indies, with four groups of five. The top two from each group will move to the Super 8s, followed by semi-finals and the final.
© Cricbuzz
