Italy shocks Europe: Your guide to their T20 cricket rise
This year, Italy has qualified for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Next summer, they’ll be playing against top teams like India and Sri Lanka, but don’t expect them just to wave 'ciao'. Be ready to see a fierce and well‑prepared side. Italy’s captain, Joe Burns, says the qualification feels surreal. It’s a story of guts, hard work, and careful planning.
Planning and preparation: The road to success
You might wonder how Italy pulled off this upset. It wasn’t luck, it was careful planning. Burns told ICC Digital that they trained extensively: a week in Rome, followed by a week in the UK. On day one back in Rome, he told the team: 'I don’t care if we’re playing Luxembourg in the first Sub-Regional game or India in a World Cup Final. I just want us to be the most prepared team in world cricket'.
With this, they looked at every detail: the pitch, the format, the opponents. By the time they took the field, they had run through every possible scenario. Nothing surprised them. They just did what they had practised.
Dominating in Voorburg
At the European Regional Final in Voorburg, Italy, they will not play as underdogs but as game leaders. They hit all the right notes: strong batting, clever bowling, and sharp fielding.
In one big match, they beat Scotland decisively, winning by 12 runs after putting up a solid score of 167. Burns says they even studied how the pitch would behave and tailored their plans to suit that. Their strategy at work was on autopilot, as they knew exactly how they had prepared.
Adapting on the day
Burns explains they needed to play smart in a match that allowed only narrow losses. Against the Dutch, Italy fell behind early, but you would have seen how they shifted gear. They recovered, set a decent score of 133, and then relied on their spinners.
Burns trusted Crishan Kalugamage and Ben Manenti to lock things down. You watched them bowl with patience and precision, slowing the game and forcing mistakes. The team called this 'damage control', and it worked.
A leader with heritage
Burns had a successful Test career with Australia and qualifies to play for Italy thanks to his family ties. In early 2024, before Sub‑Regional qualifying began, he set a clear goal: he wanted Italy’s success to inspire players with Italian roots around the world. His shirt number, 85, honours his late brother Dominic.
He believes that fans can now see a team that came together because of shared stories. In Rome, they spent time talking about culture, family sacrifices, and heritage. Some players and their ancestors moved to or from Italy, which strengthened the squad’s bond.
Burns says this goal goes beyond the 11 players on the field. They want a legacy, more funding, more facilities, and new generations who choose cricket in Italy.
Grassroots and growth
Cricket is growing fast in Italy. With the sport now linked to the Olympics, the Italian National Olympic Committee is helping. You will soon see better training grounds, maybe even turf wickets, for local clubs.
There are over 100 clubs in Italy now. Some players come from those clubs and now represent the national side. But Italy’s coach, Kevin O’Brien, admits they’ve also used player‑eligibility rules. You’ll see names like Emilio Gay, Thomas Draca, Grant Stewart, and brothers Ben and Harry Manenti boosting the squad.
Wayne Madsen will rejoin soon, too. These players brought skills and experience, but you should focus on the coaching group, who bring decades of Associate‑level wisdom. They have former players from Canada, Scotland, Ireland, and Australia involved.
The coaching team
Former Canada international John Davidson is the head coach. Former Scotland all‑rounder Dougie Brown and Ireland’s Kevin O’Brien assist.
O’Brien joined in 2022 after retiring as a player. He watched the team grow, so he saw more than just cricket skills improving. He saw attitude, fitness, cricket smarts, and hunger improve, too. He compares their journey to Ireland’s win over Pakistan in the 2007 World Cup. At that time, he was playing. He sees the same spark in Italy now.
Learning from associates
Burns stresses how hard Associate‑level teams have to work. You don’t just play matches, you play for funding, for survival. That pressure builds tough characters. The coaches had walked this path themselves. So they’re not just coaches, they’re guides who know the road.
Eyes on the 2026 World Cup
Now that Italy has qualified, you should expect a new challenge. Burns says he’d love to face India, Australia, and England, the best. He wants Italy to go in at the deep end. That’s what this team wants: no easy matches, no safe plays.
For fans, the hope is this: Italy’s success will bring Italians together worldwide. Some live in Italy, others have Italian roots and live far away. Burns wants all of them to feel proud and connected.
What you should know going forward
Italy’s path to the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup is a major step for their cricket journey. For the first time, they earned a spot in the men’s tournament, showing how far a team can go with the right mix of planning, training, and pride. Built on strong roots and a shared goal, the squad brought together players from many backgrounds. Now, they face bigger tests ahead, but their story is already one that could spark a new wave of hope, much like Ireland did in 2007.
The journey is just beginning
Italy’s cricket story is more than a surprise win. It’s a blueprint for growth: smart tactics, hard work, unity, and heritage. If you follow them into the 2026 World Cup, expect to see a team that’s not just participating, they’re competing.
Italy wants more than wins; they want to change how people in Italy and Italians around the world see cricket. You may find yourself cheering them on, not just as underdogs, but as a team that earns respect through discipline, culture, and pride. Stay tuned, Italy is ready to show you what it can do on the world stage.
