Dubai [UAE], while the world enjoyed a fascinating 20-team event in the USA and West Indies, it will be time to do it all again in 2026, with another ICC Men's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka .
The tournament, which will again be 55 matches, will be played in the same format, with four groups of five, before two Super Eight groups, semi-finals and a final to crown the next champion, according to ICC.
Before that, however, the final eight teams of the tournament need to be decided. As hosts, Sri Lanka and India occupy the top two spots for 2026. From there, the next 10 spots were determined by the Super Eight qualifiers in the 2024 edition, and the ICC Men's T20I team qualification on June 30 was the deadline. .
Thanks to their strong play in the first round and entry into the Super Eights, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa and the West Indies secured places for the 2026 T20 World Cup, as did the United States, who upstaged Pakistan in a Super Over. to steal a spot in the Second Round of Group A.
Despite missing out on the Super Eights, Babar Azam's men secured their place in the next edition thanks to their T20I ranking (7th), alongside New Zealand (6th) and Ireland (11th). The final eight teams for the edition 2026 will be decided by regional qualifiers, similar to the 2024 qualification.
Africa, Asia and Europe have two qualifying spots, with one spot each for the Americas and East Asia and Pacific regions.
*AfricaRegional qualifying places: two
A region that experienced perhaps the biggest upset in regional qualifying in the last cycle, when Uganda upstaged regional giants Zimbabwe, there will be fierce competition as African teams battle for T20 World Cup 2026 privileges.
Having failed to reach the Super Eight stage of the 2024 T20 World Cup, Uganda and Namibia will return to the regional qualifiers, with Zimbabwe joining the pair as the highest-ranked challengers for the two 2026 spots. Nigeria, Tanzania and a rebuilding Kenyan team are the others most likely to pose a threat to the aforementioned three in the regional final.
*Americas
Regional Qualifying Spots: OneAs in the 2024 road, where they had qualified by hosting the tournament, the USA will skip regional qualifying thanks to their final position in their home tournament.
The result is a big win for other teams in the region, as they will have one less team to worry about when USA qualifying resumes.
Canada surpassed Bermuda in Net Run Rate to take the 2024 spot, and are favorites to claim the spot again and enter back-to-back tournaments. Meanwhile, Bermuda is in the process of rebuilding following the retirement of Kamau Leverock, among many others, while teams like the Cayman Islands, Argentina and Panama are the next best teams to compete.
*Asia
Regional qualification places: twoIn addition to the European qualification for 2026, Asia can boast of having the most challenging qualification process. Outside of Nepal and Oman, who go directly to the regional final after competing in the 2024 T20 World Cup, all other teams will have to compete and qualify through sub-regional play.
It looks like an uphill battle, especially for the Omanis, to regain their place, with several players at the end of their careers and with a young, rejuvenated UAE team waiting to challenge.
However, the Emiratis are the only threat in the region, as the growth of cricket in the Gulf and Southeast Asia will make the action ultra-competitive. Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar are three teams hoping to make their mark on the game , with teams like Hong Kong and Malaysia, two teams from the other side of the region ready to challenge.
*East Asia and the Pacific
Regional qualification places: One East Asia and Pacific spot for 2026 remains Papua New Guinea's to lose despite a winless campaign at the 2024 T20 World Cup, but there is a case for the rest of the region to gain ground with the Barramundis.
After finishing second in the last regional final, Japan are the team that now emerge as the biggest threat to PNG, and should compete again at the same stage, assuming they prevail in their sub-regional group.
Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming's team will have to overcome Indonesia, the Philippines and South Korea in their sub-regional qualifier, while Vanuatu, the team that won the other sub-regional qualifier, will have to overcome rivals Samoa, Fiji and Cook . Islands.*Europe
Regional qualifying places: two
By squeezing their way into qualifying for the 2026 T20 World Cup, Ireland will be relieved to skip a tough European route to qualifying for the 2026 T20 World Cup. For countries like Scotland and the Netherlands, it would be a relief to know they won't They have to face Paul Stirling's men in a race for two places. The Scots and Dutch will be the favorites to get the European places in the regional final, although with 21 teams still alive for places in the region, there will surely be competition .
A rising Italian team has already secured its place in the regional final after beating nine other teams in the Sub-Regional Qualifier A. Jersey and Germany are the two teams most likely to clinch the Group B spot in July, while teams as Denmark, Spain and Guernsey fight for a place in Qualifier C in August.
The tournament, which will again be 55 matches, will be played in the same format, with four groups of five, before two Super Eight groups, semi-finals and a final to crown the next champion, according to ICC.
Before that, however, the final eight teams of the tournament need to be decided. As hosts, Sri Lanka and India occupy the top two spots for 2026. From there, the next 10 spots were determined by the Super Eight qualifiers in the 2024 edition, and the ICC Men's T20I team qualification on June 30 was the deadline. .
Thanks to their strong play in the first round and entry into the Super Eights, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa and the West Indies secured places for the 2026 T20 World Cup, as did the United States, who upstaged Pakistan in a Super Over. to steal a spot in the Second Round of Group A.
Despite missing out on the Super Eights, Babar Azam's men secured their place in the next edition thanks to their T20I ranking (7th), alongside New Zealand (6th) and Ireland (11th). The final eight teams for the edition 2026 will be decided by regional qualifiers, similar to the 2024 qualification.
Africa, Asia and Europe have two qualifying spots, with one spot each for the Americas and East Asia and Pacific regions.
*AfricaRegional qualifying places: two
A region that experienced perhaps the biggest upset in regional qualifying in the last cycle, when Uganda upstaged regional giants Zimbabwe, there will be fierce competition as African teams battle for T20 World Cup 2026 privileges.
Having failed to reach the Super Eight stage of the 2024 T20 World Cup, Uganda and Namibia will return to the regional qualifiers, with Zimbabwe joining the pair as the highest-ranked challengers for the two 2026 spots. Nigeria, Tanzania and a rebuilding Kenyan team are the others most likely to pose a threat to the aforementioned three in the regional final.
*Americas
Regional Qualifying Spots: OneAs in the 2024 road, where they had qualified by hosting the tournament, the USA will skip regional qualifying thanks to their final position in their home tournament.
The result is a big win for other teams in the region, as they will have one less team to worry about when USA qualifying resumes.
Canada surpassed Bermuda in Net Run Rate to take the 2024 spot, and are favorites to claim the spot again and enter back-to-back tournaments. Meanwhile, Bermuda is in the process of rebuilding following the retirement of Kamau Leverock, among many others, while teams like the Cayman Islands, Argentina and Panama are the next best teams to compete.
*Asia
Regional qualification places: twoIn addition to the European qualification for 2026, Asia can boast of having the most challenging qualification process. Outside of Nepal and Oman, who go directly to the regional final after competing in the 2024 T20 World Cup, all other teams will have to compete and qualify through sub-regional play.
It looks like an uphill battle, especially for the Omanis, to regain their place, with several players at the end of their careers and with a young, rejuvenated UAE team waiting to challenge.
However, the Emiratis are the only threat in the region, as the growth of cricket in the Gulf and Southeast Asia will make the action ultra-competitive. Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar are three teams hoping to make their mark on the game , with teams like Hong Kong and Malaysia, two teams from the other side of the region ready to challenge.
*East Asia and the Pacific
Regional qualification places: One East Asia and Pacific spot for 2026 remains Papua New Guinea's to lose despite a winless campaign at the 2024 T20 World Cup, but there is a case for the rest of the region to gain ground with the Barramundis.
After finishing second in the last regional final, Japan are the team that now emerge as the biggest threat to PNG, and should compete again at the same stage, assuming they prevail in their sub-regional group.
Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming's team will have to overcome Indonesia, the Philippines and South Korea in their sub-regional qualifier, while Vanuatu, the team that won the other sub-regional qualifier, will have to overcome rivals Samoa, Fiji and Cook . Islands.*Europe
Regional qualifying places: two
By squeezing their way into qualifying for the 2026 T20 World Cup, Ireland will be relieved to skip a tough European route to qualifying for the 2026 T20 World Cup. For countries like Scotland and the Netherlands, it would be a relief to know they won't They have to face Paul Stirling's men in a race for two places. The Scots and Dutch will be the favorites to get the European places in the regional final, although with 21 teams still alive for places in the region, there will surely be competition .
A rising Italian team has already secured its place in the regional final after beating nine other teams in the Sub-Regional Qualifier A. Jersey and Germany are the two teams most likely to clinch the Group B spot in July, while teams as Denmark, Spain and Guernsey fight for a place in Qualifier C in August.
