With Italy and the Netherlands joining the ranks, a total of 15 teams have now officially qualified for the 20-team World Cup event

Despite a win for the Netherlands, Italy's net run rate advantage meant that both sides qualified for the mega event in India and Sri Lanka next year.

There are moments in sport that defy scorecards, that linger not in the margins of statistics but in the marrow of memory. Italy's qualification for the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup is one such moment – not just a sporting milestone, but the flowering of a dream driven largely by its immigrant heartbeat.