Nepal and Oman secure T20 World Cup 2026 berths; UAE, Japan, and Qatar battle for final spot

Nepal and Oman have officially qualified for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which will be held in India and Sri Lanka. Both teams secured their spots during the Super Six stage of the Asia-EAP Regional Final in Al Amerat, with one more team from the qualifier set to join them in next year’s World Cup.

Nepal and Oman have secured two of the three qualifying spots for the T20 World Cup 2026 even before their Super Six encounter on Thursday. Both teams remain unbeaten in their three matches so far, with only the net run rate separating them. The UAE, Japan, and Qatar are still competing for the final qualification spot.

Oman and Nepal have secured their spots in the T20 World Cup following the UAE’s 77-run win over Samoa, which confirmed that both teams would finish in the top three of the Super Six standings regardless of their next match.

SHORTS

View More

Your daily dose of cricket!

Loading...

Nepal, led by Rohit Paudel, will participate in the ICC T20 tournament for the third time after previous appearances in 2014 and 2024. The team won two thrilling last-over encounters against the UAE and Qatar in the qualifiers.

Oman will also make their third T20 World Cup appearance after 2016 and 2024, securing their place with victories over Qatar and a tense chase against the UAE. The tournament is scheduled to take place from February 6 to March 8 in India and Sri Lanka.

Explaining the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Qualification Process

The teams for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 have been determined through a combination of automatic qualifications, rankings, and regional competitions. As hosts, India and Sri Lanka automatically qualified for the tournament.

Seven teams from the 2024 edition, including Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, the United States, and the West Indies, secured their spots based on their performances without further competition.

Ireland, New Zealand, and Pakistan advanced to the tournament based on the ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings as of June 30, 2024. Nepal and Oman qualified from the Asia-EAP Qualifier in October 2025, while one final team from this region is still awaiting confirmation.

Tournament Structure, Venues, and Confirmed Teams for T20 World Cup 2026

A total of 20 teams will compete in the T20 World Cup. The teams are divided into four groups of five, with the top two from each group advancing to the Super 8 stage.

India and Sri Lanka will co-host the tournament, while matches involving Pakistan will be held in Sri Lanka under a neutral venue arrangement between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

The final is scheduled to take place at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India, unless Pakistan qualify, in which case it will be moved to R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Several teams have already secured their spots, including Canada from the Americas, Italy and the Netherlands from Europe, and Zimbabwe and Namibia from the Africa Qualifier.

Also read: Australia camp announces Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma's last tour