The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced a slightly changed pathway for the regional qualifiers for the upcoming T20 Cricket World Cup in 2026.
The changes made by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in the board meeting on Monday regarding the qualification process for both men’s and women’s World Cups seem to benefit Nepal.
The ICC has slightly modified the selection process for the eight teams that will qualify for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 through regional qualifiers. Now, two teams each from Europe and Africa, one team from the Americas, and three teams from the Asia and EAP (East Asia-Pacific) regions will qualify.
Previously, two teams from Asia and one from the EAP were selected. PNG was a strong contender from the EAP region, with Japan and Vanuatu also providing stiff competition. In Asia; Nepal, Oman, UAE, and Hong Kong were the main contenders. Now, after the regional qualifiers, the final round of selection will be held simultaneously.
This new system means that even if Nepal or other nations lose in the semi-finals of the qualifiers, they will have another chance to reach the World Cup. This opens the door for strong associate teams like Nepal, UAE, and Oman to qualify for the World Cup together.
On the women’s side, the ICC has increased the number of teams participating in the World Cup from 12 to 16 starting from the 2030 World Cup. Nepal’s women’s team has yet to play in a World Cup.
Additionally, the ICC’s board meeting gave Chile and the USA a 12-month period to resolve their administrative issues to retain their membership, citing non-compliance with ICC regulations.
This is very good new for us who has love cricket 🏏 , I’m from Nepal and I hope Nepal man and woman team both are play world cup surely.