Italy Names Historic Squad for First T20 World Cup Appearance

Italy has released its squad consisting of 15 players to make its historical debut in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. This is an unprecedented event, marking the country’s first time to set its flag in the world of cricket. The event is expected to take place from February 7 to March 8. The Azzurri are lead by the experience of Wayne Madsen in this ICC tournament. The team qualified for this tournament after doing well in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier. They finished second to the Netherlands qualifiers and pushed past some well-established sides in the tournament. Among the key inclusions in the side are JJ Smuts, the former South African all-rounder, who has a plethora of experience playing for the Proteas in six T20Is. This will go a long way in giving them a boost in crucial situations against sterner opposition. However, the team also has a number of surprises up its sleeve. Joe Burns, an ex-Test opener for Australia and a vital cog in the Italian team as they qualified for the tournament, has been left out. Also out is Emilio Gay, their top-order batter. The journey of the Italian World Cup team consisted of some stunning victories over more established European nations like Scotland and Guernsey, thereby highlighting the development that this team has seen in the last few years and the effort to take the game to places other than the usual powers. In the World Cup, Italy finds itself in group C, which offers a tough list of opponents, consisting of former winners West Indies and England, in addition to Bangladesh and Nepal, which would present a tough baptism for any first-timer. The tournament opens with a match-up between Pakistan and the Netherlands, although Italy open their campaign on February 9 against Bangladesh at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Although their prospects in the competition are not bright, their taking part is something to celebrate as it symbolizes the growth of the reach of the game of cricket, as well as their attempt to make their mark in international cricket’s biggest platform for the T20 format. Italy squad Zain Ali, Marcus Campopiano (wk), Ali Hasan, Crishan Kalugamage, Wayne Madsen (c), Harry Manenti, Gian Piero Meade, Anthony Mosca, Justin Mosca, Syed Naqvi, Benjamin Manenti, Jaspreet Singh, JJ Smuts, Grant Stewart and Thomas Draca.