International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed on Tuesday that, Pakistan has managed to qualify for the 2026 T20 World Cup. The tournament will feature a total of 20 teams, with the first two spots automatically given to hosts India and Sri Lanka.
A total of 12 teams have qualified with the next 10 spots determined by the Super Eight qualifiers of 2024 and the T20I team rankings.
Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, the West Indies, and the United States secured their places through this route.
Pakistan, led by captain Babar Azam, clinched their spot despite an abysmal performance in the World Cup campaign, securing the 7th position in the T20I rankings.
New Zealand, ranked 6th, and Ireland, ranked 11th, also successfully qualified through their ICC T20I rankings. This leaves eight spots to be filled through regional qualifiers, with two each from Africa, Asia, and Europe, and one each from the North American and East-Asia Pacific regions.
The final lineup of teams will soon be completed with the regional qualifiers. The competition promises to be fierce in the qualifiers, with nations from around the globe vying for the remaining positions.
All the 20 teams in the 2026 T20 World Cup will be divided into four groups of five teams each, it will follow the same format of the mega-event that happened this year in the USA and the Caribbean.
