T20 World Cup 2026 will take two years later in India and Sri Lanka. Just like the 2024 edition of the mega event, T20 WC 2026 will also have 20 teams. India and Sri Lanka have already qualified for the mega event because they are the co-hosts. Seven other teams, namely USA, England, South Africa, West Indies, Australia, Afghanistan and Bangladesh have also qualified because they made it to the Super 8s in T20 World Cup 2024.
Apart from the aforementioned teams, Ireland, New Zealand and Pakistan have also earned a direct entry because of their higher ranking in the ICC T20I Rankings for teams. There are still eight vacant spots in the mega event, which means that there could be surprises like Canada and Uganda made it to the mega event in 2024.
Some of the former successful cricket teams could also make a return. Here’s a list of three such teams who can make a surprise return in T20 World Cup 2026.
1. Bermuda can qualify for T20 World Cup 2026
Indian cricket fans will always remember the Bermuda cricket team because of the high-scoring match they had against them in the 2007 ODI World Cup. Bermuda’s Dwayne Leverock also grabbed the headlines with his stunning catch in the slips. With USA earning a direct entry, the Americas qualifier spot is open now, which means Bermuda has a chance.
2. Kenya
Kenya once made it to the semifinals in the ODI World Cup. They played in the 2007 T20 World Cup as well, where they returned home after losing both the matches they played. Perhaps, Kenya could make a comeback in the cricket world as there are two spots available for African teams in 2026. Zimbabwe and Uganda will also be in the race.
3. Hong Kong
Hong Kong played in the 2014 and 2016 editions of the T20 World Cup, and they even played in the 2022 Asia Cup. Eight years have passed since Hong Kong played in a T20 WC game. If the Asian team performs well in the regional qualifiers, they will have a good chance of making it to the 2026 T20 WC and return in the top-tier competition.
