Italy One Win Away from T20 World Cup Dream After Upset Over Scotland

Italy is on the verge of making cricket history, needing just one more win to secure their first-ever spot in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup. Led by former Australian Test opener Joe Burns, the Italian side stunned Scotland with a 12-run victory at the ICC T20 World Cup Europe Regional Final, placing them at the top of the tournament standings.

The win over the highly-favored Scots has Italy poised to claim one of the two coveted qualification spots for the 2026 T20 World Cup, to be held in India and Sri Lanka. If they defeat the Netherlands in their final group game on Friday, qualification is guaranteed. Even a narrow loss might be enough, depending on the results—and margins—of the Scotland vs. Jersey match earlier in the day.

Burns, who made the switch from Australia to Italy, called the moment “very surreal,” praising his team’s dedication and sacrifice.

“To come and beat Scotland, who are a fantastic team, is a nice reward for the sacrifices our players, staff, and federation have made,” Burns said. “Hopefully this is the stepping stone for a lot to come.”

Italy also holds a major advantage heading into Friday: their match is the last of the tournament. With a healthy net run rate of 1.722—well ahead of Jersey (0.430) and Scotland (-0.150)—the Italians will know exactly what’s needed to secure qualification when they take the field in Voorburg.

Scotland, meanwhile, is left ruing a missed opportunity. Captain Richie Berrington admitted his side was outplayed but remained hopeful about their qualification chances.

“A lot of the credit has to go to Italy, who out-skilled us with the ball in those conditions,” Berrington said. “We’ll be looking to come back strong on Friday.”

With history hanging in the balance, Italy stands one win away from cricketing glory. All eyes now turn to Voorburg.