The 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will be the 10th edition of the tournament. It will be hosted by India and Sri Lanka from 7 February to 8 March 2026. Sri Lanka earlier hosted the tournament in 2012, and India hosted it in 2016.
A total of 20 teams will take part, and 55 matches will be played. The matches will be held at five venues in India and three venues in Sri Lanka.
Italy has qualified for the Men’s T20 World Cup for the first time. India will enter the tournament as the defending champions. The stage is perfect for surprise wins and unforgettable moments. This is a detailed look at the Top 5 upset victories in T20 World Cup history.
Top 5 Upset Wins in the T20 World Cup
USA beat Pakistan, 2024
The USA’s win over Pakistan in the 2024 T20 World Cup was one of the biggest upsets in cricket history. It was the first-ever T20I match between the USA and Pakistan, and the USA showed they had a proper game plan from the start. USA first restricted Pakistan to 159 runs in 20 overs, which was a strong effort against a team known for winning ICC trophies.
In the chase, the USA matched the target by scoring 159 runs, which pushed the match into a Super Over. In the Super Over, USA scored 18 runs, while Pakistan could manage only 13, and USA sealed a historic victory. This result officially announced the USA as a serious team on the world cricket stage.
Ireland beat England, 2022
Ireland’s win over England in the 2022 T20 World Cup was a famous upset, and it felt like payback for what happened back in 2010. Ireland had already scared England in 2010 in the Caribbean, but that match got washed out because of rain, so Ireland never got a proper result. When they met again in Melbourne in 2022, rain again became the turning point.
Ireland scored 157 all out in 19.2 overs. England started the chase, but rain stopped the match in the middle of the innings. At the stoppage, England were 105/5 in the 15th over, and they were 5 runs behind the DLS par score. Because of the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method, Ireland were declared the winners. This gave Ireland a historic win over England in a World Cup match.
Namibia beat Sri Lanka, 2022
Namibia’s win over Sri Lanka in the 2022 T20 World Cup was one of the most shocking upsets of the tournament. The match was played in Geelong, Australia, in front of around 16,000 spectators. Namibia batted first and scored 163, which turned out to be a difficult target.
Sri Lanka then collapsed early after losing quick top-order wickets. Sri Lanka, who were the 2014 T20 World Cup champions, were bowled out for 108 in 19 overs. Namibia won the match by 55 runs. It was a complete team bowling performance, as four Namibian bowlers took two wickets each.
Afghanistan beat West Indies, 2016
Afghanistan’s win over West Indies in the 2016 T20 World Cup was one of the biggest surprises of the tournament. The 2016 T20 World Cup was hosted in India. West Indies later went on to become the tournament champions, but they suffered a shock defeat in the Super 10 stage.
Afghanistan batted first and scored 123/7. Najibullah Zadran was the top scorer with 48 runs off 40 balls. West Indies were then restricted to 117/8. Afghanistan won the match by 6 runs. Even though the West Indies still qualified for the knockout stage, this loss was seen as a major wake-up call for them.
Netherlands beat England, 2009
The Netherlands’ win over England in the 2009 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup was one of the most shocking upsets in tournament history. England batted first and scored 163 runs in front of their home fans.
The Netherlands chased the target and won the match on the final ball. The winning runs came in dramatic fashion after an overthrow, allowing the batters to run two runs and complete the chase. Tom de Grooth was named Player of the Match. He played the key innings, scoring 49 runs off 30 balls.
FAQs
Q. Where will the 2026 T20 World Cup matches take place?
A. Three locations in Sri Lanka and five locations in India will host the matches.
Q. Which team joined the 2026 T20 World Cup for the first time?
A. Italy has qualified for the T20 World Cup for the first time.
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