T20 World Cup 2026: Italy announce 15-member squad for maiden appearance, Wayne Madsen to lead

Italy have announced their 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. This edition of the tournament will mark Italy’s maiden appearance at a Cricket World Cup. Wayne Madsen has been appointed captain and will lead the side in the global event.

The squad features a blend of experience and emerging talent. Former South Africa international JJ Smuts has been named in the team, bringing valuable top-level experience. The selection also includes two sets of brothers, Harry and Benjamin Manenti, as well as Anthony and Justin Mosca. Notably, former Australia international Joe Burns, who captained Italy during their qualification campaign, has been left out of the squad after being removed from the captaincy late last year.

Italy earned qualification for the tournament by finishing second in the Europe Regional Qualifier in July, behind the Netherlands. Their consistent performances throughout the qualification phase ensured a well-deserved spot in the expanded 20-team tournament. The Italian coaching staff is led by head coach John Davison, with former Ireland international Kevin O’Brien and former Scotland all-rounder Dougie Brown serving as assistant coaches.

Italy have been placed in Group C for the tournament, alongside Bangladesh, England, Nepal, and West Indies. They will begin their World Cup campaign against Bangladesh in Kolkata on February 9, before travelling to Mumbai to face Nepal on February 12. Italy then return to Kolkata for challenging fixtures against England on February 16 and West Indies on February 19.

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 will run from February 7 to March 8. The tournament features 20 teams divided into four groups of five in the opening round, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the Super Eight stage. From there, the top two teams in each Super Eight group will qualify for the semi-finals, setting the stage for an exciting conclusion to the competition.

Italy squad for T20 World Cup 2026:

Zain Ali, Marcus Campopiano (wk), Ali Hasan, Crishan Kalugamage, Wayne Madsen (capt), Harry Manenti, Gian Piero Meade, Anthony Mosca, Justin Mosca, Syed Naqvi, Benjamin Manenti, Jaspreet Singh, JJ Smuts, Grant Stewart, Thomas Draca