KOLKATA: Italy will open their ICC T20 World Cup campaign with a Group C clash against Scotland at Eden Gardens on Monday, marking the European side’s debut in the global cricket tournament.
Italy, traditionally a football powerhouse with four FIFA World Cup titles, will be the lowest-ranked team in the competition. The team earned its place by defeating Scotland in the qualifiers, setting up a rematch in their first group-stage match.
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“How did we get to the World Cup? In Italy we say ‘miracolo Italiano’, an ‘Italian miracle’,” said Riccardo Maggio, development officer with the Italian Cricket Federation, who has spent decades promoting the sport in a football-dominated nation.
🏏 Scotland 🆚 Italy | T20 World Cup 2026 🇮🇹🇸🇨
Experience vs debut dreams 🌍
Italy step onto the World Cup stage, Scotland look to assert dominance!
Associate cricket keeps delivering 🔥 pic.twitter.com/pNskCGyGZA— Rupesh Suryavanshi (@RupeshSurya288) February 9, 2026
Captain Wayne Madsen, a 42-year-old South African-born player with English county cricket experience, described leading the team as a “huge honour.” Italy will also face England, the West Indies, and Nepal in other group-stage fixtures.
Maggio, 56, recalled playing in Italy’s historic six-wicket win over an England Cricket Board XI in 1998, calling it a performance that “shocked cricket.” He added that facing England again in the World Cup brought him to tears.
Cricket in Italy has deep roots, dating back to the late 18th century when English naval hero Horatio Nelson organised a game in Naples. Clubs such as the Genoa Cricket and Athletic Club, founded in 1893, and AC Milan, originally the “Milan Football and Cricket Club,” illustrate the sport’s historical presence alongside football.
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Today, Italy’s cricket federation counts around 1,800 players across 100 clubs. The squad includes a diverse mix of players with Italian ancestry or connections from countries including Australia and South Africa. Former South Africa T20 international J.J. Smuts is also part of the team through marriage.
Madsen will complete an unusual World Cup double on Monday, having previously represented South Africa in the field hockey World Cup. The team hopes their participation will spark interest and growth for cricket in Italy, inspiring the next generation of players.