Namibia earned the 16th team to qualify for the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will be held in India and Sri Lanka, after defeating Tanzania by 63 runs in the first semifinal of the Africa Regional Qualifier in Harare on Thursday, October 2.
In the African qualification tournament, one more team will advance to the global event. Zimbabwe and Kenya will face off in the second semifinal later on Thursday, with the winner winning the final African ticket at next year’s showpiece tournament. The qualifier final is slated for Saturday, but the outcome has no bearing on qualification because both finalists have already secured their tickets.
Before Namibia qualified, 15 teams had confirmed their participation in the 20-team competition.
The remaining three berths will be filled during the Asia and East Asia-Pacific Qualifier, which begins on October 8 in Oman. Teams from Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Samoa, and the United Arab Emirates are vying for these spots.
Namibia will compete in its fourth T20 World Cup, following appearances in 2021, 2022, and 2024. The team’s most notable moment was in 2022, when they stunned Sri Lanka, causing one of the most historic upsets in the country’s cricket history. With qualification secured, Namibia now looks forward to the global event, trying to improve on prior results and make a mark on the big stage.
Full list of teams qualified for T20 World Cup 2026:
India (host), Sri Lanka (host), Afghanistan (Super Eight), Australia (Super Eight), Bangladesh (Super Eight), England (Super Eight), South Africa (Super Eight), West Indies (Super Eight), United States of America (Super Eight), Pakistan (ICC Rankings), New Zealand (ICC Rankings), Ireland (ICC Rankings), Canada (Americas Regional Final), Netherlands (Europe Regional Final), and Italy (Europe Regional Final), Namibia (Africa Regional Final)
India
