Men's T20 World Cup qualification explained

Administrator:International Cricket Council
Participants:87 (2026 qualification)
99 (overall)
Current:2026 Men's T20 World Cup qualification

T20 World Cup qualification is the process national cricket teams go through to qualify for the Men's T20 World Cup. The qualification process begins about two years prior to the main event, where teams take part in regional events to qualify for the World Cup.

History

For the inaugural edition in 2007, the ten full members qualified automatically, while the remaining two teams qualified via the 2007 ICC World Cricket League Division One.[1] It was in 2008 that a separate qualifier was held for the T20 World Cup, and until the 2021 edition the full members of ICC qualified automatically for the tournament.

From the 2021 edition, stipulated number of top ranked teams from the previous tournament secured automatic qualification for the next tournament. This format of qualification also opened a window for the associate member nations to secure direct spot based on their previous performance.[2]

The regional competitions for teams to qualify for the global qualifiers were introduced in 2012, as each ICC region conducted events in different stages.[3] It was in the 2019 edition of qualifier, that each region had two stages of qualification process to get into the final qualifying tournament - Sub-regionals and Regional finals. In January 2019, ICC granted full Twenty20 International (T20Is) status to all its members, therefore all of the qualifier matches from this edition had full T20I status.[4]

The 2022 edition of qualifier saw the introduction of a new format, as the final qualifier was held in two different tournaments (Qualifier A and B), the winners and runners-up of each of these tournaments qualified for the World Cup.[5] Owing to COVID-19 pandemic, the EAP and Asia regional tournaments were cancelled and teams advanced via T20I rankings.[6] [7]

After the expansion of World Cup from 16 to 20 teams in 2024, qualification pathway was also changed. The regional tournaments served as the final qualifying stage, as each of the ICC region were allotted fixed number of berths at the World Cup.[8]

Qualification berths by region

From 2007 to 2022, the teams qualified for the main event through a global qualifier as the final qualifying tournament. Hence, the ICC regions did not have a fixed number of berths at the World Cup.

2007-2022

Number of World Cup entrants from qualification tournament by region
ICC region2007
2009
2010
2012
2014
2016
2021

2022
Africa10000011
Americas00000000
Asia00114311
East Asia-Pacific00000010
Europe12112332
Total entrants22226664
Total berths in the World Cup1212121212161616

After adopting a new structure for the qualification from the 2024 edition, each of these regions had fixed number of qualification slots at the World Cup. So the regional finals acted as the final qualifying tournament.

2024-present

Number of berths allotted for each region (not including automatic qualifiers)
ICC region2024

2026

2028

Africa22TBD
Americas11TBD
Asia23TBD
East Asia-Pacific1TBD
Europe22TBD
Total berths888
Total teams in the World Cup202020

First appearance in qualification by team

World CupAfricaAmericasAsiaEast Asia-PacificEuropeTotal
2009
nonenone

6
2010none
nonenone3
2012




































































74
2014
none
nonenone4
2016nonenonenonenonenone0
2021nonenone


nonenone4
2022nonenonenone

4
2024nonenonenonenone1
2026none
nonenone3
Total221618103399

Teams marked in italics had appeared in World Cup previously (either by qualifying via WCL or by having status of full member of ICC).

Team performances

Key:

FTeam qualified for T20 World Cup automatically as Full Member of the ICC
HTeam qualified for T20 World Cup automatically as Host
PTeam qualified for T20 World Cup automatically by final position in previous tournament
R Team qualified for T20 World Cup automatically via ICC Men's T20I Team Rankings
Team qualified for T20 World Cup through the final qualifying tournament
RGTeam was eliminated in the regional tournament (sub-regionals, regional final or regional divisions)
R1/R2Team reached First Round/Second Round in the final qualifying tournament
SFTeam reached Semi-Final in the final qualifying tournament (no third-place play-off)
1st/2nd/etcTeam finished 1st/2nd/etc in the final qualifying tournament (global qualifier or regional final)
wWithdrew from the qualifying tournament
sSuspended from entering
Did not take part in qualification
World Cup20
07		20
09		20
10		20
12		20
14		20
16		20
21		20
22		20
24		20
26
Qualifying
Tournament:		20
07		20
08		20
10		20
12		20
13		20
15		20
19		A
/B		20
24		20
26
Africa
RGRGRGRGRGRGTBD
RGRGRGRGRGRGRG
RGRGRGRGRGRGRG
RGRGRGRGRGRG
RGRGRGRGRGRGRG
RG
1st SF R1 R1 R1 R1 R1 RG4th TBD
RGRGRGRGRG
RGRGRGRGTBD
RGRGRGRGRGRG
RGRGExpelled
RGRGRGRGRGRGRG
SF R1 R2 4th P 1st TBD
RGRGRGR1 RG5th TBD
RGRGRGRGRG7th RG
RGRGRGRG
RGRGRGRGRGRG
RGRGRGRGRGRGRG
H F F F F FR P P P
RGRGRGRGRG6th TBD
R1 R1 RGRGR1 2nd TBD
RGRGExpelled
F w F F FF s 1st 3rd TBD
Americas
RGRGRGRGRGRGTBD
RGRGRGRGRGTBD
RGRGRGRGwRG
RGwTBD
6th 6th RGRGRG13th RG2nd TBD
4th 5th R1 6th 12th 14th 9th 5th 1st TBD
RGRGRGRG3rd TBD
RG
RG
RG
RG
RGRGRGRG4th TBD
RG
RGRGRGw TBD
RGRG
R1 12th 15th 10th RG4th HP
F F H F F F R F H P
Asia
1st 2nd 2nd 5th R P R P
RGRG6thSFRG
RGRGRGRGRG
F F F F F F R R P R
RG
RGRGRG
11th 6th 4th 8th 6th 6th RG
F F F F F H R P P H
RGRGRGRGRG7th TBD
RGRGRGRGRG5th TBD
RGRGRGRGRGRGRG
RG
RGRGRGRG
7th 3rd 12th RG3rd 2nd TBD
15th RG6th 6th 4th 1st TBD
F F F F F F R P P R
RGRGRGTBD
RGRGRGRGRGRG
RGRG12th 8th 8th RG
F F F H F F R P P H
RGRGRGRG
R2 RG4th 13th 7th 1st SF TBD
East Asia - Pacific
F F F F F F R H P P
RGRGRGRGRGRGRG
RGRGRGRGRGRGRG
RGRGRGRGRGRGRG
RGRGRGRGRG2nd TBD
F F F F F F R P P R
8th 8th 8th 2nd 3rd 1st TBD
RGRGRG8th 4th RG
RGRGRGRGRGRGTBD
RGRGRGRGRG
RG
RGRGRGRGRG3rd RG
Europe
RGRGRGRGRG7th RG
RGRGRGRGRGRGRG
RGRGRGRGRG
RGRGRGRG
RGRGRGRGRGRG
RGRGRGRGRG
16th 16th RGRGRG6th RG
F H F F F F R P P P
RGRGRGRG
RGRGRGRGRGRGRG
RGRGRGRGRGRGRG
RGRGRGRG7th 5th RG
RGRGRGRGRGRGRG
RGRGRGRGRGRG
RGRGRGRGRGRGTBD
RGRGRG
5th =1st 2nd 1st 1st 3rd 3rd 2nd 2nd R
RGRGRGRGRGRGRG
RGRGRGRGRGRGRG
10th 9th RGRGRG3rd TBD
RGRG11th 10th 7th 4th TBD
RGRGRGRGRG
RGRGRGRGRG
RGRGRGRGRGRGRG
3rd =1st R2 4th 5th =1st 1st 2nd P TBD
RGRGRGRGRG
RGRGRG
RGRGRG
RGRGRGRG
RGRGRGRGRGRGRG
RGRGRGRGRGRG
RGRG
2nd 3rd R1 5th 7th =1st 5th P 1st TBD
RGRGRG

See also

Notes and References

  1. http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/worldcricketleague/content/story/278133.html A long way from home
  2. Web site: Direct qualifiers for ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2020 confirmed . International Cricket Council . 1 January 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190101193832/https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/963607 . 1 January 2019 . live .
  3. Web site: Sixteen teams to contest 2012 World T20 qualifiers . ESPNcricinfo. 2012-03-14.
  4. Web site: All T20I matches to get international status . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180427044502/https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/672322 . 27 April 2018 . 26 April 2018 . International Cricket Council.
  5. Web site: ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 qualification process confirmed . International Cricket Council . 23 January 2020 . 26 March 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200326071952/https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/1586447 . live .
  6. Web site: ICC's East-Asia Pacific qualifiers in Japan cancelled . CricBuzz . September 2021 . 1 September 2021.
  7. Web site: Hong Kong progress after cancellation of Asia B Qualifier for 2022 men's T20 World Cup . ESPN Cricinfo . 11 October 2021.
  8. Web site: Qualification for ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 commences with pathway events launching in Europe . International Cricket Council . 31 May 2022.

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