On July 9, Italy completed one of European T20 cricket's greatest shocks by defeating Scotland, a 19-place higher ranked team in ICC rankings. Joe Burns-led Italy is now at the top of the points table in the Europe Qualifier Finals of the T20 World Cup 2026. This victory leaves them inches away from making history by qualifying for the T20 World Cup for the very first time. Italy, world number 32, beat 13th-ranked Scotland by 12 runs in a game that was very much consequential. Italy batted first and made 167 for 7, with Emilio Gay hitting a blistering 50 off only 21 balls. The bowling was splendid subsequently, particularly by Harry Manenti, who claimed five wickets and halted Scotland's pursuit. Scotland was only able to score 155 for 5 from their 20 overs and lost the opportunity to qualify themselves. Also Read | Where’s the Ball?! Short’s Delivery Stuns Everyone in MLC How Can Italy Qualify for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026? Italy is placed at the top of the points table with 5 points from 3 games. They have already defeated Scotland and Guernsey, and their match against Jersey was rain-affected. Their last group match is against the Netherlands on July 11 at 7:30 PM. If Italy win that game, they would directly qualify for the 2026 T20 World Cup. It would be a massive achievement for a nation better known for football rather than cricket. But even if Italy lose against the Netherlands, they can still qualify based on the outcome of other games. These are the two possibilities that would help them: Scotland, having 3 points, should not win against Jersey by a huge number of runs. If they win, they should not overtake Italy on net run rate. The Netherlands should lose at least one of their last two matches. Italy is famous all over the sports world, primarily for football. The nation has won the FIFA World Cup four times and has had football legends such as Andrea Pirlo, Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Del Piero, and Gianluigi Buffon. But cricket is different here. If Italy qualifies for the T20 World Cup, it would be their debut in a world cricket tournament. It may also create new enthusiasm and development of cricket in Southern Europe.