UAE clinch final spot for T20 World Cup 2026

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Oct. 17: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) have secured the final berth for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, set to be held in India and Sri Lanka in 2026.

The UAE join Nepal and Oman, completing the final line-up of 20 teams for the global tournament. Nepal and Oman booked their places on Wednesday, aided by the UAE’s victory over Samoa.

On Thursday, the UAE confirmed their qualification by thumping Japan by eight wickets in the Asia/East Asia-Pacific Qualifier in Oman. The result secured a top-three finish for the UAE in the qualifiers, with the top three teams advancing to the World Cup.

The UAE’s win also made a top-three finish mathematically impossible for Qatar and Samoa, who had been hoping for a Japanese victory to keep their hopes alive. With the defeat, Japan—who have two points from four matches—were also eliminated from contention.

The UAE climbed to second place with six points, surpassing Oman on net run rate. The Emiratis won three matches and lost two. Oman have won three and lost one, with one match remaining.

Nepal Top the Table

Nepal, who eased past Oman by 38 runs on Wednesday night, sit atop the table with eight points.

Having secured their place in the World Cup, Nepal will be aiming to conclude their qualifying campaign as champions. To do so, they must defeat bottom-placed Samoa on Friday afternoon.

Nepal remain unbeaten, with four consecutive victories in the Super Six stage of the qualifiers.

At the Oman Cricket Academy in Al Amerat, in contrast to their previous nail-biting encounter, Nepal cruised to a comfortable win over Oman. Chasing a target of 152 runs set by Nepal, Oman were restricted to 113 for nine wickets in their allotted 20 overs.

For Oman, Vinayak Shukla top-scored with 32 runs, followed by Mohammad Nadeem (25), captain Jatinder Singh (14), and Aryan Bisht (11).

In the bowling department, Nepal’s Gulshan Jha claimed three wickets. Sompal Kami and Nandan Yadav took two apiece, while Sandeep Lamichhane picked up one.

Earlier, Nepal won the toss and elected to bat first, posting 151 for nine in their 20 overs. Kushal Bhurtel led the charge with a half-century, scoring 69 runs off 51 balls, including seven fours and one six. It was Bhurtel’s second fifty in the ongoing qualifier, having previously scored 66 against Kuwait in the group stage. His all-round performance earned him the Player of the Match award.

Relentless UAE

On Thursday, the Emiratis were relentless in the field, beginning with a direct-hit run-out from Muhammad Farooq to dismiss Abhishek Anand. Farooq also accounted for fellow opener Kadowaki-Fleming, caught on the boundary off the bowling of Haider Ali.

Japan struggled to recover after a Powerplay score of 25/3, with Haider removing key batter Esam Rahman (23) in a spell of 3/12 from three overs. The team in cherry blossom pink finally found a partnership, with No.11 Abdul Samad supporting wicketkeeper Wataru Miyauchi to give Japan a fighting chance.

Playing his first match of the tournament, Miyauchi struck a valiant 45 not out from 32 balls, helping his side reach 116. Samad contributed 11 in a stand of 42.

Despite the late resistance, the UAE took control early in their chase, with Alishan Sharafu and captain Muhammad Waseem racing to 36/0 in the first three overs.

Waseem (42 off 26 balls) and Sharafu (46 off 27) were eventually dismissed, but the Emiratis wrapped up the chase in the 13th over, sparking celebrations as they sealed their place in the 2026 T20 World Cup.