The associate teams at the T20 World Cup 2026 weren’t just about mere participants. Instead, the likes of Italy and Nepal became genuine threats, pushing the full member sides to the brink. While none of the associates made it to the Super 8 stage, they have already left a significant mark among the cricket fraternity in the past two weeks.
If Netherlands had Pakistan almost crumble in Sri Lanka, the United States of America (USA) had India dance to their tunes until a Suryakumar Yadav show saved the defending champions. England surviving a Nepali scare by four runs in Mumbai proved that the associate nations aren’t just minding the gap but they are closing it.
One of the major reasons for the associates’ uprise is the exposure the player are getting at the franchise T20 leagues. Nepal has its own Nepal Premier League running for two years now. USA has not Major League Cricket (MLC). In fact, the Italians grabbed experience by rubbing shoulders in the Big Bash League, MLC and playing cricket in England.
List of records by associates in T20 World Cup 2026
- USA pacer Shadley van Schalkwyk was the highest wicket-taker in the group stages with 13 scalps to his tally, including identical 4/25 against India and Pakistan. In fact, Van Schalkwyk equalled the record set by the Netherlands’ Bas de Leede’s tally in the 2022 edition.
- Canada’s Yuvraj Samra scripted history by becoming the first player from an associate nation to smash a T20 World Cup hundred. Samra scored 110 off 65 balls against New Zealand in a Group D game in Chepauk.
- Canada’s Yuvraj Samra became the youngest player to score a hundred in the T20 World Cup. The Canadian opener was just 19 years and 141 days when he scored the hundred, thus surpassing the record by Pakistan’s Ahmed Shehzad. The right-hander was 22 years and 127 days when he scored a hundred against Bangladesh in 2014.
- UAE pacer Junaid Siddique became the second from associates to take a five-wicket haul at the T20 World Cups. Siddique claimed a 5/35 against Canada in Delhi. Before Siddique, Netherlands’ Ahsan Malik took 5/19 in 2014.
- Coming in at the expense of Bangladesh, Scotland became the first associate nation to score 200-plus total in a T20 World Cup. Scotland scored 207/4 against Italy in Kolkata.
- In the T20 World Cups so far, there are 69 instances of fifty-plus scores by the players of associate nations. Out of those 69 half-centuries, 1/3rd came in the 2026 edition itself.
- Ben Manenti’s 22-ball fifty against England is the fastest by an associate player against a full-member side in T20 World Cups.
- Making their debut in the T20 World Cup 2026, Italy’s maiden win came against Nepal. Italy won by 10 wickets in Mumbai.
Catch the live action of the T20 World Cup 2026 with the complete T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule, and the T20 World Cup 2026 Points Table. Also, know who are currently leading the charts for Most Runs in T20 World Cup 2026 and Most Wickets in T20 World Cup 2026.
