Oman gears up for high-stakes T20 World Cup Qualifiers

Cricketing eyes will turn to Oman this October as the Gulf nation hosts the all-important ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia and East Asia-Pacific Qualifier. The event will determine three spots at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, set to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

A total of nine teams, including some experienced campaigners and rising forces, will descend on Oman for a 10-day tournament that runs from 8 to 17 October. The line-up features hosts Oman, fellow Asian sides Nepal, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Malaysia, and East Asia-Pacific challengers Papua New Guinea, Japan, and Samoa. Four of these teams, Oman, Nepal, UAE, and PNG, have played on the T20 World Cup stage before and will be keen to return.

The teams are split into three groups of three:

• Group 1: UAE, Malaysia, Qatar
• Group 2: Nepal, Kuwait, Japan
• Group 3: Oman, Papua New Guinea, Samoa

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Asia and East Asia-Pacific teams set for fierce T20 World Cup qualifying battles in Oman and Fiji

From October 12 to 17, the top two teams from each group advance to the Super Six stage. The top three finishers will then receive their tickets to the T20 World Cup. With the integration of the Asia and East Asia-Pacific regions into a single qualifying competition, this event marks a significant milestone in the ICC's redesigned pathway structure. It also gives associate nations a chance to demonstrate their advancements and assert their place at the international cricket table.

In the meantime, the ICC Women's T20 World Cup East Asia-Pacific Qualifier for women will be held in Suva, Fiji, from September 9–15. In the Global Qualifier for England 2026, eight teams, including the hosts Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Japan, Samoa, the Cook Islands, and the Philippines, will compete for a single spot. Both tournaments promise fierce competition and gripping tales on the path to cricket's biggest stages, with a lot on the line and nations eager for a breakthrough.