NEW DELHI: The two major teams, Pakistan and New Zealand, experienced early exits from the ongoing 2024 T20 World Cup, failing to reach the Super 8s.
Pakistan were eliminated after the match between the USA and Ireland was washed out at Lauderhill in Florida, while New Zealand failed to advance following Afghanistan's seven-wicket win over Papua New Guinea.
Teams reaching in the Super 8s will get a direct entry into the T20 World Cup in 2026. The 2026 T20 World Cup is scheduled to be hosted by Sri Lanka and India from February 8 to March 8 in 2026.
Will Pakistan and New Zealand, who were eliminated in the early stage of the mega event, qualify for the 2026 T20 World Cup?
As per the qualification rules, 12 out of the 20 teams will automatically qualify for the next edition of the T20 World Cup.
1/10:Afghanistan beat PNG to eliminate NZ
Getty Images
2/10:Afghanistan in Super Eights
<p>Afghanistan registered a seven-wicket victory over Papua New Guinea to advance to the Super Eights and send New Zealand crashing out of the 2024 T20 World Cup. </p>AP
3/10:Fazalhaq Farooqi
<p>Fazalhaq Farooqi added another three victims to his tournament-leading wicket tally as PNG were bundled out for 95 off 19.5 overs batting first. </p>Getty Images
4/10:Bad start
<p>Afghanistan lost both openers cheaply but eventually reached the target for the loss of three wickets in the 16th over for a third win in a row. <br /></p>AP
5/10:4th wicket stand
<p>Gulbadin Naib hit an unbeaten 49 in an unbroken fourth-wicket partnership of 46 with Mohammad Nabi (16*) as Afghanistan finished on 101-3 off 15.1 overs. </p>Getty Images
6/10:New Zealand eliminated
<p>The result confirms Afghanistan's place in the next round while at the same time eliminating New Zealand, who still have two group matches to play. </p>AP
7/10:Farooqi's double blow
<p>Left-arm seamer Farooqi took two quick wickets after PNG captain Assad Vala was carelessly run out in the second over of the match. </p>Getty Images
8/10:Farooqi 3/16
<p>Two more run outs followed and Farooqi returned in the 19th over to claim another scalp to finish with three for 16 before a fourth run out ended the innings. </p>AP
9/10:Highest wicket-taker
<p>Farooqi now has 12 wickets in the tournament, four more than the trio of Anrich Nortje, Alzarri Joseph and Adam Zampa. </p>AP
10/10:Fighters Papuans
<p>To their credit, the Papuans showed a willingness to fight after slipping to 50 for seven in the 13th over. </p>AFPThe hosts, India and Sri Lanka, along with all Super 8 teams, will gain direct entry.
India, having already reached the Super 8s from Group A in the 2024 T20 World Cup, fulfills the criteria under two different categories.
South Africa (Group D), West Indies, Afghanistan (Group C), Australia (Group B), and the USA (Group A) have also secured their spots in the 2026 edition by making it to the Super 8 stage.
The remaining spot from Group D will be taken by either Bangladesh or Netherlands, while Scotland and England are competing for the final Super 8 position from Group B.
In total, nine teams, including Sri Lanka, will qualify directly, and three more will join them based on their ICC Men's T20I rankings as of June 30th, 2024.
1/10:T20 World Cup: India reach Super Eights with 7-wicket win over US
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2/10:MASSIVE WIN
<p>Suryakumar Yadav hit an unbeaten half-century and left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh claimed a career-best 4-9 as India defeated the United States by seven wickets to reach the T20 World Cup second round on Wednesday.<br /></p>AFP
3/10:SKY-DUBE SHOW
<p>Chasing 111 to win the Group A clash, India were rattled at 15-2 and then 44-3 before Yadav (50) and Shivam Dube (31) put on an undefeated fourth-wicket stand of 67 <br /></p>ANI
4/10:SOLID STAND
<p><br />The duo secured a third win in three games for India with 10 balls to spare.<br /></p>AP
5/10:USA STILL ALIVE
<p>Despite the defeat, the United States are still well-placed to join India in the Super Eights as they have four points while Pakistan and Canada are on two.<br /></p>AFP
6/10:MAGNIFICENT BOWLING
<p>India were stunned by Mumbai-born fast bowler Saurabh Netravalkar who had superstar batsman Virat Kohli caught behind for nought off the first ball he faced.<br /></p>AFP
7/10:BIG WICKET!
<p>Rohit was then caught by Harmeet Singh at mid-off, again off the bowling of the 32-year-old Netravalkar in the third over.<br /></p>AFP
8/10:PANT'S CAMEO
<p>Rishabh Pant's 18-run cameo was ended when his stumps were uprooted by Ali Khan in the eighth over.<br /></p>AP
9/10:SKY ON TOP!
<p>However, Yadav went to his 18th international T20 half-century from 49 balls with two fours and a pair of sixes.<br /></p>IANS
10/10:DUBE ON FIRE!
<p>Left-hander Dube's 31 came off 35 deliveries and featured a boundary and a six on the same notoriously tricky and slow Nassau County International Cricket Stadium pitch where India had made just 119 in a six-run win over Pakistan at the weekend.<br /></p>AFPCurrently, Pakistan hold the seventh position with 241 rating points, and New Zealand, who also faced an early exit, are sixth with 247 points.
These two teams are significantly ahead of other contenders such as Bangladesh (9th, 226 points), Ireland (11th, 195 points), Scotland (12th, 192 points), Zimbabwe (13th, 192 points), Namibia (14th, 189 points), Netherlands (15th, 185 points), UAE (16th, 176 points), Nepal (18th, 170 points), Oman (19th, 163 points), PNG (20th, 145 points), Uganda (21st, 135 points), Hong Kong (22nd, 135 points), and Canada (23rd, 129 points).
The remaining eight spots will be filled through the ICC's regional qualification pathway, with two each from Europe, Asia, and Africa, and one each from the East Asia Pacific and Americas regions.
In the current edition, the eight teams that qualified through the pathway processes were Ireland and Scotland (Europe), Nepal and Oman (Asia), Namibia and Uganda (Africa), Canada (Americas), and Papua New Guinea (East Asia Pacific). The USA secured their place by being the joint hosts.
