The United Arab Emirates are now in pole position to become the third team from the Asia-East Asia Pacific Qualifier to secure a spot in the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Nepal and Oman have already booked their places for the upcoming T20 World Cup. The UAE’s victory over Samoa in the regional qualifier confirmed their qualification for the global event.
On Wednesday in Al Amerat, the UAE defeated Samoa by 77 runs in their qualifier match. Before the second game of the day between Oman and Nepal even began, both teams had already confirmed their World Cup berths.
Only one remaining spot is up for grabs in the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will be held in India and Sri Lanka between February and March. The UAE are currently leading the race for that final ticket.
In the Super Six stage of the qualifiers, the UAE sit third on the table with 4 points from 4 matches. They are set to face Japan in a crucial encounter on Thursday.
Oman and Nepal, both with 6 points from 3 matches each, occupy the top two positions based on net run rate. This will mark the second consecutive appearance on the world stage for both teams.
Sandeep Lamichhane has played a major role in Nepal’s qualification. The leg-spinner has taken 10 wickets in four matches at an average of 9.40, conceding less than six runs per over. His best performance came in a thrilling win over Qatar, where he grabbed 5 wickets for 18 runs.
For Oman, left-arm pacer Jiten Ramanandi has been instrumental in earning their World Cup ticket. He has claimed 7 wickets in four matches, maintaining an economy rate of 5.90.
Jiten also impressed in the recent Asia Cup, dismissing Indian batters Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma.
