Scotland in T20 World Cup- History, performances, results, squ ads

Scotland in T20 World Cup (Source:X)

In a recent development, Scotland have officially replaced Bangladesh at the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 after Bangladesh withdrew from the tournament due to security concerns. 

The decision was formally confirmed by the ICC on Saturday following a high-level meeting in Dubai. Bangladesh had earlier informed the global board that they would not take part in the tournament, citing security concerns. 

Despite several assurances from the ICC, the BCB remained firm in its stance and refused to reconsider its decision. In a final effort to resolve the issue, the BCB requested that the matter be referred to the ICC’s dispute resolution committee. 

However, the committee ruled that it could not serve as an appeal body, allowing the ICC to proceed with a final decision.

Scotland replaces Bangladesh at T20 World Cup 2026

Scotland were selected based on ICC rankings and was formally invited to take Bangladesh's place. The team has been placed in Group C alongside England, the West Indies, Italy, and Nepal.

Their group-stage campaign will begin on February 7 against the West Indies in Kolkata. They will then face Italy on February 9 at Eden Gardens, followed by a highly anticipated match against England at the same venue on February 14. 

Then they will play their final group match against Nepal on February 17 in Mumbai.

So, in this article, let’s take a look at Scotland in the T20 World Cup, history, performances, results, and squads over the years.

Scotland's T20 World Cup appearances

The Scottish team have appeared in five previous T20 World Cups, including the 2022 and 2024 editions. While they have not progressed beyond the group stages, they have performed well against strong teams like Australia and England in the 2024 tournament.

2007 T20 World Cup

Scotland made their T20 World Cup debut in 2007. Placed in Group D alongside India and Pakistan, the team struggled in their first tournament. 

They did not win any match; their game against India was abandoned due to rain, while Pakistan defeated them by 51 runs. Scotland was eliminated at the group stage. 

2009 T20 World Cup 

Two years later, in the 2009 T20 World Cup, the Scottish team again faced tough opponents in Group D, this time New Zealand and South Africa. Unfortunately, the team lost both matches and finished at the bottom of the group.

2016 T20 World Cup

Scotland achieved a milestone in 2016 by recording their first-ever win in a major ICC global event. In Group B, they faced Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, and Hong Kong. 

They lost their opening two matches against Afghanistan (by 14 runs) and Zimbabwe (by 11 runs) . However, they defeated Hong Kong by 8 wickets (DLS method). Despite this, the team finished third in the group and did not advance further.

2021 T20 World Cup

The 2021 T20 World Cup marked their best performance. In the first round, they topped Group B with wins in all three matches. 

They defeated Bangladesh by 6 runs, then beat Papua New Guinea by 17 runs and chased down Oman's target of 122 with 8 wickets in hand.

Qualifying for the Super 12 stage for the first time, Scotland faced a tougher challenge in Group 2, where they lost all five matches to Afghanistan, Namibia, New Zealand, India, and Pakistan.

2022 T20 World Cup

In 2022, the Scottish team again competed in the group stage but failed to progress to the Super 12s, finishing third in Group B. 

Their campaign included an impressive 42-run victory over the West Indies. However, they lost to Ireland (by 6 wickets) and Zimbabwe (by 5 wickets).

2024 T20 World Cup

Scotland showed significant improvement in the 2024 T20 World Cup. In Group B, they remained undefeated in their first three matches, including a washout against England, before narrowly losing to Australia by 5 wickets.

Despite their strong performance, they finished third in the group and missed out on the Super Eight stage due to a lower net run rate compared to England.

Scotland's squad for T20 World Cup over the years

2007: Ryan Watson, John Blain, Dougie Brown, Gordon Drummond, Gavin Hamilton, Majid Haq, Neil McCallum, Ross Lyons, Gregor Maiden, Dewald Nel, Navdeep Poonia, Qasim Sheikh, Colin Smith, Fraser Watts, Craig Wright.

2009: Gavin Hamilton, Kyle Coetzer, Gordon Drummond, Neil McCallum, John Blain, Navdeep Poonia, Fraser Watts, Majid Haq, Dewald Nel, Craig Wright, Colin Smith, Jan Stander, Richie Berrington, Glenn Rogers.

2016: Preston Mommsen, Kyle Coetzer, Matthew Cross, Richie Berrington, Calum MacLeod, George Munsey, Matt Machan, Michael Leask, Josh Davey, Safyaan Sharif, Alasdair Evans, Mark Watt, Con de Lange, Robert Taylor, Gavin Main.

2021: Kyle Coetzer, Matthew Cross, Richard Berrington, George Munsey, Calum MacLeod, Dylan Budge, Michael Leask, Safyaan Sharif, Alasdair Evans, Chris Greaves, Mark Watt, Hamza Tahir, Brad Wheal, Michael Jones, Craig Wallace, Chris Sole.

2022: Richard Berrington, Matthew Cross, Josh Davey, Calum MacLeod, Brandon McMullen, Michael Leask, Safyaan Sharif, Hamza Tahir, Chris Greaves, Mark Watt, George Munsey, Brad Wheal, Michael Jones, Craig Wallace, Chris Sole.

2024: Richard Berrington, Matthew Cross, Josh Davey, Calum MacLeod, Brandon McMullen, Michael Leask, Safyaan Sharif, Hamza Tahir, Chris Greaves, Mark Watt, George Munsey, Brad Wheal, Michael Jones, Craig Wallace, Chris Sole.