The Rise Of Associate Nations In T20 World Cup: What’s Still Due For Cricket’s Upliftment?

Italy and Nepal impressed fans with valiant performances in the T20 World Cup 2026 (Source: AFP)

The T20 World Cup 2026 is set to conclude with the high-profile final clash between India and New Zealand. Meanwhile, the fans have enjoyed a lot of thrilling matches in the tournament’s 10th edition, more than in the previous editions. 

Especially, the fights that associate nations gave to the higher-ranked teams have produced some nail-biting and competitive encounters. Meanwhile, the participation of 20 teams in the last two editions, in 2024 and 2026, has also sparked a new debate in the cricketing fraternity. 

One of the major questions in this debate is whether the ICC and major cricket boards should help associate nations increase participation in the game, or whether they should be limited to ICC tournaments. 

Therefore, this article examines whether cricket is becoming more competitive with the rise of associate nations in the T20 World Cup and what remains to be done to uplift the game. 

Moments when associate teams caught big birds off guard in T20 World Cup 2026

There have been a couple of games in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 in which the big teams have been given a reality check by the associate nations. It also warned the full-time teams not to take the associates lightly anymore, as they can completely turn any game in their favour. 

It all started with the tournament opener, when Pakistan and the Netherlands faced off in Colombo. The Dutchmen posted 147 runs in the first innings, setting a 148-run target for the Men in Green. The World T20 2009 champions were heading comfortably towards the target with 98 runs for two wickets in 11 overs.

But the Netherlands made a stunning comeback, dismissing Pakistan’s five wickets within the next 16 runs. Although Pakistan eventually won this game by a narrow margin of three wickets, courtesy of a dropped catch, the Netherlands had almost strangulated their batting even in the run chase of 148. 

On the same day, the USA gave the defending champions, India, a very hard time in Mumbai. The USA dismissed six Indian batters at the score of just 77 runs, including four dismissals only in the powerplay. What was more humiliating for India was losing three wickets in the sixth over.

Later in the tournament, England’s hard-fought four-run win over Nepal and 24-run win over Italy were also the prime evidence of how associate teams didn’t give up early against the giants. Apart from all these games, Italy's first-ever win in the T20 World Cup, defeating Nepal by 10 wickets also happened to be one of the most historic moments. 

Also Read: "Chin Up Lads": Netizens Laud Italy After 'Spirited' T20 World Cup Campaign In India

What ICC and full-time members need to do for upliftment of associates 

Most of the time, the fans get to see the associate teams play only in the marquee international tournaments like the T20 World Cup and the ODI World Cup. But it is a kind of participation that hardly serves the purpose of ‘increasing competitiveness’ in cricket. 

In that case, there are a few must-take steps that the ICC and the existing full-time members of international cricket should take. Firstly, ICC should restructure the groupings and team participation in the T20 World Cup to give the associates more chances. 

Secondly, the associate nations need to be offered the bilateral series by the full-time members like India, England, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. It’s definitely going to increase the level of competition in cricket as the game of the associate teams will be polished and enhanced against the big teams. 

Lastly, the number of participating teams can also be increased in the ODI World Cup, alongside the T20 World Cup. This single benefit will benefit cricket in two ways: first, the rise of associate teams will bring more competitiveness to the game, and second, the declining popularity of ODI cricket will be revived. 

Franchise league exposure: A move that could be a boon for associate players

Associate players have been seen registering themselves for a lot of major franchise cricket leagues across the world. It includes the leagues like IPL, PSL, BBL, and CPL, etc. But a very few associate players have earned a place in the final playing XIs of the teams in these franchise leagues. 

For instance, Scotland’s all-rounder Brandon McMullen and left-handed batter George Munsey registered themselves for the IPL auction in 2025 and 2020, but they weren’t picked by any team. Only two notable players, the Dutch all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate and Nepal spinner Sandeep Lamichhane, have played in the IPL. 

Hence, it seems to be the high time when the number of opportunities in franchise leagues should be increased for the associate players. It will give them a fair chance to compete with some of the best international cricketers in the world. Besides that, it will give them an experience to handle the big-stage pressure. 

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