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

Italy gets lauded by the fans on the internet [Source: X]

Italy, a team led by passion, motivation and resilience, has been the heart of motivation for emerging nations this T20 World Cup 2026. With only one win out of their 4 appearances in this tournament, they saw themselves bow out with a grit that never refused to die.

Fans all over the internet hailed the Azzurris for their spirited campaign in the T20 World Cup 2026, which marked their sole win against Nepal, but which led to unmatched passion to beat every single opponent they faced. Against West Indies, in their last group stage encounter, Italy succumbed to a 42-run defeat, but not before netizens commended the try.

Italy’s Journey To Maiden T20 World Cup 2026 Appearance

Led by head coach John Davison, Italy’s dream to step foot on the greatest stage of cricket has been a wholesome story. Though cricket has been present in Italy for over 230 years, the talent and the sport had not come into the global limelight before their appearance in the T20 World Cup 2026.

The year 1989 marked Italy's first official international match against Denmark. Since then, Italy's journey had largely been restricted to regional competitions.

However, Italy emerged as one of the biggest surprises during their recent qualification campaign. In Rome, Italy remained unbeaten in their group during the Europe Sub-Regional Qualifier A in June 2024.

In the Europe Regional Final 2, Italy secured their World Cup berth by finishing as runners-up behind the hosts Netherlands. This qualification included a crucial 12-run victory over Scotland, which proved decisive in sealing their spot.

Also Read: Ben Manenti shocks England- Which associate batters have fastest T20 WC fifties?

Fans Hail Italy’s Spirited T20 World Cup 2026 Campaign

This impressive performance by Italy created significant buzz on the internet as well. Despite being eliminated in the group stage, where they were placed in Group C alongside West Indies, England, Scotland, and Nepal, they finished fourth in the group with a net run rate of -1.020 and two points. Nevertheless, they were hailed as game-changers for cricket in a football-centric nation.

Let’s take a look at how fans reacted to Italy's T20 World Cup campaign:

Mufaddal Vohra

@mufaddal_vohra

ITALY FINISHES THEIR MAIDEN T20 WORLD CUP WITH 1 WIN FROM 4 GAMES: They showed great competitiveness throughout the tournament, hope they continue to play International cricket regularly. 🇮🇹❤️

Feb 19, 2026, 2:28 PM

Vaibhav Agrawal

@VaibhavAgr34331

@mufaddal_vohra Well played... They showed lot of courage and determination. More matches with top teams will truly give them exposure and perform with consistency

𝐑𝐚𝐣 🇮🇳

@Rajpatole123

@mufaddal_vohra Great effort from Italy on their T20 World Cup debut 👏🇮🇹 One win is just the beginning — the growth and fighting spirit were clearly visible. The future of Italian cricket looks promising!

Cricket Panchayat

@CrickPanchayat

@mufaddal_vohra Aao meloni tumhe PIZZA 🍕 kilau

Feb 19, 2026, 2:32 PM

Muthuvel tweets

@Muthuvelpandiy

@mufaddal_vohra Chin up lads, you did well 🫡 @ItalyCricket

Feb 19, 2026, 2:32 PM

Cricket Hindustan

@goldensports98

@mufaddal_vohra Winning and losing are part of the game, but Italy won everyone's heart with its performance throughout this World Cup. It is hoped that Italy will come back stronger in the next World Cup.

Shivansh rajpal

@RajpalShiv46534

@mufaddal_vohra Italy 🇮🇹 have Impressed in This T20 World Cup. They have some very good and Exciting Players like the Mosca brothers, Manenti brothers and Crishan Kalugamage. I hope Italy teams get more exposure and I want to see This Italian Team more .

Agnimitra Kole

@AgnimitraKole

@mufaddal_vohra United by Passion and Divided by Nation🇮🇳🇮🇹

Feb 19, 2026, 2:49 PM

Annurag P Rekhi

@Dravidict

@mufaddal_vohra It's upto the ICC to make this happen. These teams should play more games out of the ICC event to get more competitive and better prepared.

Salar Siddiqui 💫

@SalarSiddiqui72

@mufaddal_vohra Best of luck for next addition

Feb 19, 2026, 2:48 PM

Abdul Kabir Khan

@abdulkabirkha19

@mufaddal_vohra What a debut for Italy! 1 win, tons of heart, and they made everyone sit up and take notice. Love seeing new nations bring fresh energy to the game. Here's to more games and bigger moments ahead for the Azzurri! Respect to the whole squad

Manas Dubey

@MANASDU06413436

@mufaddal_vohra ITALY FINISHES THEIR MAIDEN T20 WORLD CUP WITH 1 WIN FROM 4 GAMES 🇮🇹 For a debut campaign, they showed incredible fight, passion and competitiveness throughout the tournament. 💪 A team with heart, grit and plenty of promise for the future. Hope to see them play international

The Pillars Behind Italy’s Heroic Campaign

Led by Ben Manenti with the bat, Italy’s campaign was marked by 34 sixes in the T20 World Cup 2026 as they are only behind India, England and West Indies in the six-hitting tally in this edition of the tournament.

Ben Manenti was the top-scorer for Italy with 138 runs and an average of 46.00 from 4 outings. Justin Mosca followed with his 105 runs at an average of 35.00

Ben Manenti’s contribution was not limited to the bat, though. After Crishan Kalugamage, he is also the highest wicket-taker for Italy with his 5 scalps at an economy rate of 7.35 from 14 overs, while the former picked 7.

Italy’s T20 World Cup 2026 Performances At A Glance

Italy started their campaign with a loss against Scotland. In their opening clash, Scotland handed Italy a heavy defeat by a massive margin of 73 runs. However, Italy quickly bounced back under captain Wayne Madsen against Nepal, winning the match by 10 wickets with 44 balls remaining.

Although that victory raised hopes of advancing to the Super 8, Italy lost their third match against England by 24 runs, which confirmed qualification for West Indies and England to the Super 8 stage. That effectively marked the end of Italy's campaign, as they concluded their journey with a 42-run loss against West Indies.

For what it is worth, their highest team total came against England, where they racked up 178 runs while chasing England’s 203 at Eden Gardens. Nevertheless, as the team bids goodbye to the tournament, they will aim to come back stronger in the T20 World Cup 2028.

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