Associate nations have surprised the whole world with their performance in the T20 World Cup 2026. Teams like Netherlands, Nepal, USA, Italy and Scotland have brought cricket giants to the brink of defeat. Statistics show that the gap between associate and full member nations (Test-playing countries) is rapidly narrowing. However, the coaches and players of these teams share the same pain: they don’t get enough opportunities to play against bigger nations. Tough competition against India and Pakistan There were several instances in this World Cup where big teams narrowly escaped upsets. Against the Netherlands, Pakistan’s team, chasing 148 runs, had lost 7 wickets for 114 runs. Max O’Dowd dropped a catch, and Faheem Ashraf hit a six at the end to put the match in Pakistan’s pocket. Against India, the USA also had a brilliant start and had India’s score at 63/4 by the 10th over. If Shubham Ranjane had not dropped Suryakumar Yadav’s catch, the result could have been different. Surya played an innings of 84 runs to lead India to victory. Nepal and Italy scared England in group stage The Nepal team was very close to victory while chasing 185 runs against England. Lokesh Bam’s innings of 35 runs off 15 balls had England on the edge of their seats, but Sam Curran saved the match. He took 1 wicket for 27 runs in 4 overs. Meanwhile, the Italy team, playing for the first time, also fought hard while chasing a target of 203 runs against England and took the match to the last 2 overs. ‘Confidence comes from playing matches, not from net practice’ – Lalchand Rajput UAE coach Lalchand Rajput spoke openly about the problems faced by associate nations. He said, ‘No matter how much net practice you do, but until you face difficult situations on the field (like a score of 80/5), you won’t learn to handle pressure. When you play against good teams, only then will you gain the confidence that next time in such a situation, we can win.’ Saad Bin Zafar and Bas de Leede’s demand: ‘We need exposure’ Canada’s captain Saad Bin Zafar said that playing against big nations is the real learning ground. Meanwhile, Bas de Leede of the Netherlands reminded that his team has no schedule until June after this World Cup. He suggested that alternatives should be explored through tri-series with big nations or European T20 series. Lack of opportunities breaks momentum Records show that the ICC and big boards often overlook smaller teams. The USA team, which reached the Super 8 in the 2024 World Cup, had not played a single match against any big nation until this World Cup. Similarly, the Netherlands team, which defeated South Africa in 2022, played its next T20 match directly after 479 days. T20 leagues and experienced coaches are changing the picture Despite fewer opportunities, a major reason for the better performance of these teams is the T20 leagues running worldwide. Players like Andries Gous (USA) and Muhammad Waseem (UAE) are sharing dressing rooms with legends like Rashid Khan, Nicholas Pooran, and Chris Woakes. Additionally, the presence of experienced coaches like Stuart Law (Nepal), Gary Kirsten (Namibia), and Lalchand Rajput (UAE) has professionalized the mindset of these teams. Benefit of playing for other countries, leaving the full member system Another pillar of strength for associate teams are players who are moving to other countries when they don’t get opportunities in their home country (full member). Roelof van der Merwe (South Africa to Netherlands) and Grant Stewart (England to Italy) are big examples of this. Van der Merwe has now taken more World Cup wickets than Sunil Narine. This ‘mutual arrangement’ is providing experience to smaller teams. Post navigation Babar Azam’s demotion, Shaheen Afridi dropped:Pakistan change game plan after defeat to India; Hesson says, ‘This is a strategic decision’ Vaibhav Sooryavanshi breaks water pipe during IPL 2026 training:RR star skips Class 10 exams, father says, ‘will appear next year’
