With less than a fortnight to go for the 2026 T20 World Cup, Italy beat Ireland at Dubai to mark their first win against an ICC Full Member.
Italy stun Ireland in Dubai
Ireland and Italy met for a three-match T20I series in Dubai. Ireland went up 2-0, but Italy impressed in both games. Chasing 119, Ireland slumped from 93-2 to 112-7 in the first before scraping through in the final over. Chasing 191 in the second, Italy were 142-2 after 17 overs before finishing on 166-4.
The series was lost, but Italy pulled off a historic win in the final game. Barring captain Paul Stirling (45 in 38 balls), no one got going as Grant Stewart (2-27), JJ Smuts (2-18), and Crishan Kalugamage (3-28) bowled out Ireland for 154 in 19.4 overs.
Play: Quiz! First wins for every Associate Nation against a Full Member in men’s international cricket
Strikes from Matthew Humphreys (2-23) and Mark Adair (2-23) then reduced Italy to 68-4 before newly appointed captain Wayne Madsen (39 in 30) and Gian-Piero Meade (22 in 19) pushed Italy closer. Still, they were left to chase 40 in three overs with four wickets in hand.
Stewart hit George Dockrell for a six in the next over, but Italy managed only four more runs. The penultimate over, bowled by Adair, was eventful, replete with two wides, three leg-byes, and a boundary to each of Stewart and Marcus Campopiano.
Barry McCarthy needed to defend 16 in the last over: Stewart finished things off with a six off each of the first three balls.
This was Italy’s 25th win in men’s T20Is (they have lost 13) but their first against a Full Member. They are placed in Group C in the upcoming T20 World Cup, along with England, the West Indies, Nepal, and Scotland.
Italy’s first-round matches at the 2026 T20 World Cup
February 9, 11am: v Scotland (Eden Gardens, Kolkata)
February 12, 3pm: v Nepal (Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai)
February 16, 3pm: v England (Eden Gardens, Kolkata)
February 19, 11am: v West Indies (Eden Gardens, Kolkata)
