Even after being disqualified from the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, Bangladesh’s cricket team has still secured a direct entry into the 2028 tournament. After Bangladesh was dismissed, the ICC chose to replace them with Scotland.
The ICC has also revealed the 12 teams that will be entering the tournament. As the hosting countries, Australia and New Zealand do not have to qualify. The teams that will be in the top 7 of the T20 World Cup 2026, excluding the hosting countries, will enter next. Finally, the remaining 3 teams will qualify based on the ICC team rankings.
Also Read: T20 World Cup 2026: Why are Associate Nations Trending Suddenly? | CrickexBD
ICC Confirms Bangladesh’s Direct Qualification for the 2028 T20 World Cup Despite Tournament Withdrawal
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has finally put an end to all speculations regarding the future of Bangladesh in international tournaments by confirming that the Tigers will directly qualify for the 2028 T20 World Cup.
There had been some uncertainty regarding Bangladesh’s participation in the next installment of the tournament, given the team’s withdrawal from the ongoing tournament being staged in India and Sri Lanka.
However, an ICC press release today has put an end to all speculations regarding Bangladesh’s participation in the 2028 tournament, to be staged jointly by Australia and New Zealand, given the country’s ICC T20I team ranking that has ensured their participation in the tournament.
This has come after Pakistan’s victory over Namibia in Colombo today, which has completed the Super Eight lineup.
Which Teams Have Qualified Directly for the 2028 T20 World Cup and How the Remaining Spots Will Be Decided
Though the cut-off date is March 9, the final of the T20 World Cup 2026, as the team that is 10 or lower won’t be playing any matches, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Ireland have also qualified directly.
However, the remaining 8 spots will be selected by four various qualifiers that are America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Regional Qualifiers and Automatic Super Eight Teams Securing Spots for the 2028 T20 World Cup
In the 2026 T20 World Cup, Canada was able to qualify from the Americas, whereas Italy and the Netherlands got selected from Europe. On the other hand, Namibia and Zimbabwe have been selected from Africa, while Nepal, Oman, and the UAE have been allocated from Asia-EAP.
The teams that have qualified for the next round are
- Pakistan
- India
- Sri Lanka
- Zimbabwe
- West Indies
- England
- South Africa
- New Zealand
The above national squads are readily qualified for the 2028 tournament.
How Automatic Qualification Works for the 2028 T20 World Cup
As per the rules of qualification for the 20-team tournament, 12 teams are automatically qualified. These teams include the co-hosts and the top teams in the current World Cup. Although Australia did not make it to the Super Eight this year, they are automatically qualified as a host nation.
Since nine teams are already qualified (the Super Eight teams and Australia), the next three teams that are automatically qualified are decided by the ICC T20I rankings as of March 9, the day after the final of the current World Cup.
Men’s T20 World Cup 2028: Qualification system
| Procedure of qualification | Number of teams | Qualified Teams |
| Hosts | 2 | Australia |
| 2 | New Zealand | |
| 2 | England | |
| 2 | India | |
| 2 | Pakistan | |
| Top 7 teams from T20 World Cup 2026 (not including the host nation) | 7 | South Africa |
| 7 | Sri Lanka | |
| 7 | West Indies | |
| 7 | Zimbabwe | |
| 7 | Afghanistan | |
| Highest ICC team ranking | 3 | Bangladesh |
| 3 | Ireland | |
| Americas Qualifier | 1 | To be decided |
| Americas Qualifier | 1 | To be decided |
| Europe Qualifier | 2 | To be decided |
| Europe Qualifier | 2 | To be decided |
| Africa Qualifier | 2 | To be decided |
| Africa Qualifier | 2 | To be decided |
| Asia–EAP Qualifier | 3 | To be decided |
| Asia–EAP Qualifier | 3 | To be decided |
ICC Rankings Confirm Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Ireland’s Direct Entry into the 2028 T20 World Cup
Currently, Bangladesh is placed 9th in the ICC T20I rankings, Afghanistan is placed 10th, and Ireland is placed 12th. In the ICC’s qualification format for the 2028 T20 World Cup, these rankings play a very crucial role as the final automatic qualification spots are decided based on the official ICC T20I rankings as of March 9, which is the day after the final of the ongoing World Cup.
According to an official clarification by the International Cricket Council, there are no T20 International matches scheduled before the cut-off date of March 9 that could mathematically affect the positions of these nations in the rankings table. This implies that Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Ireland will not be overthrown by nations ranking below them in the rankings table.
With the inclusion of these three teams, the total number of teams that will qualify automatically for the 20-team tournament will be 12. The remaining eight teams will qualify for the tournament through regional qualification tournaments. These regions include Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. These tournaments ensure that new cricket-playing nations are included in the tournament. This has been adopted by the ICC in previous World Cup tournaments to ensure that the game reaches a wider audience.
