Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 05:37am on 04 Feb 2026,Wednesday Sports
Two centuries after cricket arrived in Italy, the Azzurri make their ICC World Cup debut against Scotland in Kolkata on Monday. Herbert Kilpin's 1899 Milan Foot-Ball and Cricket Club spawned football giant AC Milan, but cricket developed slowly. Italy's stunning second-place finish behind Netherlands at July's European qualification, including a shocking 12-run victory over heavily-favored Scotland, secured their T20 World Cup 2026 berth. The 15-player squad mixes home-based players with Australian, South African, and English talent qualifying through Italian heritage. Coach Kevin O'Brien targets Super Eight qualification, drawing parallels to Ireland's 2007 debut. Leg-spinner Crishan Kalugamage, who moved from Sri Lanka at 15, embodies Italy's cricket journey, balancing his pizza chef job with 700-kilometer round trips for matches. (PC: Reuters)
