Oman to Host ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia and East Asia-Pacific Qualifier

Dubai – Oman has been confirmed as the host nation for the combined ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia and East Asia-Pacific Qualifier, scheduled to take place in October this year.

A total of nine teams will compete in the tournament, which will determine three qualifiers for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

Joining hosts Oman will be Nepal and Papua New Guinea, along with six sub-regional qualifier winners from 2024: Kuwait, Malaysia, UAE, Qatar, Japan, and Samoa.

Among the participating nations, Oman, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, and UAE have previously featured in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

The event will run for 10 days, beginning with the group stage from October 8 to 10. The nine teams are divided into three groups of three:

• Group 1: UAE, Malaysia, Qatar

• Group 2: Nepal, Kuwait, Japan

• Group 3: Oman, Papua New Guinea, Samoa

The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Six stage, which will be held from October 12 to 17. The top three teams at the end of this stage will secure their spots in the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Meanwhile, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup East Asia-Pacific (EAP) Qualifier is set to take place in Suva, Fiji from September 9 to 15, as part of the qualification pathway for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.

The women’s qualifier will feature eight teams: hosts Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Japan, Samoa, Cook Islands, and the Philippines. They will be split into two groups of four, with the winner of the final advancing to the Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier.

With inputs from IANS