Underdogs turned overachievers: How Zimbabwe, Nepal and Italy lit up T20 World Cup 2026

If at the start of the T20 World Cup 2026, someone said that Zimbabwe—who had failed to qualify for the T20 World Cup 2024 after losing to Uganda in the qualifiers—were going to top the points table in a group containing Australia, Sri Lanka, and Ireland, they would have been laughed at.

If the same person said that Nepal would have given England a run for their money, nearly beating them, people would have been flabbergasted by the sheer audacity of that claim.

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And, just in case he added that in that very event, Italy—playing their first-ever World Cup—would have beaten the same Nepal team that gave England their biggest scare, and that too by 10 wickets, giving them a proper thumping, that person would have been shunned by the society of cricket aficionados.

But after the group stages ended on February 20, that person should have bought a lottery ticket after making all these predictions because all of them have come true. These three teams have lit up the tournament, which was previously marred by political upheavals, with pure cricketing magic.

Here’s how the underdogs overachieved to send the cricket-loving Indian fan base into a frenzy.

Zimbabwe: From missing 2024 World Cup qualification to creating history in 2026

When Zimbabwe brutally thrashed Oman, people thought, “Oh, they have survived a big game.” But little did anyone know what they would do in the next match. Courtesy of great catches from Brian Bennett and Tony Munyonga, the Chevrons knocked out former champions Australia.

If that was not enough, nature favored them and washed out their Ireland game to help them qualify for the Super 8s for the first time in their history.

But mere qualification might have just moved eyeballs; what really moved people was the consistency. After a clean game against Oman and a tense finish against Australia, the Zimbabweans won a thriller against co-hosts Sri Lanka to top the table. They made the world take note of them and their charismatic leader, Sikandar Raza, who has kept saying that he is already looking forward to the next game after every win.

Record-Breaking Performances

Nepal: Fuelled by fans, Men from the Mountains almost pulled off a Himalayan upset

Nepal had given a scare to South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2024, losing by just a solitary run. Back in the subcontinent, they nearly pulled off another historic win, but alas, it ended as a “scare” only.

Pushing England to the absolute limits while chasing 184, they fell just four runs short in a last-ball thriller. The support for the Himalayan side at the Wankhede Stadium was deafening, to say the least. However, the batters couldn’t quite hold their nerves needing 10 off the final 6 balls, where Sam Curran conceded only six.

Eventually, they did win a game, beating Scotland to end a 12-year drought for a World Cup victory. The sight of 20,000 Nepalese fans turning the Wankhede into a sea of red and blue remains the tournament’s most enduring image.

Italy: Not the Azzurri people anticipated to win a World Cup game

The Italian cricket team was competing in the European Championship when the better-known Azzurri (the Italy football team) won the FIFA World Cup in 2006.

Cut to 20 years later, and nobody would have thought that both the Italian cricket and football teams would have won the same number of World Cup matches in recent years—with the cricket one being the better-remembered, more thumping victory.

Such has been the rise of Italian cricket and the fall of Italian World Cup football that people got to see the cricket Azzurri not only become the only “Azzurri” team to play in a World Cup in the last 12 years (as the football side missed 2018, 2022, and 2026), but also win a record-breaking match by 10 wickets, registering a win in their maiden appearance itself.

The Stats That Defined the Uprising

The Verdict: 2026 wasn’t a story of luck—it was a story of evolution. Zimbabwe is back in the Super 8s, Nepal is a powerhouse-in-waiting, and Italy has officially arrived.