Canada's men's cricket team have sealed their berth in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup after cruising to a seven-wicket victory over the Bahamas in the Americas Qualifier on Saturday.
The Canadians, unbeaten in the regional qualifying tournament, chased down a modest target of 57 in only 5.3 overs at the Maple Leaf North-West Ground in King City. With five wins from as many matches, they secured qualification to next year’s marquee event, jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
“Seven more teams -- two from Europe Qualifier (to be played from July 5-11, 2025), two from Africa Qualifier (to be played from September 19 to October 4) and three from Asia-EAP Qualifier (to be played from October 1-17) -- will join the Men's T20 World Cup through the Regional Qualifiers," the ICC said in a statement.
Opting to bowl first, Canada’s pace-spin combination of Kaleem Sana (3/6) and Shivam Sharma (3/16) dismantled the Bahamian batting order, dismissing them for 56 in 19.5 overs. The Canadian batters then wasted no time, with Dilpreet Bajwa hammering an unbeaten 36 to ensure a rapid finish and secure passage to the World Cup.
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Led by skipper Nicholas Kirton, Canada opened their campaign with a commanding 110-run triumph over Bermuda. This was followed by a 59-run win against the Cayman Islands and a 10-wicket drubbing of Bahamas in the initial group stage.
In their second fixture against the Cayman Islands, the Canadians posted 82 runs in a rain-curtailed match and emerged victors by 42 runs under the Duckworth–Lewis–Stern method.
Canada now join defending champions India, co-hosts Sri Lanka, and other full members including Australia, England, Pakistan, South Africa, Bangladesh, New Zealand, West Indies, Afghanistan, Ireland, and the United States in the 20-team tournament.
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