Italy Ready to Impress in T20 World Cup Debut Against Scotland

As a child growing up in the small village of Marawila, about 20 minutes from Negombo, Sri Lanka, Crishan Kalugamage played in the streets and at school, running in hard and bowling fast.

But money was tight and economic opportunities limited, so when Kalugamage was 15, his parents packed up and moved with their three children to Tuscany, Italy, in search of a better life.

Kalugamage could never have dreamed that 21 years later, he would pack his bags again, now a talented leg spinner on his way to India, about to represent Italy in a debut T20 World Cup match against Scotland in Kolkata on Monday.

Italy cricket: older than you think

When English expatriate Herbert Kilpin founded the Milan Foot-Ball and Cricket Club in 1899, he couldn’t have envisioned an Italian team playing in front of thousands of fans in India and broadcast to millions around the world.

While AC Milan has since morphed into a football colossus, cricket has taken much longer to develop in Italy. But the country’s inclusion in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, represents a huge step for the Azzurri.

Italy’s success at the European qualification last July, in which they finished second to the Netherlands, guaranteed a World Cup debut. Their 12-run victory over Scotland secured their progression and stunned the cricket world; Scotland, one of the most successful second-tier nations, were expected to finish in the top two.

A standout performance by allrounder Harry Manenti, who scored a run-a-ball 38 and took five wickets, and a 21-ball 50 from Emilio Gay, absent from the current squad through injury, turned the tournament on its head. Italy qualified through a superior net run rate, although Bangladesh’s late withdrawal from the T20 World Cup handed Scotland a last-minute berth.

Italy join Scotland, Nepal, West Indies and England in Group C of the 16-team tournament, with the top two progressing to the Super Eight phase. Their coach, former Ireland international Kevin O’Brien, has set his sights on reaching the knockout stage and was encouraged by the team’s performance in a pre-tournament tri-series against Ireland and the Netherlands in Dubai.

“We’re targeting to win games and, ultimately, want to qualify from the group,” said O’Brien. “We’ve got a very experienced squad, maybe not necessarily at World Cups, but we’ve certainly got players who have been playing professional cricket for numerous years.

“On our day, we can compete with any of the four other teams in our group. We beat Ireland in a T20 chasing 157, so that gives us a lot of confidence.”

Who’s in Italy’s squad?

The 15-player squad is a mixture of five “home-base” players and others drawn from Australia, South Africa and England who qualify as Italian through relatives. None were born in Italy, although several hold Italian passports.

There are two sets of Australian brothers: Harry and Ben Manenti, and Justin and Anthony Mosca. Both Manenti brothers have played in Australia’s Big Bash League, and Ben played in South Australia’s title-winning Sheffield Shield team last season.

Other notable names include 37-year-old former South Africa international, JJ Smuts, who recently qualified through his wife’s heritage. A regular on the T20 franchise circuit, the explosive top-order batter and handy left-arm orthodox spinner is expected to lead the way with both bat and ball.

The captain is 42-year-old Wayne Madsen, a South African-born batter who moved to England and is currently the Derbyshire club captain, armed with the experience of 253 first-class appearances. Grant Stewart, originally from Australia, is another experienced professional in English domestic cricket, where he plays for Kent.

Aside from Kalugamage, who is now a leg spinner, there are four home base players. Zain Ali is a towering all-rounder who was born in Pakistan and moved to Italy with his family as a two-year-old. Hassan Ali and Syed Naqvi also have Pakistani roots, while Jaspreet Singh was born in India and raised in Italy.

Rounding out the squad are Marcus Campopiano, who hails from England, South African-born Gian Piero Meade and England-based Australian player Thomas Draca.

- Author: Melinda Farrell, Al Jazeera

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