Canada secure place in 2026 T20 World Cup with win over Bahamas
Canada’s men’s cricket team have sealed their berth in the 2026 ICC Menโs T20 World Cup after cruising to a seven-wicket victory over the Bahamas in the Americas Qualifier on Saturday.
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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 yearโs marquee event, jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
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Day 5 ๐๐๐๐๐
Bahamas (57-10) modest total not enough challenge for ruthless Canada (61-3). They win by 7 wickets and go into the final match unbeaten. #ICC #MT20WC #AmericasFinal pic.twitter.com/i3RgHpOEF5โ ICC Americas (@iccamericas) June 21, 2025
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โSeven 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.
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Opting to bowl first, Canadaโs 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.
Also read: England hold fort after India all out for 471
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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.
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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 DuckworthโLewisโStern method.
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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.