The 2024 T20 World Cup has been interesting in many aspects. Firstly, the unknown pitch conditions in the USA have added a dimension to the game. Next up, some of the associate nations have done well, which has further spiced up the contests. Nevertheless, eight spots are still up for grabs for the 2026 T20 WC. On that note, here, we take a look at the list of two teams which performed poorly in the 2024 T20 WC but still qualified directly for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
1) Ireland
It has been a while since Ireland has become a full-member nation. They also play Test cricket. There was a time back then when they were consistently defeating the top sides. However, that is not happening now. Despite having some talented T20 performers, the team is struggling.
However, due to their ranking on the ICC charts in the T20I format, they have direct access to the 2026 T20 WC. That said, the team must start building on their squad and target a superior show in the next two years. The likes of Paul Stirling must be up to their task for this.
2) Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is one of the teams which performed poorly in the 2024 T20 WC but still qualified directly for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Since Sri Lanka is a host along with India, both teams have a direct entry into the competition.
Sri Lanka is a T20 World Cup winner but the team is not showing any signs of it. They have individual performers who do well across the globe. However, as a team, the squad is failing to do well. They were bad even in the 2023 ODI World Cup. Since they will host the tournament with India in 2026, they must start preparing for it already. They have the talent to make that happen.
