Canada Seals Place in India-Sri Lanka T20 World Cup With Unbeaten Run
Canada have qualified for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 to be held in India and Sri Lanka, after their unbeaten run in the Americas Regional Qualifier.
The hosts of the four-team Qualifier, played in King City, Ontario, emerged clear winners ahead of the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, becoming the 13th team to ensure a place in next year’s 20-team T20 World Cup.
The other teams to have qualified are Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, the United States, the West Indies, Ireland, New Zealand and Pakistan, apart from co-hosts India and Sri Lanka.
The seven remaining slots will be decided from upcoming Continental Qualifiers – two from the Europe Qualifier (5–11 July 2025), two from the Africa Qualifier (19 September – 4 October 2025) and three from the Asia–EAP Qualifier (1–17 October 2025).
The hosts of the Americas Qualifiers booked their place in the global tournament with a dominant victory over the Bahamas — marking their fifth consecutive win in as many matches during the campaign.
Canada delivered a commanding performance at the Maple Leaf North-West Ground in King City on June 21, 2025, crushing the Bahamas by seven wickets in the ninth match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Americas Region Final. The hosts needed just 5.3 overs to chase down a modest target of 58, with left-arm pacer Kaleem Sana starring as the Player of the Match for his exceptional bowling.
Opting to field first after winning the toss, Canada’s bowlers made immediate inroads into the fragile Bahamian batting lineup. Sana was devastating with the new ball, taking 3 wickets for just 6 runs in his four overs, including two maidens. His victims included both openers — Marc Taylor (6) and captain Gregory Taylor (1) — as well as Eugene Duff, who fell without scoring.
The Bahamas never recovered from the early collapse. Wickets fell at regular intervals as Ansh Patel (2/7), Saad Bin Zafar (1/13), and Shivam Sharma (3/16) chipped in to dismantle the batting unit. Only Javelle Gallimore offered some resistance with 14 runs off 19 balls, as the Bahamas were bowled out for a mere 57 runs in 19.5 overs.
Canada’s response was swift and emphatic. Despite losing Yuvraj Samra early for 5, the hosts raced to the target with a flurry of boundaries. Dilpreet Bajwa led the charge, smashing an unbeaten 36 from just 14 balls, including five fours and a six, to neutralize any threat of an upset.
Nicholas Kirton and Harsh Thaker both fell cheaply to Kervon Hinds, but the outcome was never in doubt. Ravinderpal Singh joined Bajwa to finish the job as Canada reached 61 for 3 in just 5.3 overs, securing victory with 87 balls to spare.
On the bowling side for Bahamas, only Hinds (2/33) and Festus Benn (1/5) were among the wickets, but they found little support in defending such a small total. The remaining bowlers were punished by the aggressive Canadian top order, particularly Gulati, who conceded 22 runs in 1.3 overs.
