In a landmark moment for international cricket, Italy commenced its inaugural appearance at a major International Cricket Council tournament on Monday, ending a 45-year wait since the nation’s cricket federation was established in 1980. The Italian squad won the toss against Scotland in their Twenty20 World Cup opener at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, electing to field first in this historic match.
The Italian team earned its place in the tournament by finishing second behind the Netherlands in the European qualifiers, becoming the 25th nation to compete in the T20 World Cup. Scotland, despite losing to Italy in the qualifiers, was later drafted into Group C as a replacement for Bangladesh after the ICC rejected the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s request to relocate its games from India to Sri Lanka due to security concerns.
Team captain Wayne Madsen, a South African who qualified through his Italian grandmother, expressed the team’s ambition to “make a mark at this World Cup.” The Italian lineup features a distinctive international flavor with two sets of Australian brothers possessing Italian family connections: opening batters Anthony and Justin Mosca, along with Harry and Benjamin Manenti.
Scotland entered the match seeking redemption after losing their tournament opener to West Indies on Day 1. Captain Richie Berrington welcomed the opportunity to bat first, hoping to establish a substantial total against the tournament newcomers.
The match was part of a full day of Group C action that also featured Zimbabwe versus Oman in Colombo and 2024 runner-up South Africa facing Canada in Ahmedabad.