Canada have booked their place at the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, clinching top spot in the Americas regional final with a seven-wicket victory over Bahamas in King City, Ontario.
The win was their fifth on the spin in the four-team event, making Sunday’s meeting with Bermuda purely academic. “It’s satisfying to finish the job early,” captain Saad Bin Zafar said. “We spoke all week about controlling what we can, and the lads executed beautifully.”
This will be Canada’s second straight appearance at a T20 World Cup, following last year’s outing in the West Indies and USA. They join India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, USA and West Indies in the 20-team field, with seven slots still available through the Europe, Africa and combined Asia–EAP qualifiers.
Friday’s performance showed the gulf between Canada and their regional rivals. Bahamas managed only 57 in 19.5 overs, left-arm seamer Kaleem Sana returning 3 for 6, supported by Ansh Patel (2 for 7) and leg-spinner Shivam Sharma (3 for 16). “The bowling unit has been relentless,” assistant coach Pubudu Dassanayake noted. “Our lengths have been spot-on throughout the week.”
Opener Dilpreet Bajwa then smashed an unbeaten 36 off 14 deliveries, sealing the chase in just 5.3 overs. It added to earlier triumphs by 110 runs, 59 runs, ten wickets and 42 runs.
Zafar says the side will not ease off against Bermuda. “There’s World Cup seeding to think about, so we’ll turn up with the same intent.”
For now, mission accomplished: Canada are the 13th nation confirmed for 2026.
