Bangladesh’s last-minute replacement, Scotland, name squad for T20 World Cup 2026 | Cricket News

Scotland cricketers (Pic credit: Cricket Scotland)

Scotland on Monday announced their 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, marking a swift transition from late entrants to fully prepared contenders for the global event starting February 7 in India and Sri Lanka.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The European side were drafted into the tournament after the International Cricket Council (ICC) replaced Bangladesh, following the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) refusal to send its team to India citing security concerns. Scotland, the highest-ranked team outside the original qualification list, were subsequently confirmed as Bangladesh’s replacement.

Led by captain Richie Berrington, Scotland will be featuring in their seventh Men’s T20 World Cup, having previously appeared in six of the nine editions of the tournament (2007, 2009, 2016, 2021, 2022 and 2024). Alongside the main squad, Cricket Scotland also named two travelling reserves and three non-travelling reserves.Cricket Scotland’s Head of Performance Steve Snell expressed confidence in the balance and depth of the selected squad, particularly with the challenges of sub-continent conditions in mind. “The coaching staff, selectors, and I are all really excited about the squad that has been picked. We feel it’s well-balanced and caters for a lot of different scenarios and challenges that the team will face in India,” Snell said, as quoted by the ICC.Snell also highlighted young fast bowler Zainullah Ihsan as one to watch. “There’s obviously a great opportunity for Zainullah Ihsan, and whenever he’s played at youth level or for the ‘A’ squad, he’s shown an exciting range of skills and bowled at genuine pace,” he said, while also praising Oli Davidson for his work ethic and deserved call-up.Placed in Group C, Scotland will face England, Italy, Nepal and the West Indies, with their tournament opener scheduled against the West Indies at Eden Gardens on February 7.