Italy’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign got a historic twist despite a loss to England in Kolkata. In pursuit of 203, they scored 178, blasting 13 sixes to tie for second among Associate teams for most sixes in a single innings.
Ben Manenti dominated with 6 sixes alongside his 60, while Grant Stewart unleashed 5 in his 45. Harry Manenti and Jasprit Singh added one each, epitomizing Italy’s fearless approach.
England reached 202/7 thanks to Will Jacks’ 53* (22 balls: 4×6, 3×4), with contributions from Tom Banton (30), Phil Salt (28), and Sam Curran (25).
Key knocks from Ben Manenti (60 off 25, 10 boundaries), Grant Stewart (45 off 23), and Justin Mosca (43) nearly pulled off an upset, but Italy ended 25 runs shy.
The record slots Italy with USA’s 13 vs Canada (2024), behind Netherlands’ 19 vs Ireland (2014), ahead of Scotland’s 12 vs Australia (2024). This achievement spotlights Italy’s growing prowess, challenging perceptions of Associate teams in T20’s big league.