T20 World Cup 2026: Five Associate Nation Players Worth Watching Closely

The expanded field at this edition of the T20 World Cup offers Associate nations, including debutant Italy as well as the USA, the Netherlands and Scotland, all of whom have impressed at recent ICC events, a chance to reinforce their credentials as genuine upset threats.

ICC tournaments also provide a crucial platform for players to showcase their quality, a factor made even more significant by the rapid growth of franchise opportunities across global cricket. Strong performances in major ICC events can bring Associate players to the attention of franchise owners, with potentially meaningful financial implications.

Andries Gous (USA)

Leading the charge for the USA will be Andries Gous, a powerful opening batter with an impressive record across the globe. Gous’ cricketing journey began in South Africa, where he represented the Under-19 side and played First-Class cricket, before relocating in 2021.

He first entered the reckoning for international honours ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup, making an immediate impression on debut against Canada just over a month before the tournament.

Gous went on to score 219 runs across the competition at an average of 43.80 and a strike rate of 151.03. The standout moment was a stunning unbeaten 80 against his country of birth, an innings that threatened to carry his side to a famous victory.

Since then, Gous has built a creditable international record, representing the USA 25 times in T20Is and scoring 751 runs at an average of 32.65 and a strike rate of 145.26. He has also had a globetrotting 2025, with stints in the ILT20 (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders and Desert Vipers), the CPL (Antigua and Barbuda Falcons), the PSL (Islamabad United) and Major League Cricket (Washington Freedom).

Wayne Madsen (Italy)

Italy’s remarkable run to its debut appearance at the T20 World Cup was led by former Australia opener Joe Burns. However, with Burns missing from the squad for the tournament, the captaincy has passed to a figure who is no stranger to elite international sport.

Madsen initially represented South Africa in hockey, featuring at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and the World Cup, before switching codes to cricket. After a brief spell in South Africa’s First-Class system, he moved to England, where he developed into a consistent County Championship performer.

An England call-up never materialised, but Madsen’s formidable First-Class record for Derbyshire underlines his credentials, with over 20,000 runs amassed across formats. He is also well-versed in franchise cricket, having featured in the T20 Blast, The Hundred (London Spirit and Manchester Originals), the SA20 (Joburg Super Kings) and the PSL (Peshawar Zalmi).

Madsen’s Italy bow came in 2023, when he made himself available for the country’s push to qualify for the 2024 T20 World Cup, announcing his arrival with 52 on debut against Jersey. While his international record remains modest (166 runs from six matches), he will lean heavily on his vast domestic experience when leading Italy at its first World Cup.

Muhammad Waseem (UAE)

The UAE returns to the T20 World Cup after missing the 2024 edition, with its campaign set to be fronted by captain, leading run-scorer and talisman Muhammad Waseem at the top of the order.

An aggressive wicketkeeper-batter, Waseem’s journey with UAE cricket began in the club circuit. His international debut came in 2021 against Namibia, and just four games into his career, he announced himself with a blistering 107 not out from 62 balls against Ireland.

He has since carved out a prolific opening career for the UAE, scoring 3,184 runs from 91 matches at an average of 37.02 and a strike rate of 151.76. Waseem has also led the side at multiple international tournaments, including the Asia Cup 2025, which was hosted in the UAE.

He arrives at the World Cup in red-hot form, having finished as the ILT20 2025–26’s second-highest run-getter with 370 runs at an average of 30.83 and a strike rate of 131.67 as MI Emirates reached the final. He also claimed the Blue Belt — awarded to the tournament’s best UAE player — for a fourth consecutive season.

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Roelof van der Merwe (Netherlands)

Roelof van der Merwe is no stranger to World Cups. The 2026 T20 World Cup will be the veteran Dutch all-rounder’s seventh trip to cricket’s biggest stage, having represented both South Africa and the Netherlands at T20 and ODI World Cups.

The all-rounder first represented South Africa in 2009, featuring in its 2009 T20 World Cup campaign. He went on to play 26 times for the Proteas across ODIs and T20Is, taking 31 wickets and scoring 96 runs.

After falling out of international contention, van der Merwe opted to represent the Netherlands. He has since established himself as a consistent performer for the Flying Dutchmen, representing them 80 times across formats, taking 88 wickets and scoring 743 runs. During this period, he also established himself as a fixture in English First-Class cricket with Somerset.

The 41-year-old tweaker also brings a wealth of franchise experience, having featured in the IPL (Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals), the SA20 (Sunrisers Eastern Cape), the ILT20 (Dubai Capitals), the CPL (Barbados Royals and St Lucia Kings) and The Hundred (London Spirit, Northern Superchargers and Welsh Fire).

Dipendra Singh Airee (Nepal)

Nepal went winless at the 2024 T20 World Cup and will be hoping to change that in 2026. If it does, much of the responsibility will rest on the experience and all-round influence of vice-captain Dipendra Singh Airee. An all-rounder in the truest sense, Airee packs a punch with his ball-striking through the middle overs, bowls useful off-spin, and is a gun fielder with a penchant for acrobatic heroics.

He has also made a habit of rewriting Nepal’s record books. Airee has represented his country 90 times in the shortest format, and the 1,956 runs he has amassed at an average of 32.06 make him Nepal’s most prolific T20I batter. The 58 wickets he has picked up also place him fifth on the country’s all-time wicket-takers’ list.

He holds two further records. At the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, he smashed the fastest fifty in T20 history — off just nine balls — against Mongolia in an innings that featured eight sixes. He is also one of only three men, alongside Yuvraj Singh and Kieron Pollard, to hit six sixes in an over, a feat he achieved against Kamran Khan of Qatar during the 2024 ACC Men’s Premier Cup.

Published on Feb 04, 2026