The Azzurri’s remarkable rise on the global stage has been recognised by the ICC. The Italian men’s cricket team won the ICC Associate Member Men's Team Performance of the Year at the ICC Development Awards, for 2025.

 It’s a fitting reward for a campaign that transformed Italian cricket from an emerging European force into one of the biggest success stories in the international game.

 The award is not simply recognition for a collection of impressive results. It is an acknowledgement of a journey that demanded resilience, consistency and belief. Italy had spent years knocking on the door of world cricket’s biggest events before finally breaking through in spectacular fashion. Their reward was qualification for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, the first ICC World Cup appearance in the nation’s history. That achievement alone would have made the season unforgettable.

 The route to the World Cup was anything but straightforward. Italy first navigated the European sub-regional qualifiers before producing one of the finest campaigns in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Europe Regional Qualifier. Along the way they defeated established European opposition and ultimately secured qualification ahead of several experienced Associate nations, including Ireland and Scotland, to book their place among the world’s best.

 It was a breakthrough that carried significance far beyond a single tournament.

For decades, Italian cricket had existed quietly in the background, steadily building its structures while football dominated the nation’s sporting landscape. Qualification for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup changed that narrative overnight, bringing unprecedented attention to the sport and rewarding years of work by players, coaches and administrators who had continued believing that Italy belonged on cricket’s biggest stage.

If qualification announced Italy’s arrival, their performances at the World Cup proved they deserved to be there. Rather than simply embracing the occasion, Italy competed with confidence and composure. Their defining moment came against Nepal, where they produced a clinical performance to secure the country’s first ever victory at an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Chasing 118, the Italians completed a commanding ten wicket win, a result that instantly became one of the most memorable moments in the nation’s cricketing history.

The celebrations that followed captured the emotion of the achievement.

 Acting captain Harry Manenti described the victory as the culmination of years of work, while players celebrated with a passion that reflected what representing Italy meant to a squad brought together from different cricketing backgrounds but united by one badge. It was a reminder that Associate cricket is about far more than rankings, it is about creating opportunities, inspiring future generations and proving that the game’s global footprint continues to expand. Super 8 qualification didn’t happen, but Italian cricket had taken one giant stride forward.

 Italy’s success was built on more than individual brilliance. It was founded on clarity of purpose. Their squad blended experienced professionals with emerging talent, combining players of Italian heritage from across the cricketing world into a cohesive unit. They embraced the role of underdogs without ever accepting the limitations that label often brings.

Every victory strengthened belief, every challenge reinforced resilience and every performance demonstrated that Italy could compete with far more established cricketing nations.

Being named the ICC Associate Member Men’s Team Performance of the Year must feel like more than an award. It is recognition of a cricketing movement that has gathered momentum over several seasons before exploding onto the world stage in unforgettable fashion. 

History will remember Italy’s qualification for its first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. It will remember the famous victory over Nepal. It will remember a team that refused to be overawed by the occasion. 

Most importantly, it may one day remember the year 2026 as the year Italian cricket stopped dreaming about belonging among the world’s best and started proving that it does.