The co-hosts USA have exceeded expectations by qualifying for the Super Eight stage of the 2024 T20 World Cup from Group A. They surpassed tournament-favourite Pakistan to join India as qualifiers from Group A, finishing in second place.
For the first time ever, nine Associate Nations are participating in an ICC event. They underwent a rigorous qualification process to earn their spots in the main tournament and have garnered praise for their performances.
Among them, the USA has already advanced to the Super Eight in their inaugural T20 World Cup appearance. Overall, there have been only seven instances of an Associate nation progressing from the group stage.
On that note, here are three teams that advanced from the group stages in their first T20 World Cup:
#3 Ireland – 2009
Under the leadership of William Porterfield, Ireland secured their first victory in their inaugural T20 World Cup campaign by surprising Bangladesh. They successfully chased down 138 runs in 18.2 overs, with Niall O’Brien’s quickfire 40 off 25 balls contributing significantly, earning their first two points in the ICC event.
Despite losing to India in their other group match, the victory over Bangladesh ensured they finished second and advanced to the Super Eight stage.
However, they lost all three Super Eight matches and were eliminated from the tournament. Nonetheless, Ireland attracted significant attention with their performances in that edition of the World Twenty20 (now known as the T20 World Cup).
#2 Namibia – 2021
In their debut T20 World Cup, postponed from 2020 to 2021 due to COVID-19, Namibia surprised everyone. They convincingly defeated teams like Ireland and the Netherlands, finishing second in Group A behind Sri Lanka.
Namibia successfully chased down 165 runs to defeat the Netherlands by six wickets, led by David Wiese’s powerful knock of 66* off 40 balls. They then secured another decisive victory over Ireland, chasing 126 runs in 18.3 overs, with Wiese delivering another Player of the Match performance.
This enabled Namibia to qualify for the Super 12 phase of the tournament, where they were placed in Group 2. They won only one out of five games, ultimately being eliminated. Their sole victory came against Scotland, where they chased down 110 runs with four wickets remaining.
#1 USA – 2024
In their first-ever T20 World Cup, co-hosts USA have impressed everyone with their all-around performance. They started their campaign with a dominant win over Canada, successfully chasing 195 runs with seven wickets in hand.
Monank Patel and his team then secured a thrilling Super Over victory against heavyweights Pakistan, demonstrating their competitiveness and determination.
Despite losing to India and having their last group game abandoned due to bad weather, they managed to secure a spot in the Super Eight. They finished second in Group A with five points, advancing to the next round.
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