Kathmandu, Oct. 17 -- The UAE defeated Japan by eight wickets at the Super 6 stage of the Asia & East Asia Pacific Qualifier in Al Amerat, Oman, on Thursday, to book their berth at the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup as the final and 20th team.

The 2026 World Cup, which will be the 10th edition in the shortest format overall, is the second edition where 20 teams are participating.

There were 12 teams in the T20 World Cup from the inaugural edition in 2007 to the fourth in 2012. The International Cricket Council expanded the tournament's participation to 16 teams from the fifth edition in 2014, while there were slots for 20 teams from the ninth edition in 2024.

Nepal, who qualified for the T20 World Cup whenever the number of participants ...