Italy’s maiden T20 WC win could ‘knock Winter Olympics off back pages,’ says Coach Davison

Italy registered its first-ever T20 World Cup victory with a dominant 10-wicket win over Nepal at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, thanks to an unbeaten 124-run opening partnership between brothers Justin and Anthony Mosca.

Italy head coach John Davison believes his side’s historic maiden victory at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup could bring unprecedented attention to cricket in the football-dominated nation, saying the landmark win might even “knock the Winter Olympics off the back pages” of Italian sports coverage.

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Reflecting on the emotional significance of the moment, Davison said the win meant a great deal to the players, many of whom were representing Italy at an ICC World Cup for the first time across any format.

“Overriding emotion, there were definitely a few tears in the guys’ eyes. It definitely meant a lot to a lot of guys out there, particularly the two Mosca boys,” Davison said during the post-match press conference. “It was a phenomenal effort in the field too. Game one nothing went our way, and today everything went our way, but it was a reflection on how brave we were.”

Speaking about the broader impact of the victory, Davison highlighted how rare such exposure is for cricket in Italy.

“This will be front-page news in many countries and many publications in Italy. I’m hoping it might knock the Winter Olympics off the back page of the sport. That would be unbelievable for cricket in the country and just bring some attention to us,” he added.

Captain Harry Manenti highlighted the diverse backgrounds of the squad, noting the strong connections between Italy, Australia, England, and South Africa.

“There are about a million people in Italy with Australian heritage. Our grandparents moved to Australia in the 1950s and 1960s. We also have connections with England and South Africa,” Manenti said.

“We bring a group of people from all over the world together, and they feel Italian straight away. That connection is pretty special.”

Manenti also revealed the financial realities faced by players.

“At least 12 of our 15 players make their living outside cricket. One of our players (Crishan Kalugamage) earns money making pizzas to fund his training,” he said.

Despite being ranked 27th before the tournament, Manenti stressed that Italy are determined to rise.

“We will always be the outsiders, and we love that. But we want to climb up, play more games, and create pathways for kids in Italy to dream of playing a World Cup,” he added.

Sachin Tendulkar hails Italy’s historic breakthrough

Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar congratulated Italy on their maiden T20 World Cup victory, calling it a testament to cricket’s global expansion.

“Congratulations to Italy on their first-ever T20 World Cup win, and in such commanding fashion! A proud footballing nation making its mark in cricket reminds us how beautifully the game is spreading across the globe,” Tendulkar wrote on X.

Congratulations to Italy on their first-ever T20 World Cup win, and in such commanding fashion!

A proud footballing nation making its mark in cricket reminds us how beautifully the game is spreading across the globe.

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) February 12, 2026

The Mosca brothers’ unbeaten 124-run opening stand was the highest partnership by siblings in T20 World Cup history, surpassing Pakistan’s Kamran and Umar Akmal’s 96-run stand in 2014. It was also just the third 100-plus opening partnership by an associate nation in T20 World Cup history.