Minnow miracle would make millions smile

National anthems at sporting events offer a glimpse into the teams we’re watching. The lyrics from eight of the 20 nations at the men’s T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka and India—Scotland, Canada, Italy, UAE, Nepal, Namibia, Oman, and the USA—highlight the spirit of the associate teams, often labeled as minnows.

These sides are not just making up the numbers. At Eden Gardens, Scotland needed 50 runs from 22 balls with five wickets in hand against West Indies before Romario Shepherd’s four wickets in five balls secured a 35-run win for the Windies.

A reporter later questioned Scotland’s Safyaan Sharif before their match against Italy, mistakenly asking about his “first T20 World Cup.” Sharif corrected him, having played in four previous editions.

Italy’s coach, John Davison, addressed being called “Australia B,” noting that while six squad members were born in Australia, nine were not, emphasizing the team’s Italian identity.

At the Wankhede, the USA had India at 77/6 after 12.4 overs. Suryakumar Yadav’s 84* off 49 balls lifted India to 161/9, leading to a 29-run victory. The next day, Nepal fell just short against England, needing 10 off the last over but managing only five.

Nepal’s Nandan Yadav expressed both regret and pride: “We competed against such a good team and we were really close to winning.”

Oman’s Jatinder Singh pointed out the limited opportunities for associate nations: “We are no less than the full members. The only thing is we hardly get a chance to play against them.” Oman has played 176 white-ball internationals, with only 10 against established Test nations, and never against South Africa or New Zealand.

Canada’s captain Dilpreet Bajwa noted the growing competitiveness: “We’ve seen associate countries giving Test nations tough competition. We are improving, and I think in the future we’ll be able to beat full-member nations regularly.”

On Monday, Italy was routed by Scotland, conceding 207/4 and bowled out for 134. Oman fared slightly better against Zimbabwe but were bowled out for 103, losing by eight wickets.

Canada faced South Africa in Ahmedabad, where the Proteas posted 213/4—the highest total of the tournament. Lungi Ngidi’s 3/13 in his first two overs stifled Canada’s chase, with South Africa winning by 57 runs. Ngidi praised Canada’s effort: “They did very well tonight… they can be very proud.”

Opportunities remain for the minnows to create a miracle. Any upset would be cheered by millions, challenging perceptions of the game.