Burns starting to believe as Italy close in on T20 World Cup

Italy captain Joe Burns is hoping his side's upset victory over Scotland at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Europe Regional Final that has them on the cusp of qualifying for next year's T20 World Cup is just the start of something special for his team.

The Azzurri maintained their place at the top of the Europe Regional Final standings with a narrow 12-run triumph over the highly-rated Scots and are now in a strong position to qualify for the next edition of the T20 World Cup that is scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka in 2026.

Every match of the European Regional Final is live and free on ICC.tv (in select regions)

A victory over the Netherlands in their final match on Friday will ensure Italy's progression, while a narrow loss could even see them qualify should neither Jersey or Scotland win their contest by a big margin.

Italy's current net run rate is at 1.722, while third-placed Jersey (0.430) and fourth-placed Scotland (-0.150) are well behind.

Burns, who played 23 Tests for Australia before switching his allegiances to Italy, admitted he was feeling 'very surreal' with his side so close to creating history and qualifying for the T20 World Cup for the first time.

"I am really proud of the boys for this moment," Burns said.

"To come and beat Scotland, who are a fantastic team, is a nice reward for sacrifices our players, staff and federation have made.

"Hopefully this is the stepping stone for a lot to come. It's a very emotional group at the moment. Being on the verge of a World Cup? It's very surreal."

One advantage Italy have over their rivals still chasing a top two finish and a spot in next year's T20 World Cup is that their match against the Netherlands in Voorburg on Friday is the last match of the tournament and will be held after Jersey and Scotland have played their contest.

It means Italy will know the exact equation required prior to the match-up with the Dutch, while Jersey and Scotland will need to go all out attack during their clash earlier in the day to try and boost their net run rate.

Scotland captain Richie Berrington was disappointed with his side's performance against Italy, but believes there is still time for his charges to find their best form and ensure they qualify for the T20 World Cup.

"We kept ourselves in it but just didn't manage to execute at the end," he said. "A lot of the credit has to go to Italy, who out-skilled us with the ball in those conditions.

"Obviously today's a tough one, but it's important we learn what we can from this game. We will be looking to come back strong.

"We have to focus on coming back on Friday and looking to win that game then the rest takes of itself."