To get closer to qualification for the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup, up-and-coming, as well as lower-rated challenger teams, need to perform at the Cricket World Cup Challenge League Qualifiers. Since late September, the 2024-2026 Challenge League qualifier cycle has begun. It’s time for the selected national teams to battle it out. The top 4 will move on to the Qualifier Play-offs to get the chance to go to the Qualifier and eventually make the ICC Men’s World Cup.
Let’s look at the situation, running favourites and possible dark horses!
About the Challenge League Qualifiers
In the Challenge League Qualifiers, 12 total teams participate. They are divided into two leagues – League A and League B, each comprising 6 national squads.
League A
| No. | Team |
| 1. | Jersey |
| 2. | Papua New Guinea |
| 3. | Kuwait |
| 4. | Kenya |
| 5. | Denmark |
| 6. | Qatar |
League B
| No. | Team |
| 1. | Uganda |
| 2. | Italy |
| 3. | Hong Kong |
| 4. | Bahrain |
| 5. | Tanzania |
| 6. | Singapore |
Remember that only the top 4 teams from each league (group) will progress to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off, bringing them only a step closer to World Cup participation.
In addition, if a team performs well, they could be promoted to League 2 of the ICC Cricket World Cup. On the other hand, if they finish at the bottom, teams face the risk of relegation. This happened to Papua New Guinea in the last cycle.
Favourites & Situation Overview Right Now (2024 Q4)
As of right now, from early to mid-November, some intense battles are going on for positions.
In League A, after 5 matches, we see Jersey and Papua New Guinea at the top with 8 points each. However, Jersey is slightly ahead due to having a better NRR (Net Run Rating) and beating PNG in a direct matchup on September 28th.
Kuwait is not far behind, with Kenya and Denmark occupying the 4th and 5th positions, respectively. Only Qatar hasn’t been able to taste victory and has a poor -1.630 NRR after 5 matches, making them the weakest link.
In League B, fewer matches have been played. With action resuming in Uganda, the hosts seemed poised to make some noise, but they have Italy, Hong Kong and Bahrain on their tails. It will be interesting to see who ends up where.
Odds for Cricket World Cup Challenge League Qualifiers
If we take into account the following factors
- Team Rosters and Player Form
- Location of the Matches and Conditions
- Historical H2H Records
The outcomes are tough to predict. In League A, it seems that Jersey might be the favourites, with Papua New Guinea having difficulty trying to catch up.
In League B, hosts Uganda will be closely matched with European rivals Italy.
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