ICC World T20: Meet six minnows who'll rumble with the big boys

The last six qualification spots in the ICC World Twenty20 tournament to be held in India have been confirmed after the last two berths were sealed by Afghanistan and Oman on 23 July.

Afghanistan overcame Papua New Guinea by six wickets in the qualifiers to seal their berth for the event, while Oman defeated Namibia by five wickets to qualify for their first major global cricket tournament and earn the ICC's T20 international status.

Ireland, Netherlands, Scotland and Hong Kong are the other little-known teams that have qualified for the showpiece event to be held from 11 March to 3 April across eight cities in India.

The ICC World T20 tournament will be contested amongst 16 teams, with 10 Test-playing nations playing alongside the six minnows.

Who's Who

Afghanistan:

Despite missing out in the first qualifying play-off against Hong Kong, the Afghans managed to seal their berth for ICC World T20 tournament for the fourth successive time after beating Papua New Guinea by six wickets in the third qualifier. Afghanistan became an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2001. They are currently ranked 10th in international T20 cricket.

Hong Kong:

The team secured their place in the World T20 event with an emphatic win against a stronger Afghanistan side. It was their first win against Afghanistan in seven attempts. Hong Kong was also the first team to qualify for the tournament following its five-wicket win over the Afghans.

The team is currently ranked 16th in international T20 cricket by the ICC and is also the third highest ranked non-Test playing nation in Asia. They also gained the ODI status by finishing third in the 2014 Cricket World Cup Qualifier.

Ireland:

The William Porterfield-led Ireland team defeated Jersey in the World T20 qualifiers by seven wickets to seal their spot for the showpiece event. Ireland qualified for the Cricket World Cup for the first time in 2007, and has since played in the 2011 and 2015 tournaments. They also qualified for the 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2014 World Twenty20 competitions. The team is currently ranked ninth in international T20 cricket.

Netherlands:

The Dutch brigade secured their World T20 spot for the third time after beating Namibia by four wickets in the second qualifying play-off. The team currently ranked 12th in international T20 cricket was granted the T20 status by the ICC in 2014. The Dutch national team holds the record for the lowest total in T20Is when they were dismissed for just 39 runs by Sri Lanka in the 2014 ICC World T20.

Oman:

The Omanis continued their improbable journey in the World T20 qualifiers by storming away with a five-wicket win over Namibia. The win also secured their spot in the 2016 World T20 - their first-ever qualification for a major ICC event. Following their win, Oman was also granted the T20 international status for the next four years.

The team became an affiliate member of the ICC in 2000 and gained the status of an associate in 2014. Oman are coached by former Sri Lanka captain Duleep Mendis and have recently recruited former England all-rounder Derek Pringle as their technical advisor.

Scotland:

The Scots hammered Oman by 23 runs in their last Group B match in the World T20 qualifiers to secure their berth for the main event in India. The team led by Preston Mommsen became associate members of the ICC in 1994. After severing their ties with the England cricket team, Scotland also qualified for the Cricket World Cup in 1999. The team is currently ranked 11th in the international T20 cricket.