The 10th edition of the T20 World Cup promises to be an intriguing affair. While T20 is considered by many as the format for young players, many teams
are relying on experience in the marquee event.
Over the years, teams which have done well in T20 cricket are the ones which have a fine balance of youth and experience. On that note, we take a look at five oldest cricketers who will be participating in the 2026 T20 World Cup, representing their respective teams.
Top 5 oldest players in T20 World Cup 2026:
5. Brendan Taylor
Brendan Taylor made his comeback to international cricket last year after serving a ban for breaching the ICC's anti-corruption code. The veteran wicketkeeper-batter will celebrate his 40th birthday on February 6, one day before the T20 World Cup gets underway.
Taylor has played 58 T20Is so far for Zimbabwe and has amassed 1185 runs at an average of 23.70 and a strike rate of 122.93. This includes six half-centuries and a solitary century. His highest score is the 123 he smashed against Botswana last year. At 39 years and 234 days, he became the oldest to score a men's T20I century from a full-member nation.
4. Mohammad Nabi
The evergreen Mohammad Nabi was a part of the Afghanistan side that played their first-ever T20 World Cup in 2010. He also has the experience of captaining the side at the marquee event. Nabi's all-round expertise will come in handy for Afghanistan in the subcontinent.
The Loger-born turned 41 on January 1 this year. He has 2430 runs and 104 wickets from 147 T20Is. With the bat, he averages 22.29 and has a strike rate of 136.60. Meanwhile, with the ball, he has an average of 28.68 and an economy rate of 7.34.
3. Roelof van der Merwe
Roelof van der Merwe is one of the rare cricketers who have represented two different countries at the international level. He played for South Africa at the international circuit before moving over to the Netherlands.
He turned 41 years old one day before Mohammad Nabi, on December 31 last year. The gutsy all-rounder has played 66 T20Is, scoring 561 runs at an average of 22.44 and a strike rate of 129.57. With the ball, he has accounted for 74 wickets at an average of 18.85 and an economy rate of 6.51.
2. Wayne Madsen
Wayne Madsen took over the reins from Joe Burns, who was surprising dropped from Italy's setup despite being their skipper when they qualified for the T20 World Cup. Madsen turned 42 on January 2. The right-handed batter, who was born in Durban, has played just seven T20Is in his career.
Madsen has managed to score 205 runs at an average of 34.17 and a strike rate of 132.26. He has two half-centuries in his arsenal, with a highest score of 61, which he recently recorded during a T20I series against Ireland.
1. Mohammad Nadeem
Mohammad Nadeem is all set to represent Oman in the forthcoming T20 World Cup. He is the oldest player in this edition of the global extravaganza. The Sialkot-born Nadeem has played 70 T20I matches for Oman so far.
The 43-year-old also has the experience of captaining the side in the shortest format. He has 805 runs to his name at an average of 20.64 and a strike rate of 104.96. Meanwhile, he has 40 wickets to show for his efforts with the ball. He averages 29.23 and has an economy rate of 7.62.
