Kolkata, February 19 Stand-in captain Harry Manenti did not hide his frustration, saying that Italy is on a "strong trajectory," but it could "fall off" if they do not get enough regular cricket at this level.
Italy's debut in the T20 World Cup ended with the West Indies securing a comfortable 42-run victory in their last Group C match, securing a place in the Super Eights with four wins out of four.
Italy had several memorable moments, including a win against Nepal and giving England a scare while defending 202.
They also had a strong performance against the West Indies on Thursday, restricting them to 165/6 after the two-time champions were looking at a total of 200 or more.
"It's not always the big teams who win these games, and I think it's exciting for the World Cup," Manenti said in the post-match interaction.
"I think it's hard for Associate Nations, and it's not going to change overnight. It's a work in progress for many of them."
Having pushed top Test teams close, Manenti felt that the bigger challenge now is to ensure their progress doesn't stall due to lack of opportunities.
"We're on a really good trajectory. It would be nice for us to keep on that trajectory and not just fall off like many countries and teams have over the years," said the captain.
"If it stops now, it would be very difficult for us to continue to make progress like we are."
With their next T20 assignment likely in 2027, Manenti underlined the challenges that associate nations face, saying that progress could stall if opportunities do not come consistently at this level.
"Our next assignment is in August, in a one-day series against a few teams.
"That's our next step in one-day cricket. Our next T20 game would probably be in 2027, so that's where we are at the moment."
He pointed out Italy's rise in 18 months – from playing on synthetic grounds against Croatia, Turkey, and Luxembourg to competing against England and the West Indies.
He said it is "exciting" for both the ICC and associate cricket, but admitted sustained growth depends on more consistent exposure at the top level.
"It's not easy to go from the lowest level of international cricket to the top in 18 months. I think if you look around the world, and who's done a really good job, I think Italy would be right up there.
"If we had played against Croatia, Turkey and Luxembourg 18 months ago, and we had won those matches, I would say that we were in a good position," he said. "I think that's exciting for both the ICC and Italian cricket," he added.
Italy coach John Davison admitted that his side fell short in key moments, saying they "probably leaked a few runs".
"A couple of the West Indian guys were bowling well, and we probably leaked a few runs," Davison said.
"We probably bowled a few too many, and we didn't get enough support from the batsmen.
"We needed someone to get in and score a 60-plus, but we didn't really find any rhythm with the bat," he added.