In Kolkata, on February 8, the Italian football team will have the opportunity to compete in the biggest stage of cricket when they play against Scotland in a historic T20 World Cup debut match on Monday.
The Azzurri, who have won four FIFA World Cups, will now compete against Gli Azzurri, who made it to the expanded 20-team tournament through the European regional qualifiers last July.
Italy and the Jersey team, who defeated Scotland, finished with five points, but the Italians secured second place behind the Dutchmen to qualify for their maiden appearance in the global tournament.
This qualification marks a significant return to cricket roots for a country with a history dating back to 1793, when English naval hero Horatio Nelson reportedly "organized the first-ever recorded game in Naples."
Despite not having a single turf wicket currently, the game continues to thrive in this region, with around 4,000 registered male players and nearly 80 clubs participating in a two-tier league system. The national team is largely composed of players with Italian heritage or first and second-generation immigrants.
Captain Wayne Madsen, born in South Africa, qualifies through his Italian grandmother, making his debut in a cricket World Cup two decades after representing his native country in hockey.
Bowler Crishan Kalugamage moved to Italy from Sri Lanka at 15, while wicketkeeper Marcus Campopiano was born in England to an Italian father.
The 15-man squad includes two sets of Australian brothers with Italian family connections – Harry and Ben Manenti, and Anthony and Justin Mosca – while former South Africa all-rounder JJ Smuts adds experience.
Former Ireland all-rounder Kevin O'Brien is part of the coaching staff.
However, awareness of this achievement remains limited back home.
"I'm sure no more than 10 per cent in the country knows that Italy is making its debut in the T20 World Cup," someone from the team said.
Despite this, Madsen feels the momentum is slowly building.
"I know there have been some articles in local papers, so the message is starting to get out that we're here at the World Cup and it's going to be our first, and it's obviously going to be a big moment for cricket in Italy and for growing the game," he said.
Unlike their rivals, who made a dramatic late entry into the tournament after Bangladesh's withdrawal, Italy have had thorough preparation and planning.
This also adds to the broader sporting rivalry, as Italy defeated Scotland 18-15 in the Six Nations rugby in Rome on Saturday.
"We saw the rugby team get one over Scotland yesterday in the Six Nations, so hopefully we can emulate that tomorrow when we start against Scotland," said the Italian skipper.
Despite this, Italy will be a formidable opponent.
They have won their last three matches – two warm-up fixtures against Canada and the UAE before beating Ireland in their build-up series – a result that marked their first-ever victory over an ICC Full Member.
They also stunned Scotland by 12 runs in the European qualifier, a win that proved decisive in securing qualification to the World Cup.
Scotland, though, remain wary of the threat.
"Yeah, obviously, I think that was a disappointing defeat. Like I said, we did have a bit of a hiccup during that tournament. But we're looking to just work on ourselves and what we can do better," said pacer Safyaan Sharif.
Having made a late entry into the tournament, Scotland showed flashes of promise but their batting faltered in a 35-run defeat in their opening match at this venue on Saturday.
"Look, one team's going to lose anyway. Unfortunately, it was us. But the way we showed our character today when it was the first half and the second half, I think, it's just exciting things to come yet," he added.
Teams:
Scotland: Richie Berrington (captain), Tom Bruce, Matthew Cross, Bradley Currie, Oliver Davidson, Chris Greaves, Zainullah Ihsan, Michael Jones, Michael Leask, Finlay McCreath, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Safyaan Sharif, Mark Watt and Brad Wheal.
Italy: Wayne Madsen (captain), Marcus Campopiano, Gian Piero Meade, Zain Ali, Ali Hasan, Crishan Jorge, Harry Manenti, Anthony Mosca, Justin Mosca, Syed Naqvi, Ben Manenti, Jaspreet Singh, JJ Smuts, Grant Stewart and Thomas Draca.
Match starts: 11am IST.