The 10th edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is set to commence on February 7 next year, running until March 8. India and Sri Lanka will jointly host the 20-team tournament over 29 days at eight venues (five in India and three in Sri Lanka). The host venues include Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Eden Gardens in Kolkata, R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Colombo, and Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy.
As the T20 World Cup draws near, all participating nations have finalised their preparations. Defending champions India have the most demanding schedule ahead of the tournament. They will
play a five-match T20I series against South Africa in December, followed by another five-match series against New Zealand in January 2026.
Australia, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Ireland will not play any T20I games prior to the tournament. In contrast, England, the West Indies, and Pakistan will each compete in a three-match T20I series. England will play an away series against Sri Lanka in January-February 2026. The West Indies will host South Africa during the same period, and Pakistan will face Sri Lanka in an away series in January 2026.
Following their series against India, South Africa will host the West Indies for three matches in January-February next year. Sri Lanka will host both England and Pakistan for three-match T20I series in January-February.
Schedule For ICC Full Members
| Team | Upcoming T20Is Before 2026 T20 World Cup |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan | No T20Is before the World Cup |
| Australia | No T20Is before the World Cup |
| Bangladesh | No T20Is before the World Cup |
| England | Three T20Is vs Sri Lanka (Away), Jan–Feb 2026 |
| India | Five T20Is vs South Africa (Home), Dec 2025; Five T20Is vs New Zealand (Home), Jan 2026 |
| Ireland | No T20Is before the World Cup |
| New Zealand | Five T20Is vs India (Away), Jan 2026 |
| Pakistan | Three T20Is vs Sri Lanka (Away), Jan 2026 |
| South Africa | Five T20Is vs India (Away), Dec 2025; Three T20Is vs West Indies (Home), Jan–Feb 2026 |
| Sri Lanka | Three T20Is vs Pakistan (Home), Jan 2026; Three T20Is vs England (Home), Jan–Feb 2026 |
| West Indies | Three T20Is vs South Africa (Home), Jan–Feb 2026 |
| Zimbabwe | No T20Is before the World Cup |
Former India captain Rohit Sharma, who led the team to victory in the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup, has been appointed as the tournament ambassador for the 2026 edition. Sharma retired from T20 cricket after India’s triumph in 2024, which ended an 11-year drought of ICC trophies for the senior men’s team.
(With inputs from Agencies)
