The ICC T20 World Cup returns to the subcontinent in early 2026 as the tournament will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
The International Cricket Council (ICC), in coordination with the BCCI and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), has finalized eight venues for the marquee event. India will host matches in Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, and Chennai, while Sri Lanka will contribute two venues in Colombo and one in Kandy.
Kolkata, Ahmedabad set to host Semifinals
However, the semifinals and final remain strategically open-ended, depending on which teams progress to the latter stages.
Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium and Kolkata's Eden Gardens have been identified as frontrunners to stage the semifinals. But if Sri Lanka or Pakistan advance to the final four, their match will shift to Colombo.
A similar flexibility applies to the final, which could also move to Sri Lanka should Pakistan qualify, reflecting a cautious approach to cross-border scheduling.
Following the format used in the 2024 edition held in the USA and West Indies, the 20-team competition will feature four groups of five. The top two sides from each group will qualify for the Super Eights stage, which will determine the semifinalists. The ICC has outlined that the Super Eights will be divided into two pools of four teams each, with the top two from each progressing to the knockout rounds.
India will be hoping to defend their T20 World Cup title on home soil. In 2024, the Rohit Sharma-led side won their 2nd title. Suryakumar Yadav is expected to lead the side for this upcoming edition, as the qualified nations are the 13 Test-playing countries, along with Canada, the Netherlands, Nepal, the UAE, Oman, and Namibia. Italy, meanwhile, will create history by making their first-ever appearance at a global ICC event.
