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In a bid to improve competitiveness in the marquee competitions and enhance the overall fan experience, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has on Wednesday
(July 15) announced sweeping changes to the formats of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup and ICC Men's T20 World Cup. The global cricket body also approved a revamped structure for two events.
The decisions were ratified during the ICC Board's annual meetings in Edinburgh after recommendations from the Chief Executives' Committee, which includes representatives from both Full Members and Associate Members.
Alongside the revamped tournament formats, the ICC also approved the qualification pathway for the 2028 Men's T20 World Cup and proposed a new 16-team global tournament for Associate nations.
ICC Men's Cricket World Cup to Feature Three-Stage Format
The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, which is played in the 50-over format, will continue to feature 14 teams, but the tournament will now adopt a three-stage format aimed at ensuring every match carries greater significance.
Under the new structure, the three lowest-ranked qualified teams (12th, 13th and 14th) will compete in a round-robin 'Super Series', with only the winner progressing to the main tournament.
That team will join the remaining 11 nations in the Group Stage, where two groups of six teams will compete.
The top three teams from each group, along with the best fourth-placed team across both groups, will qualify for the newly introduced Super 7 stage.
The Super 7 will be played as a round-robin competition, with the top four teams advancing to the semi-finals before the final.
New ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Format
| Round | Format | Qualification Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | Super Series involving Teams ranked 12th, 13th and 14th | Winner advances to the main tournament |
| Round 2 | Two groups of six teams | Top three teams from each group plus the best fourth-placed team qualify for the Super 7 |
| Round 3 | Super 7 round-robin stage | Top four teams qualify for the semi-finals |
| Knockouts | Semi-finals and Final | Semi-final winners advance to the Final to compete for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup title |
The ICC believes the format will increase the importance of matches from the opening day while maintaining opportunities for emerging nations to compete at cricket's biggest event.
ICC Men's T20 World Cup Gets Super 10 and Eliminators
The ICC has also overhauled the Men's T20 World Cup format while retaining 20 participating teams. The biggest change comes in the second phase of the competition.
Instead of the existing Super Eights, the tournament will now feature a Super 10 stage, increasing the number of teams progressing from eight to ten.
The opening round will now consist of five groups of four teams, replacing the previous four groups of five. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super 10.
Unlike the previous format where the top two teams from each Super Eight group directly reached the semi-finals, the revised structure introduces Eliminators.
The group winners in the Super 10 will qualify directly for the semi-finals.
Teams finishing second in one group will face the third-placed team from the opposite group in two Eliminator matches, with the winners progressing to the last four.
New ICC Men's T20 World Cup Format
| Stage | Format | Qualification Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Group Stage | Five groups of four teams | Top two teams from each group qualify for the Super 10 stage |
| Super 10 | Two groups of five teams | Group winners qualify directly for the semi-finals |
| Eliminators | Second-placed teams face third-placed teams from the opposite group | Winners advance to the semi-finals |
| Knockouts | Semi-finals and Final | Semi-final winners progress to the Final to compete for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup title |
In its official release, the ICC claimed, "the revised format is designed to reward consistency while ensuring more teams remain in contention until the latter stages of the tournament. "
New Qualification Pathway for 2028 T20 World Cup
The global body also confirmed the qualification structure for the 2028 Men's T20 World Cup. Scotland has been granted direct entry into the Europe Regional Final due to the exceptional circumstances surrounding its participation in the 2026 tournament.
Teams that featured in the 2026 T20 World Cup but failed to secure automatic qualification will advance directly to the Global Qualifier.
The remaining eight Global Qualifier spots will be allocated through regional competitions:
- Africa: 2 teams
- Asia: 2 teams
- Europe: 2 teams
- Americas: 1 team
- East Asia-Pacific: 1 team
The highest-ranked team from each region at the Global Qualifier, along with the next three best-performing teams overall, will qualify for the 2028 T20 World Cup, subject to minimum performance criteria.
New Global Tournament Proposed for Associate Nations
The ICC Board also endorsed the proposal for a 16-team global tournament designed specifically for Associate nations.
The competition is intended to serve as a precursor to the Men's T20 World Cup, providing emerging cricket nations with more high-quality international competition and strengthening the pathway to ICC events.
However, the tournament is yet to receive final approval. The proposal will be reviewed by the ICC's Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee before returning to the Board for final clearance during its November meetings.
ICC Aims to Make Every Match Matter
The latest reforms reflect the ICC's intention to make its global tournaments more competitive while increasing the stakes throughout every stage of the competition.
By introducing the Super Series, Super 7, Super 10 and Eliminator rounds, the governing body hopes to eliminate dead rubbers, reward consistent performances and create more high-pressure contests for players and fans alike.
If approved in full, the changes will significantly reshape the structure of ICC events over the next cycle while providing Associate nations with greater opportunities to compete on the global stage.
