The 2026 T20 World Cup is all set to begin on Saturday, February 7, with the final to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium on March 8, according to a report in ESPNCricinfo. The mega-event will be co-hosted
by India and Sri Lanka and will comprise 20 sides.
The games will be played in at least five venues in India and two in Sri Lanka. The final will be in Ahmedabad or Colombo, depending on whether Pakistan features in the summit showdown.
India and Pakistan aren’t playing in each other’s nations because of strained political relations between the two governments at present. Even the Women’s ODI World Cup, which would start later this month, is being played across India and Sri Lanka.
According to the report, while the International Cricket Council is still finalising the schedule, the body has identified the window and has informed the participating nations.
The format will be the same as last year’s T20 World Cup in the Windies and the USA, where the 20 sides were divided into four groups of five each, with the top two from each group qualifying for the Super 8 round.
The top eight teams would again be divided into two groups of four. The top two from each Super 8 group would then progress to the semifinals.
India are the defending champions, having defeated South Africa in the final in Barbados. The 2024 edition had 55 matches and the number of games are expected to be the same next year.
At present, 15 sides have been confirmed for the next edition: India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, USA, West Indies, New Zealand, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, Netherlands and Italy, who have qualified for a World Cup for the first time.
Of the remaining five sides, two will come from the Africa regional qualifier and three from the Asia and East Asia Pacific qualifiers.
