Co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, the 2026 Men’s T20 WC is anticipated to take place from February 7 to March 8. Twenty teams will compete in the competition, which will take place at least five times in India and twice in Sri Lanka. Whether Pakistan advances to the tournament’s later stages will determine whether the final is held in Ahmedabad or Colombo.
India and Pakistan will not play in each other’s nations because of their tense political relations. The participating countries have been notified of the tournament timeframe, while the International Cricket Council (ICC) is currently finalising the entire schedule.
The competition will follow the same structure as the 2024 Men’s T20 WC in the USA and the West Indies.
The top two teams from each of the four groups of five that the 20 teams were split into advance to the Super Eight stage. The top two teams from each Super Eight group advance to the semi-finals, while the eight remaining teams are divided into two groups of four for this round. India, who defeated South Africa in the 2024 final in Barbados, are the defending champions going into the competition. According to ESPNcricinfo, there will be 55 matches in all during the tournament.
India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, USA, West Indies, New Zealand, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, Netherlands, and Italy—which will be playing in its first World Cup—are among the 15 teams that have confirmed their participation thus far. Regional qualifiers will determine the remaining five berths, with three from Asia and the East Asia-Pacific region and two from Africa.
In the first few months of 2026, India’s cricket schedule will be jam-packed with major events. With dates still to be confirmed, the Women’s Premier League (WPL) is anticipated to start first, most likely in early January or early February. The Men’s T20 World Cup will come after this. India will host the Indian Premier League (IPL) following the World Cup; the IPL’s proposed dates are March 15–May 31. Cricket fans are looking forward to the first few months of 2026 because India will also welcome New Zealand for a series of ODIs and T20Is from January 11 to 31.
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