The 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka. For the matches taking place in India, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has finalised Ahmedabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, and Mumbai as the five venues. In Sri Lanka, the tournament will be played across three venues, including Colombo and Pallekele.
The tournament is scheduled to begin on 7 February 2026, concluding with the final in Ahmedabad on 8 March 2026. According to India’s Press Trust of India (PTI), the ICC may release the full fixture schedule next week. Cricket portal ESPNcricinfo has reported that most participating teams are eagerly awaiting confirmation of groupings and fixtures from the ICC. The governing body has not yet provided any official information regarding ticket allocation for the tournament.
Under a prior understanding between the BCCI and PCB, Pakistan will play all of its matches in Sri Lanka. This agreement ensures that both countries play in neutral venues during multi-nation tournaments organised by the other. Should Pakistan reach the final, the match will also take place in Sri Lanka.
The format of the 2026 T20 World Cup will mirror that of the 2024 edition. Twenty teams will be divided into four groups of five teams each, with every team playing one match against every other team in its group. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Eight stage, which will feature two groups of four teams. The top two teams from each Super Eight group will then progress to the semi-finals.
Qualified Teams
Automatic qualification: India and Sri Lanka (hosts)
Top seven teams from 2024 T20 World Cup:
- Afghanistan
- Australia
- Bangladesh
- England
- South Africa
- United States
- West Indies
Qualification via T20 rankings:
- New Zealand
- Pakistan
- Ireland
Regional qualifiers:
| Region | Qualified Teams | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Americas | Canada | Qualified through regional qualifier |
| Europe | Netherlands, Italy | Italy will participate for the first time |
| Africa | Zimbabwe, Namibia | Secured qualification via regional qualifiers |
| Asia-Pacific | Nepal, Oman, United Arab Emirates | Qualified through Asia-Pacific regional events |
In total, 20 teams will compete in the 2026 T20 World Cup, promising a thrilling and highly competitive tournament for cricket fans around the world.
