T20 World Cup 2026 set to be played from February 7; Final in Ahmedabad on March 8

Published - 09 Sept 2025, 19:53 IST | Updated - 09 Sept 2025, 21:26 IST

The 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup is expected to be held from February 7 to March 8 and will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. The tournament will feature 20 teams, with matches scheduled across at least five venues in India and two in Sri Lanka. The location of the final, either Ahmedabad or Colombo, will depend on whether Pakistan qualifies for the later stages of the tournament.

Due to strained political relations, India and Pakistan will not play in each other’s countries. While the International Cricket Council (ICC) is still finalizing the complete schedule, the participating nations have been informed of the tournament window. The format of the competition will mirror that of the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA.

The 20 teams have been divided into four groups of five, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the Super Eight stage. In this round, the eight remaining teams are split into two groups of four, with the top two from each Super Eight group moving on to the semi-finals. India enter the tournament as reigning champions, having defeated South Africa in the 2024 final in Barbados. Overall, the tournament will comprise 55 matches, according to ESPNcricinfo.

Currently, 15 teams have confirmed participation, India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, USA, West Indies, New Zealand, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, Netherlands, and Italy, which will make its World Cup debut. The remaining five spots will be decided through regional qualifiers, with two coming from Africa and three from Asia and the East Asia-Pacific region.

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India’s cricket calendar in the early months of 2026 will be packed with marquee events. The Women’s Premier League (WPL) is expected first, with dates yet to be finalized, likely between early January and early February. This will be followed by the Men’s T20 World Cup. After the World Cup, India will host the Indian Premier League (IPL), with a tentative window from March 15 to May 31. Additionally, India will host New Zealand for a series of ODIs and T20Is from January 11 to 31, making the opening months of 2026 a highly anticipated period for cricket fans.