The final will be played in Ahmedabad on March 8, while Colombo has been designated as the alternative venue for a semi-final and the final should Pakistan qualify. Ankit Pattnaik presents key statistics and insights from the tournament’s journey since its inception in 2007.
STATS IN NUMBERS
Records:
0/3: Lockie Ferguson (NZ) holds the best bowling figures of 4-4-0-3 against Papua New Guinea is unlikely to ever be broken.
6/8: Ajantha Mendis’ (SL) holds the record for most wickets in a spell. His 6/8 against Zimbabwe is the best spell in the T20WC.
36: Yuvraj Singh’s (IND) six sixes off Stuart Broad (ENG) in the inaugural edition is still an unbroken record.
12: Yuvraj Singh still holds the record for the fastest fifty.
47: Chris Gayle (WI) hold the record for the fastest century
1292: Virat Kohli (IND) is the all-time highest run scorer
50: Shakib Al Hasan (BAN) is the leading wicket taker
2: India (2007, 2024), West Indies (2012, 2016), and England (2010, 2022) have all won the tournament twice
Trivia:
No host nation has ever won the Cup.
No team has successfully defended the title
Pat Cummins (Australia) is the only player to have taken more than one hat-trick in a tournament, in 2024. He has been ruled out of this edition due to an injury.
Business update:
The current ICC media rights cycle is valued $3 billion (Rs 27,000 crore), with the Indian market accounting for 70–80% of the overall size.
Total prize pool for 2026 is projected at $13.5 million (Rs 114 crore), up from $11.25 million (Rs 93.5 crore) in 2024.
The winner takes home a prize money of $3 million (about Rs 27 crore) while the runners-up gets $1.6 million (about Rs 15 crore).
Each match is expected to garner ₹139 crore in TV rights.
If Pakistan play against India, a single match is estimated to generate $250-$500 million (₹2,200–4,500 crore) in total commercial value across broadcasting, sponsorships, and ticketing.
Industry experts warn that if the match stands cancelled, broadcasters and sponsors would incur losses of $250-500 million (Rs 2,100-4,500 crore).
Host broadcaster JioStar could lose up to ₹250 crore in immediate ad revenue, as 10-second slots for this game are valued at up to ₹40 lakh.