The 10th edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is finally here. The 2026 tournament is being jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka and will feature 20 teams playing 55 matches over a month-long celebration of T20 cricket.
The tournament will be held from February 7 to March 8. The final is scheduled at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, although it could be shifted to Colombo depending on which teams qualify.
T20 World Cup 2026: Tournament format and groups explained
The World Cup follows the same 20-team format that was used in 2024. The teams are divided into four groups of five. The top two teams from each group will move into the Super 8 stage, after which the competition progresses to the semi-finals and the final.
Group A: India, Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, and Namibia.
Group B: Australia, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Zimbabwe, and Oman.
Group C: England, West Indies, Scotland, Nepal, and Italy.
Group D: of South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Canada and UAE.
Group stage schedule highlights
The group stage will run from February 7 to February 20. Some of the key matches include Pakistan vs Netherlands and India vs USA on the opening day, England facing Nepal on February 8 and England taking on West Indies on February 11.
The biggest clash of the group stage, India vs Pakistan, will be played on February 15 in Colombo. However, the match currently hangs in the balance. The Pakistan government has officially instructed the PCB to boycott this specific group-stage fixture against India. This move is a stated gesture of solidarity with Bangladesh, who were removed from the tournament after refusing to travel to India for their matches due to security concerns.
Other notable games include Australia vs Sri Lanka on February 16 and India vs Netherlands on February 18.
T20 World Cup schedule: Super 8 Stage
The Super 8s will begin on February 21. The eight qualified teams will be divided into two groups.
Matches involving teams like India and Australia will mostly be played in India, while games featuring teams such as England and Pakistan will largely take place in Sri Lanka.
T20 World Cup schedule: Knockout matches
The knockout phase will start in early March. The first semi-final will be played on March 4 in either Kolkata or Colombo, while the second semi-final is scheduled for March 5 in Mumbai. The final will be held on March 8 in Ahmedabad or Colombo, depending on the teams that qualify.
If India reaches the semi-finals, their match will be played in Mumbai. If Pakistan qualifies for the semi-finals or the final, their matches will be hosted at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
T20 World Cup: Host venues
Matches will be played across eight major venues. In India, games will be hosted in Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, and New Delhi. In Sri Lanka, the venues include Colombo (R. Premadasa Stadium and SSC) and Kandy.
This sets the stage for a packed and high-voltage T20 World Cup, with top teams battling it out across two cricket-loving nations.