ICC T20 World Cup 2026: The excitement for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is reaching new heights as cricket fans across the world gear up for another blockbuster global tournament.
Co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, the 2026 edition promises high-voltage encounters, world-class venues, and a format designed for maximum thrill.
With 20 teams competing over a month-long spectacle, this World Cup is set to become one of the biggest cricketing events in history.
Below is the complete, SEO-friendly breakdown of the T20 World Cup 2026 schedule, format, host venues, important dates, and key match details.
Tournament Dates
The ICC has scheduled the T20 World Cup 2026 from
7 February 2026 – 8 March 2026
A full month of fast-paced cricket will conclude with a high-voltage final in India.
Host Nations
The 2026 edition will be jointly hosted by:
- India
- Sri Lanka
This marks the first time since 2016 that India is hosting the Men’s T20 World Cup, and Sri Lanka will co-host the event for the first time in T20I cricket history.
Tournament Format
The 2026 T20 World Cup will feature 20 teams and 55 matches, divided into multiple stages:
1. Group Stage (20 teams)
- 4 groups of 5 teams each
- Top 2 teams from each group progress to the next stage
2. Super 8 Stage
- 8 teams divided into two groups of four
- Top 2 from each group advance to semi-finals
3. Semi-Finals
Two knockout matches to decide the finalists
4. Grand Finale
The ultimate clash for the T20 World Cup trophy
Venues for ICC T20 World Cup 2026
The matches will be played across iconic stadiums in India and Sri Lanka. Some of the expected venues include:
India
- Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
- Eden Gardens, Kolkata
- Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
- M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
- Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
- Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Hyderabad
Sri Lanka
- R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
- Pallekele International Stadium, Kandy
- Galle International Stadium (expected for select games)
These venues are known for massive crowds, spin-friendly pitches, and electrifying atmospheres—perfect for a T20 World Cup.
ICC T20 World Cup 2026: Key Fixtures (As per available schedule updates)
Although the complete official match-by-match schedule is expected to be revealed by the ICC, several dates and fixtures are already circulating in cricket reports.
Group A – Schedule
| Match | Teams | Date | Time | Venue |
| Match 1 | India vs Netherlands | Fri Feb 7, 2026 | 3:00 PM IST / 9:30 AM GMT | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
| Match 2 | Pakistan vs Nepal | Fri Feb 7, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST / 2:00 PM GMT | Rajiv Gandhi Intl Stadium, Hyderabad |
| Match 3 | India vs Canada | Sat Feb 8, 2026 | 3:00 PM IST / 9:30 AM GMT | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
| Match 4 | Pakistan vs Netherlands | Sat Feb 8, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST / 2:00 PM GMT | Rajiv Gandhi Intl Stadium, Hyderabad |
| Match 5 | India vs Pakistan | Sun Feb 9, 2026 | 3:00 PM IST / 9:30 AM GMT | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
| Match 6 | Nepal vs Canada | Sun Feb 9, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST / 2:00 PM GMT | Rajiv Gandhi Intl Stadium, Hyderabad |
| Match 7 | India vs Nepal | Mon Feb 10, 2026 | 3:00 PM IST / 9:30 AM GMT | Rajiv Gandhi Intl Stadium, Hyderabad |
| Match 8 | Pakistan vs Canada | Mon Feb 10, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST / 2:00 PM GMT | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
| Match 9 | Netherlands vs Nepal | Tue Feb 11, 2026 | 3:00 PM IST / 9:30 AM GMT | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi |
| Match 10 | India vs Canada | Tue Feb 11, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST / 2:00 PM GMT | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
Group B – Schedule
| Match | Teams | Date | Time | Venue |
| Match 1 | Sri Lanka vs Italy | Wed Feb 12, 2026 | 3:00 PM IST | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| Match 2 | Australia vs USA | Wed Feb 12, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |
| Match 3 | Sri Lanka vs Namibia | Thu Feb 13, 2026 | 3:00 PM IST | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| Match 4 | Australia vs Italy | Thu Feb 13, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| Match 5 | Sri Lanka vs USA | Fri Feb 14, 2026 | 3:00 PM IST | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| Match 6 | Australia vs Namibia | Fri Feb 14, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |
| Match 7 | Sri Lanka vs Namibia | Sat Feb 15, 2026 | 3:00 PM IST | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| Match 8 | Australia vs USA | Sat Feb 15, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |
| Match 9 | Italy vs Namibia | Sun Feb 16, 2026 | 3:00 PM IST | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| Match 10 | Australia vs USA | Sun Feb 16, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |
Group C – Schedule
| Match | Teams | Date | Time | Venue |
| Match 1 | England vs Oman | Mon Feb 17, 2026 | 3:00 PM IST | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi |
| Match 2 | South Africa vs UAE | Mon Feb 17, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | PCA IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali |
| Match 3 | England vs Ireland | Tue Feb 18, 2026 | 3:00 PM IST | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi |
| Match 4 | South Africa vs Oman | Tue Feb 18, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | PCA IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali |
| Match 5 | England vs UAE | Wed Feb 19, 2026 | 3:00 PM IST | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |
| Match 6 | South Africa vs Ireland | Wed Feb 19, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi |
| Match 7 | Oman vs UAE | Thu Feb 20, 2026 | 3:00 PM IST | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi |
| Match 8 | England vs Ireland | Thu Feb 20, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | PCA IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali |
| Match 9 | South Africa vs UAE | Fri Feb 21, 2026 | 3:00 PM IST | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |
| Match 10 | Ireland vs Oman | Fri Feb 21, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi |
Group D – Schedule
| Match | Teams | Date | Time | Venue |
| Match 1 | Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe | Sat Feb 22, 2026 | 3:00 PM IST | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| Match 2 | Bangladesh vs New Zealand | Sat Feb 22, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur |
| Match 3 | Afghanistan vs West Indies | Sun Feb 23, 2026 | 3:00 PM IST | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur |
| Match 4 | Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe | Sun Feb 23, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| Match 5 | West Indies vs New Zealand | Mon Feb 24, 2026 | 3:00 PM IST | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| Match 6 | Bangladesh vs Afghanistan | Mon Feb 24, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur |
| Match 7 | West Indies vs Zimbabwe | Tue Feb 25, 2026 | 3:00 PM IST | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| Match 8 | New Zealand vs Afghanistan | Tue Feb 25, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| Match 9 | Bangladesh vs West Indies | Wed Feb 26, 2026 | 3:00 PM IST | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur |
| Match 10 | New Zealand vs Zimbabwe | Wed Feb 26, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
Super 8 – Schedule
| Match | Teams | Date | Time | Venue |
| Match 1 | India vs Australia | Thu Feb 27 | 3:00 PM | Hyderabad |
| Match 2 | England vs Pakistan | Thu Feb 27 | 7:30 PM | Kolkata |
| Match 3 | South Africa vs Bangladesh | Fri Feb 28 | 3:00 PM | Mumbai |
| Match 4 | West Indies vs Sri Lanka | Fri Feb 28 | 7:30 PM | Chennai |
| Match 5 | India vs England | Sat Mar 1 | 3:00 PM | Mohali |
| Match 6 | Australia vs Pakistan | Sat Mar 1 | 7:30 PM | Ahmedabad |
| Match 7 | South Africa vs Sri Lanka | Sun Mar 2 | 3:00 PM | Jaipur |
| Match 8 | West Indies vs Bangladesh | Sun Mar 2 | 7:30 PM | Delhi |
| Match 9 | India vs South Africa | Mon Mar 3 | 3:00 PM | Kolkata |
| Match 10 | Australia vs West Indies | Mon Mar 3 | 7:30 PM | Ahmedabad |
| Match 11 | England vs Bangladesh | Tue Mar 4 | 3:00 PM | Chennai |
| Match 12 | Pakistan vs Sri Lanka | Tue Mar 4 | 7:30 PM | Hyderabad |
Knockouts – Schedule
| Stage | Teams | Date | Time | Venue |
| Semi-Final 1 | India vs England | Wed Mar 5, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
| Semi-Final 2 | Australia vs South Africa | Thu Mar 6, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| Final | India vs Australia | Sun Mar 8, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
Opening Day – 7 February 2026
- Netherlands vs Pakistan – Ahmedabad
- India vs Nepal – Hyderabad
Click the link to download the schedule in PDF or image format: ICC T20 World Cup 2026
Group Stage Highlights
- India to play all early games in home venues
- Big clashes expected: India vs Pakistan, England vs Australia, South Africa vs New Zealand
- Associate nations like Nepal, Canada, Oman, USA, Uganda expected to create major upsets
Super 8 Stage
Starts from: 27 February 2026
Sample reported fixtures:
- 27 Feb – Hyderabad
- 28 Feb – Mumbai
- 1 Mar – Ahmedabad
Semi-Finals
Scheduled for:
- 5 March 2026 – Ahmedabad
- 6 March 2026 – Kolkata
Final
The grand finale of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 will be held on:
8 March 2026
Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
With a seating capacity of over 1 lakh, it could become the most-watched cricket match in history.
What Makes This Edition Truly Special?
- Return of India as World Cup hosts
- Highest number of participating teams (20)
- More Associate teams creating competitive balance
- Fresh World Cup rivalries and unpredictable match-ups
- Hybrid Asian subcontinent conditions challenging both pacers and spinners
Final Thoughts
The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 promises a spectacular display of skill, passion, and cricketing drama. With a month full of explosive T20 action, fans can expect thrilling finishes, breakout stars, and unforgettable moments. As the official match schedule rolls out, the excitement only continues to grow.
Stay tuned for updates as the ICC releases the full confirmed schedule.
Also Read: IPL 2026