Watch: How ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 Trophy enters Sri Lanka during SL vs ENG 1st ODI

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 trophy has arrived in Sri Lanka, the co-hosts of the tournament, and it was great to watch the arrival ceremony of the trophy. 

The three-match ODI series between the hosts Sri Lanka and the visitors England started on Thursday (January 22) at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Before the beginning of the ODI match, the T20 World Cup trophy officially arrived at the R Premadasa Stadium.

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A grand entry for ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 trophy in Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan Air Force paratroopers brought a show to the on-field cricket fans, as the trophy arrived with a great ceremony. We are less than three weeks away from the beginning of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026: How many matches will Sri Lanka host?

India and Sri Lanka will jointly host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 from February 7 to March 8, 2026. India has five venues to host the tournament, while Sri Lanka has three venues to host it. Apart from R Premadasa Stadium, SSC Cricket Ground and Pallekele Cricket Stadium are the other two Sri Lankan venues for the upcoming 10th ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. 

Out of 55 matches of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, Sri Lanka will host at least 20 matches. If Pakistan qualify for the Semi-final and Final, R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo will host the first Semi-final and the Final of the tournament. So, if Sri Lanka hosts one of the Semi-finals and the Final, the country will host 22 matches in the tournament. By calculating Semi-final and the Final, R Premadasa Stadium will host 10 games, Pallekele Cricket Stadium will host seven matches, and SSC Cricket Ground will handle the other five fixtures. 

Apart from the complete Group B fixture, where Sri Lanka will face Australia, Zimbabwe, Ireland, and Oman, Sri Lanka will also host all Pakistan’s fixtures in the group stage, who are in Group A along with the co-hosts India, Netherlands, Namibia, and the United States. Furthermore, Sri Lanka will host the complete Group 2 fixtures in the Super Eight stage.