The ICC has officially released the schedule for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. The tournament will be held across the two countries for the very first time. India competes in this year's competition as defending champions after defeating South Africa in the 2024 final. The format of the event will be similar to the last one, with the first round of the group stage taking place among 20 teams, leading into the Super Eight round and then the knockout stage.

Matches will be played across five Indian cities Ahmedabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, and Mumbai, and two Sri Lankan cities, Colombo and Kandy. The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will host the final unless Pakistan qualifies, in which case the final will be played in Colombo. Due to political reasons, Pakistan will play all their matches, including the India vs Pakistan clash on February 15, in Sri Lanka. India is set to start their campaign on February 7 against the USA in Mumbai. Sri Lanka will also host Pakistan’s group fixtures at Pallekele and Colombo.

A total of 20 teams have secured their spots for the 2026 edition. Besides hosts India and Sri Lanka, teams qualify via the 2024 World Cup, T20I rankings, and regional tournaments. These range from strong teams like Australia, England, South Africa, and Afghanistan to emerging teams like Nepal, Italy, Oman, UAE, and Canada. The format remains competitive and pretty balanced, with all teams getting a fair chance through the group stage and Super Eight rounds.

Total, 40 group-stage matches will be played from February 7 to 20, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the Super Eights, starting on February 21. The best four teams then qualify for the semi-finals, to be held in either Kolkata or Colombo, and in Mumbai. The grand final will take place on March 8 in Ahmedabad, or in Colombo if Pakistan qualifies.

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026: Groups

• Group A: India, USA, Namibia, Netherlands, Pakistan
• Group B: Australia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Oman
• Group C: England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Italy, Nepal
• Group D: South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Canada, UAE

See Also: Rohit Sharma official brand ambassador of ICC World Cup 2026

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026: Timings and Venues

All matches in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 will be played across eight venues, five in India and three in Sri Lanka.
Match timings are set in three standard slots:

• 11:00 AM (Day Match)
• 3:00 PM (Afternoon Match)
• 7:00 PM (Night Match)

Host Venues

These venues will host all group-stage matches, Super Eight fixtures, semi-finals, and the final—depending on which team qualifies.

In India

• Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
• Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
• Eden Gardens, Kolkata
• MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
• Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi

In Sri Lanka

• R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
• Sinhalese Sports Club Ground (SSC), Colombo
• Pallekele International Stadium, Kandy

T20 World Cup 2026: Complete list of matches, dates, venues, and timings

Super 8 Stage Fixtures

Knockout Stage Fixtures