MCG to host T20 World Cup 2028 final, Perth and New Zealand get semi-finals: Report

The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is all set to host the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2028, according to a report by 9News. Australia and New Zealand will jointly host the 20-team tournament from October 21 to November 19, 2028. The MCG will reportedly host the final, while Perth and New Zealand are expected to stage the two semi-finals.

The 2028 T20 World Cup will see Australia host another major ICC event after successfully staging the 2022 edition. However, Sydney and Adelaide, which hosted the semi-finals in 2022, are not expected to get a last-four match this time. Here is everything to know about the reported T20 World Cup 2028 final venue, semi-final locations and why Adelaide Oval has missed out.

Why is the MCG set to host the T20 World Cup 2028 final?

According to the News9 report, the Melbourne Cricket Ground has emerged as the preferred venue for the T20 World Cup 2028 final. The stadium previously hosted the 2022 edition's final, where England defeated Pakistan to lift the trophy. The MCG is now set to host another T20 World Cup final after six years.

The MCG has a seating capacity of around 100,000 spectators and a strong history of hosting major ICC events. It has hosted the finals of the 1992 and 2015 Men's ODI World Cups, the 2022 Men's T20 World Cup and the 2020 Women's T20 World Cup. Its experience of staging major cricket finals makes it a natural choice for another global event.

Australia and New Zealand will jointly host the 2028 T20 World Cup, which will feature 20 teams. The tournament is scheduled to run from October 21 to November 19, 2028. However, the ICC is yet to officially announce the host cities and the complete venue list for the competition.

Reports suggest that five Australian cities could host matches: Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane. In New Zealand, Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington are among the likely host cities. The final venue announcement will confirm how the matches will be divided between the two co-hosts.

See Also: ICC T20 World Cup 2028: Complete details of dates, venues, hosts, qualified teams and tournament format

Which venues will host the T20 World Cup 2028 semi-finals in Perth and New Zealand?

New Zealand will host one of the two T20 World Cup 2028 semi-finals, while Perth is leading the race for the other. Optus Stadium in Perth is reportedly the preferred venue for one of the last-four matches. This means Sydney and Adelaide are not expected to host semi-finals in the 2028 edition.

Perth's time zone is considered an advantage because it is more suitable for television audiences in India. India is one of the biggest markets for international cricket, and a suitable match time could help attract a larger viewership from the subcontinent. This is reportedly one of the reasons why Perth is leading the race to host a semi-final.

See Also: Every ICC Men's ODI World Cup winner ever — The complete list (1975–2026)

Adelaide Oval has reportedly missed out on both the final and the semi-finals. According to the 9News report, its bid was rejected following recent disagreements over Cricket Australia's Big Bash League (BBL) privatisation plans. Several state associations opposed the proposal, and Adelaide was reportedly among them. However, the ICC has not officially confirmed the reason or announced the final venue allocations.