The most popular form of cricket, T20, will take centre stage over the next two months when India and Sri Lanka co-host the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 5 Indian cities and 3 Sri Lankan cities from 7 February to 8 March 2026.
The tournament will bring the world’s best short-format cricketers to the subcontinent, with the tournament having expanded to 20 teams for the first time. The semifinals will be held in Mumbai and Kolkata, and Ahmedabad will host the final.
Politics has already disrupted the tournament, with Bangladesh refusing to play in India due to security concerns and being replaced by Scotland, while the Kolkata semifinal and the final in Ahmedabad may need to be shifted to Sri Lanka (Colombo) if Pakistan qualifies for these matches, due to the longstanding tensions between India and Pakistan.
Following India’s triumph at the 2024 T20 World Cup, the race is wide open once again, with several teams entering the tournament believing they have a genuine chance to lift the trophy. The Proteas will hope to go one better in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, after failing at the final hurdle against India in the 2024 edition.
Tournament Format Overview
The 20 teams will appear in the pool stage in 4 groups of 5 teams, featuring a total of 40 matches. The top 2 teams in each group will progress to the Super 8 stage, followed by the semifinals and the final.
The Super 8 stage will see each qualifying team divided into 2 groups of 4 teams, with each team playing the others in their group in a round-robin format. The top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout stage. Teams won’t carry points over to the Super 8 from the Round Robin stage, with the teams grouped based on their T20I rankings prior to the tournament.
Group A
India
Namibia
Netherlands
Pakistan
United States
Fixtures
7 February
Netherlands v Pakistan, SSC Cricket Ground, Colombo (7:30)
India v United States, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai (15:30)
10 February
Namibia v Netherlands, Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi (7:30)
Pakistan v United States, SSC Cricket Ground, Colombo (15:30)
12 February
India v Namibia, Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi (15:30)
13 February
Netherlands v United States, M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai (15:30)
15 February
Namibia v United States, M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai (11:30)
India v Pakistan, R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo (15:30)
18 February
Namibia v Pakistan, SSC Cricket Ground, Colombo (11:30)
India v Netherlands, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad (15:30)
Group B
Australia
Sri Lanka
Ireland
Zimbabwe
Oman
Fixtures
8 February
Sri Lanka v Ireland, R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo (15:30)
9 February
Oman v Zimbabwe, SSC Cricket Ground, Colombo (11:30)
11 February
Australia v Ireland, R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo (11:30)
12 February
Sri Lanka v Oman, Pallekele Cricket Stadium, Kandy (7:30)
13 February
Australia v Zimbabwe, R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo (7:30)
14 February
Ireland v Oman, SSC Cricket Ground, Colombo (7:30)
16 February
Sri Lanka v Australia, Pallekele Cricket Stadium, Kandy (15:30)
17 February
Ireland v Zimbabwe, Pallekele Cricket Stadium, Kandy (11:30)
19 February
Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe, R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo Kandy (11:30)
20 February
Australia v Oman, Pallekele Cricket Stadium, Kandy (15:30)
Preview:
Cricket powerhouse Australia usually enters any ICC event as one of the title favourites, and will be favoured to top Group B. Sri Lanka, playing at home, could be a major threat with their spin attack and improving batting depth, and will also be favoured to qualify for the Top 8.
Ireland and Zimbabwe will be underdogs in the group, but Australia and Sri Lanka know that they can’t take these two teams lightly, especially in the T20 format. Oman will play in only its 2nd T20 World Cup and will not be expected to pose a serious threat.
Group C (Preview)
England
Italy
Nepal
Scotland
West Indies
Fixtures
7 February
Scotland v West Indies, Eden Gardens, Kolkata (11:30)
8 February
England v Nepal, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai (11:30)
9 February
Italy v Scotland, Eden Gardens, Kolkata (7:30)
11 February
England v West Indies, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai (15:30)
12 February
Italy v Nepal, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai (11:30)
14 February
England v Scotland, Eden Gardens, Kolkata (11:30)
15 February
Nepal v West Indies, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai (7:30)
16 February
England v Italy, Eden Gardens, Kolkata (11:30)
17 February
Nepal v Scotland, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai (15:30)
19 February
Italy v West Indies, Eden Gardens, Kolkata (7:30)
Preview:
England are former champions and perennial contenders, and although the team hasn’t displayed the greatest limited-overs form, they remain one of the most aggressive and tactically advanced T20 sides in the world and are favoured to top the group.
Despite a major dip in status over the last 25 years, the West Indies are two-time T20 World Cup winners and are still one of the most feared teams in the format, with explosive batting perfectly suited to T20 cricket.
Scotland continues to grow as a competitive Associate nation and are capable of troubling bigger teams. Nepal may pose a threat in subcontinent conditions, while little is known about newcomers Italy, who may spring a surprise or two thanks to a squad full of players who originate from cricket-playing countries.
Group D (Preview)
Afghanistan
Canada
New Zealand
South Africa
United Arab Emirates
Fixtures
8 February
Afghanistan v New Zealand, M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai (7:30)
9 February
Canada v South Africa, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad (15:30)
10 February
New Zealand v United Arab Emirates, M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai (11:30)
11 February
Afghanistan v South Africa, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad (7:30)
13 February
Canada v United Arab Emirates, Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi, (11:30)
14 February
New Zealand v South Africa, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, (15:30)
16 February
Afghanistan v United Arab Emirates, Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi, (7:30)
17 February
Canada v New Zealand, M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai (7:30)
18 February
South Africa v United Arab Emirates, Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi, (7:30)
19 February
Afghanistan v Canada, M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai (15:30)
Preview:
South Africa are usually strong favourites heading into any ICC tournament (despite final hurdle failure), and with a powerhouse batting lineup and a world-class, varied attack, they will also be favoured to top this group. New Zealand always punches above its weight in ICC tournaments and will once again be determined to shine on the world stage thanks to a talented and crafty team.
Afghanistan have firmly established themselves as a T20 powerhouse, particularly in Asian conditions, and their world-class spin attack and fearless batting make them a genuine dark horse for the knockout stages. Canada and the UAE are not traditional cricketing nations and will need to play above themselves to make an impact in this group.
Super 8
The Super 8 stage will be played at marquee venues across India and Sri Lanka. Should they qualify for the Super 8, Australia, India, South Africa, and the West Indies will be placed in Group 1, while England, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka will be placed in Group 2.
Fixtures
Group 1
22 February
X1 v X4, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, (11:30)
23 February
X2 v X3, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai (15:30)
26 February
X3 v X4, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, (11:30)
X1 v X2, M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai (15:30)
1 March
X2 v X4, Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi (11:30)
X1 v X3, Eden Gardens, Kolkata (15:30)
Group 2
21 February
Y2 v Y3, R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo (15:30)
22 February
Y1 v Y4, Pallekele Cricket Stadium, Kandy (11:30)
24 February
Y1 v Y3, Pallekele Cricket Stadium, Kandy (15:30)
25 February
Y2 v Y4, R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo (15:30)
27 February
Y1 v Y2, R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo (15:30)
28 February
Y3 v Y4, Pallekele Cricket Stadium, Kandy (15:30)
Knockout Stages
Semifinals
4 March
TBD v TBD, Kolkata/Colombo (15:30)
5 March
TBD v TBD, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai (15:30)
Final
8 March
Winner of SF1 v Winner of SF2, Ahmedabad, Colombo (15:30)
Final Thoughts
The 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is set to be one of the most competitive and entertaining editions yet. With expanded teams, passionate crowds, and the unpredictable nature of T20 cricket, fans can expect nonstop drama from start to finish. For South Africa, it represents another opportunity to finally break their ICC title drought—while for the rest of the field, it’s a chance to etch their names into cricketing history.
Get Your Game On
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