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The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is set to commence tomorrow across Sri Lanka and India, as 20 teams vie for the coveted trophy.
Spanning one month across eight venues, the competition will feature 20 teams from around the globe.
The final of the mega-event will be held in Ahmedabad, India, if Pakistan does not qualify. If Pakistan qualifies, the summit clash will be held in Colombo under the hybrid model.
The hosts, India, are the defending champions, having lifted the trophy in 2024 under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma.
The 20 teams are divided into four groups of five, with each team playing four matches. From each group, the top two teams progress to the Super Eight stage.
Overall, 55 matches will be played in the mega event, including the semi-final and final.
Group A: India, Pakistan, United States, Netherlands, Namibia
Group B: Australia, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Zimbabwe, Oman
Group C: England, West Indies, Scotland, Nepal, Italy
Group D: New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan, Canada, United Arab Emirates
The tournament will be played across eight venues in Sri Lanka and India.
Sri Lanka’s three venues — Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, and Kandy. Whereas in India, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Chennai will host the action.
The semi-finals of the mega event will be played on 4 and 5 March.
Any tied match will have a Super Over, and if the Super Over ends in a tie, it will be played again until the result of the match is decided
Moreover, the additional time is available to ensure the completion of all Knockout fixtures, including the semi-finals and final.
All 20-team squads have been finalized, with each team requiring approval from the ICC’s Event Technical Committee to make any further changes.
Pakistan begins their campaign with the tournament opener against the Netherlands in Colombo
They then face USA on February 10 before wrapping up the group stage against Namibia on February 18.
The Green Shirts were scheduled to play India on 15 February. However, following the Pakistan government’s decision not to take the field against them, Pakistan will not play arch-rivals.
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