T20 World Cup 2026: Schedule, Groups, Venues, and Essential Details

Morgan Winslow

Published: February 10, 2026 1:54 PM ET

T20 World Cup 2026: Schedule, Groups, Venues, and Essential Details

The upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 promises to be an exciting tournament as it features 20 teams competing in a series of matches hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

T20 World Cup 2026: Schedule and Dates

The tournament is set to commence on February 7, 2026, with the inaugural match between Pakistan and the Netherlands at 11 AM local time. This event will continue until March 8, 2026.

The final match will take place in either Ahmedabad or Colombo, contingent on Pakistan’s progression in the tournament.

Venues for T20 World Cup 2026

Matches will be held at eight prestigious stadiums:

MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy

Participating Teams

The T20 World Cup 2026 will feature 20 teams, expanding from the previous format. The host nations, India and Sri Lanka, gain direct entry into the tournament.

Other automatically qualified teams include:

Australia
Bangladesh
England
South Africa
West Indies
USA
Afghanistan

New Zealand, Pakistan, and Ireland also gained automatic qualification based on team rankings.

Scotland replaced Bangladesh due to security concerns. Other qualifiers include Italy and the Netherlands from Europe, Canada from the Americas, and Nepal, Oman, UAE, Namibia, and Zimbabwe from Asia and Africa.

The tournament will also mark Italy’s debut in the T20 World Cup.

Tournament Format

The 20 competing teams are divided into four groups of five. Each team will face the others in their group once. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Eight stage.

The Super Eights will consist of two groups of four teams each. Progression to the semi-finals will depend on their standings.

Seeding for the Super Eights

Pre-decided seeds for various teams are:

X1 – India
X2 – Australia
X3 – West Indies
X4 – South Africa
Y1 – England
Y2 – New Zealand
Y3 – Pakistan
Y4 – Sri Lanka

Match Regulations and Weather Protocols

If a match ends in a tie, a Super Over will decide the winner. Additional Super Overs could occur if necessary. In adverse weather conditions, a minimum of five overs must be bowled in group and Super Eight matches to declare a result; ten overs are required for knockout matches.

Previous T20 World Cup Winners

Historically, six teams have claimed the T20 World Cup title. India remains the defending champion, having won in 2022. Here’s a full list of past champions: