T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule Announcement Live Update: India to find out schedule for title defence today.ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule Announcement: Defending champions and co-hosts India will start their defence of the T20 World Cup title at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on the 7th February before taking on Namibia at New Delhi (on Feb 12). They will take a trip to Sri Lanka to play Pakistan at the Colombo’s Premadasa Stadium on February 15. India’s final group game will be at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium.
Scroll down for a city-wise breakdown of all games in India
The schedule and venue list for the T20 World Cup 2026 was released at a ceremony in Mumbai today. The 20-team tournament is scheduled to run from February 7 to March 8 across five venues in India and three stadiums in Sri Lanka.
The 2026 T20 World Cup tournament will be played in the same format as the 2024 event, that India won defeating South Africa. The 20 teams who have qualified will be placed in four different groups of five sides each. Then, the will play the Super Eight stage where the top two finishers from each group will compete. Then the top two four sides will compete in the semi-finals.
This year’s edition will also have teams like Canada, Italy, Nepal, the Netherlands, Namibia among top sides like India, England, Australia and New Zealand.
Scroll down to read all the updates from the T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule Announcement
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsThe schedule for ICC Men’s @T20WorldCup 2026 is here! 📅
— ICC (@ICC) November 25, 2025
The matches and groups were unveiled at a gala event in Mumbai led by ICC Chairman @JayShah, and with new tournament ambassador @ImRo45 and Indian team captains @surya_14kumar and Harmanpreet Kaur in attendance.
✍️:… pic.twitter.com/fsjESpJPlE
A look at all the matches and the venues for the T20 World Cup next year
The venue for the final of the T20 World Cup next year will depend on which team will qualify for the final. If it's Pakistan, the final on March 8 will be played at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. But if they don't make it, Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium will be hosting the final at 7 pm.
NED vs NAM | 10 Feb | 11:00 AM
IND vs NAM | 12 Feb | 7:00 PM
CAN vs UAE | 13 Feb | 3:00 PM
AFG vs UAE | 16 Feb | 11:00 AM
SA vs UAE | 18 Feb | 11:00 AM
Super 8 X2 vs X4 game | 01 Mar | 3:00 PM
IND vs USA| 07 Feb | 7:00 PM
ENG vs NEP | 08 Feb | 3:00 PM
ENG vs WI | 11 Feb | 7:00 PM
NEP vs ITA | 12 Feb | 3:00 PM
WI vs NEP | 15 Feb | 11:00 AM
BAN vs NEP | 17 Feb | 7:00 PM
Super 8 X2 vs X3 game | 23 Feb | 7:00 PM
Semi-final 2 | 05 Mar | 7:00 PM
India lead the head-to-head 7-1 in T20 World Cups and have an 13-3 record in T20Is, overall. The last fixture between the teams at a T20 World Cup was in New York, which India won by six runs.
In December 2024, it was decided that all India versus Pakistan matches at global ICC events, which were hosted by either country and featured both the men’s and women’s teams, would take place at a neutral venue during the 2024-2027 event cycle. The upcoming match between the two countries offers an easier solution to the agreement, with Sri Lanka co-hosting the T20 World Cup with India.
Earlier this year, India and Pakistan played the 2025 Champions Trophy encounter in Dubai, with the latter playing host to the tournament. In October, the women’s ODI World Cup clash was held in Colombo, since India were the host.
Group A: India, Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, Namibia.
Group B: Australia, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Zimbabwe, Oman.
Group C: England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Nepal, Italy.
Group D: New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan, Canada, UAE.
"The group looks good. Quite decent. We're playing at good venues, Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad. then you talk about the game on the 15th (vs Pakistan). We played them recently and we had a good time. Everything was completely focussed on cricket and nothing else as you must have seen. But yeah, I'm sure it will be a good game. The boys are always excited to have an India-Pakistan game. They have a good time when they go on the ground," says India T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav.
Here's a look at India's fixtures at the T20 World Cup. First game against the USA at Mumbai's Wankhede on the 7th February!
Game against Namibia next at New Delhi and then the trip to Sri Lanka to play Pakistan at the Colombo's Premadasa. Final group game for India at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium.
Talking about the groups, Rohit Sharma says: "I'm going to be a little diplomatic and say that every team is competitive. We got to be ready. Our group has Pakistan, USA, the Netherlands and Namibia. They are all competitive teams. You cannot go into a tournament thinking that this is going to be a walk through. Not anymore. Will all these teams playing competitive games throughout the year, you cannot take your foot off the pedal from ball 1. There is no such thing as any team upsetting any team, because all of them come very prepared."
Rohit Sharma then adds: "Quite amazed to see Italy there. It shows the growing nature of our sport. We want to see mroe teams playing in the World Cup. Having 20 teams is a great achievement. Shows that sport is growing. Hope to see many more teams from Africa, Europe, South Asia."
Rohit then singled out Japan. "I have many friends there and I hear that they play competitive cricket there. They are looking to play at these events."
In what should come as no surprise to anybody, India and Pakistan are in the same group. They are joined by USA, the Netherlands and Namibia.
Her are what all the groups look like:
"It's been a month now. Whenever trying to calm myself or relax myself, someone reminds me of what we did. Recently, Rohit was telling me how frustrated that they were not winning a ICC trophy for so long. Imagine how frustrated we must be," Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of the Indian women's cricket team that won the T20 World Cup last month.
"Day and night that moment is turning in my mind," she adds.
Rohit Sharma speaks about being named as the tournament's brand ambassador: "Great privilege for me. Great honour. While playing (still being an active player), no one has been named as an ambassador in cricket. Hope to create same magic as last year. Huge task to win ICC trophy: have experienced personally. Have completed 18 years in cricket. Won two ICC trophies at the beginning at the career and then a couple now over the last couple of years. But we remember how desperate we were as a team and as the management to win ICC trophies in the middle years."
Talking about not being part of the Indian team in their title defence next year at the T20 World Cup, Rohit Sharma says: "
It will feel little different. Now getting used to sitting at home and watching cricket."
ICC chief Jay Shah reveals that the World Cup will be played at eight venues: this includes five Indian cities: Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. Meanwhile two venues from Colombo, Premadasa Stadium and the Sinhalese Sports Club will host the World Cup. Besides these two, the third Sri Lankan venue will be in Kandy.
Rohit Sharma has been announced as the brand ambassador for the T20 World Cup.
The World Cup will happen from 7th February to 8th of March, we can now reveal. So the final will be March 8!
Former India captain Rohit Sharma, current India t20 captain Suryakumar Yadav and current India women's captain Harmanpreet Kaur are in attendance at the ceremony to reveal the schedule and the venues for the T20 World Cup. Also present is Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews.
We're just a couple of minutes away from the big reveal.
India boast an impressive win percentage in T20Is since the T20 World Cup that India won.
India have a win percentage of 86.7 per cent while Australia are a close second with 81 per cent.
An insane stat about India’s T20 side that will provide solace for Indian cricket fans currently looking at the Test team’s fortunes against South Africa: since the Men in Blue recaptured the T20 World Cup last year, the defending champions have won each of the seven T20I series they have been a part of, with their most recent being a 2-1 series victory in Australia.
The Indian team, who are the defending champions heading to the 2026 edition besides being the co-hosts, are chasing a few records at next year's extravaganza:
They are looking to be the first team to defend the title. They are looking to be the first team to lift the trophy at home, which has not been done in nine editions. India are looking to be the first team to win the T20 World Cup for the third time. So far, three teams have won it twice.
The T20 World Cup to start on February 7th, we can now reveal. The rest of the updates are awaited.
Here's a list of former T20 World Cup champions from the past: Defending champions and hosts India have won the event twice. So have West Indies and England. Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Australia have won the event one time each.
There are the 20 teams that will compete in the T20 World Cup next year, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
A couple of surprise teams in the fray: Italy for example. The Italians these days struggle to make the cut for the FIFA World Cup. But they are here in the T20 World Cup, trying to script a Cinderella story.
So the moment we are all waiting for is coming shortly! The schedule for the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next month is dropping in a few minutes.
There is a possibility that Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium will be hosting a semi-final while the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will host the final!
We shall soon soon enough! Stay tuned for all the latest updates
An insane stat about India's T20 side that will provide solace for Indian cricket fans currently looking at the Test team's fortunes against South Africa: since the Men in Blue recaptured the T20 World Cup last year, the defending champions have won each of the seven T20I series they have been a part of, with their most recent being a 2-1 series victory in Australia.
In this phase, India have won 26 T20 games while only losing four games since becoming T20 World Cup winners.
With the World Cup happening at home and in Sri Lanka, Suryakumar Yadav and Co's form has been impeccable.
Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium has been shortlisted to host one of the semi-finals while Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium will host the opener and final of the ICC T20 World Cup in 2026 which is likely to start from February 7 to March 8. Ahmedabad had hosted both marquee matches for the 2023 World Cup as well.
The Indian Express' Devendra Pandey understands that in case there is a semi-final clash between India and Pakistan then both countries will play in Colombo and second semi-final will be held in Mumbai.
The ICC has made it clear to the Indian board that if Sri Lanka qualifies for the semi-finals, the neighbouring country will be playing in Colombo. And if Pakistan comes in the final, the tournament summit clash will be played at a neutral venue.
The Indian board has made it clear that the India and Pakistan game will be played in Colombo as per the agreement signed before, which will allow India and Pakistan to play their league games in a third nation.
Here's a list of all the 20 teams in action at next year's T20 World Cup:
India (Tournament Hosts), Sri Lanka (Tournament Hosts), Afghanistan (Top 7 finish T20WC 2024), Australia (Top 7 finish T20WC 2024), Bangladesh Top 7 finish T20WC 2024), England (Top 7 finish T20WC 2024), South Africa (Top 7 finish T20WC 2024), USA (Top 7 finish T20WC 2024), West Indies (Top 7 finish T20WC 2024), Ireland (ICC Men's T20 Team Rankings), New Zealand (ICC Men's T20 Team Rankings), Pakistan (ICC Men's T20 Team Rankings), Canada (Americas Qualifier), Italy (Europe Qualifier), Netherlands (Europe Qualifier), Namibia (Africa Qualifier), Zimbabwe (Africa Qualifier), Nepal (Asia/EAP Qualifier), Oman (Asia/EAP Qualifier), UAE (Asia/EAP Qualifier).
According to a report in The Indian Express, there is also no clarity on whether Bengaluru and Lucknow will be considered as venues to host games.
The Indian board has already decided that those venues that hosted the ICC Women’s 50-over World Cup won’t be considered to host the men’s tournament. Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, Indore and Navi Mumbai hosted the Women’s ODI World Cup matches in India.
According to a report from The Indian Express' Devendra Pandey, Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium is in line to play host to the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 final, the blue-riband game of the event. India are co-hosts of the T20 World Cup with Sri Lanka.
Pandey also reported that in a meeting held among top BCCI officials, it was decided that this time the World Cup will be played in fewer cities compared to the 2023 World Cup, and each venue is expected to get at least six games each.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had shortlisted Ahmedabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai. It is learnt that three stadiums in Sri Lanka will host the matches, but there is no clarity over which those venues would be.
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the T20 World Cup schedule announcement where defending champions India, who are also the co-hosts of the 2026 T20 World Cup next year with Sri Lanka, will find out the dates of their title defence.
Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium is shortlisted to host the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 final as the International Cricket Council (ICC) is expected to announce the schedule in the coming days.
The Indian Express understands that in a meeting held among top BCCI officials, it was decided that this time the World Cup will be played in fewer cities compared to the 2023 World Cup, and each venue is expected to get at least six games each.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had shortlisted Ahmedabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai. It is learnt that three stadiums in Sri Lanka will host the matches, but there is no clarity over which those venues would be.
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