The tournament will start on 07 February 2026, and the final match will be played on 08 March 2026. After being held in different countries in recent years, the T20 World Cup is coming back to the subcontinent, which is known for its exciting cricket atmosphere.
In total, 20 teams from around the world will take part in the tournament. The competition format will be the same as the previous edition, with intense matches from the group stage to the knockout rounds. India will play as the defending champions, after winning the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies.
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 – Tournament Overview
With 20 teams playing, the tournament will include famous cricket teams and new teams. It will start on 07 February 2026 and use a quick T20 format, bringing exciting matches, big moments, and great performances for fans.
| Tournament | ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 |
|---|---|
| Organiser | International Cricket Council (ICC) |
| Format | Twenty-20 International |
| Tournament format | Group Stage, Super 8s & Knockout matches |
| Host(s) | India, Sri Lanka |
| Number of teams | 20 |
| Number of matches | 55 |
| Recent edition | 2024 |
| Defending champions | India |
ICC Cricket T20 World Cup 2026: Schedule
The T20 World Cup 2026 will take place from February 7 to March 8, 2026. The tournament will be hosted by India and Sri Lanka. A total of 55 matches will be played during the event. Teams will first compete in the group stage, where they will try to qualify for the next round.
The top teams will then move on to the Super Eight stage, followed by the semi-finals. The tournament will end with the final match, where the two best teams will compete for the trophy.
| Date | Time (IST) | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07 Feb 2026 | 11:00 AM | Pakistan vs Netherlands | SSC, Colombo |
| 07 Feb 2026 | 03:00 PM | West Indies vs Bangladesh | Kolkata |
| 07 Feb 2026 | 07:00 PM | India vs USA | Mumbai |
| 08 Feb 2026 | 11:00 AM | New Zealand vs Afghanistan | Chennai |
| 08 Feb 2026 | 03:00 PM | England vs Nepal | Mumbai |
| 08 Feb 2026 | 07:00 PM | Sri Lanka vs Ireland | R Premadasa, Colombo |
| 09 Feb 2026 | 11:00 AM | Bangladesh vs Italy | Kolkata |
| 09 Feb 2026 | 03:00 PM | Zimbabwe vs Oman | SSC, Colombo |
| 09 Feb 2026 | 07:00 PM | South Africa vs Canada | Ahmedabad |
| 10 Feb 2026 | 11:00 AM | Netherlands vs Namibia | Delhi |
| 10 Feb 2026 | 03:00 PM | New Zealand vs UAE | Chennai |
| 10 Feb 2026 | 07:00 PM | Pakistan vs USA | SSC, Colombo |
| 11 Feb 2026 | 11:00 AM | South Africa vs Afghanistan | Ahmedabad |
| 11 Feb 2026 | 03:00 PM | Australia vs Ireland | R Premadasa, Colombo |
| 11 Feb 2026 | 07:00 PM | England vs West Indies | Mumbai |
| 12 Feb 2026 | 11:00 AM | Sri Lanka vs Oman | Pallekele |
| 12 Feb 2026 | 03:00 PM | Nepal vs Italy | Mumbai |
| 12 Feb 2026 | 07:00 PM | India vs Namibia | Delhi |
| 13 Feb 2026 | 11:00 AM | Australia vs Zimbabwe | R Premadasa, Colombo |
| 13 Feb 2026 | 03:00 PM | Canada vs UAE | Delhi |
| 13 Feb 2026 | 07:00 PM | USA vs Netherlands | Chennai |
| 14 Feb 2026 | 11:00 AM | Ireland vs Oman | SSC, Colombo |
| 14 Feb 2026 | 03:00 PM | England vs Bangladesh | Kolkata |
| 14 Feb 2026 | 07:00 PM | New Zealand vs South Africa | Ahmedabad |
| 15 Feb 2026 | 11:00 AM | West Indies vs Nepal | Mumbai |
| 15 Feb 2026 | 03:00 PM | USA vs Namibia | Chennai |
| 15 Feb 2026 | 07:00 PM | India vs Pakistan | R Premadasa, Colombo |
| 16 Feb 2026 | 11:00 AM | Afghanistan vs UAE | Delhi |
| 16 Feb 2026 | 03:00 PM | England vs Italy | Kolkata |
| 16 Feb 2026 | 07:00 PM | Australia vs Sri Lanka | Pallekele |
| 17 Feb 2026 | 11:00 AM | New Zealand vs Canada | Chennai |
| 17 Feb 2026 | 03:00 PM | Ireland vs Zimbabwe | Pallekele |
| 17 Feb 2026 | 07:00 PM | Bangladesh vs Nepal | Mumbai |
| 18 Feb 2026 | 11:00 AM | South Africa vs UAE | Delhi |
| 18 Feb 2026 | 03:00 PM | Pakistan vs Namibia | SSC, Colombo |
| 18 Feb 2026 | 07:00 PM | India vs Netherlands | Ahmedabad |
| 19 Feb 2026 | 11:00 AM | West Indies vs Italy | Kolkata |
| 19 Feb 2026 | 03:00 PM | Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe | R Premadasa, Colombo |
| 19 Feb 2026 | 07:00 PM | Afghanistan vs Canada | Chennai |
| 20 Feb 2026 | 07:00 PM | Australia vs Oman | Pallekele |
| 21 Feb 2026 | 07:00 PM | Y2 vs Y3 | R Premadasa, Colombo |
| 22 Feb 2026 | 03:00 PM | Y1 vs Y4 | Pallekele |
| 22 Feb 2026 | 07:00 PM | X1 vs X4 | Ahmedabad |
| 23 Feb 2026 | 07:00 PM | X2 vs X3 | Mumbai |
| 24 Feb 2026 | 07:00 PM | Y1 vs Y3 | Pallekele |
| 25 Feb 2026 | 07:00 PM | Y2 vs Y4 | R Premadasa, Colombo |
| 26 Feb 2026 | 03:00 PM | X3 vs X4 | Ahmedabad |
| 26 Feb 2026 | 07:00 PM | X1 vs X2 | Chennai |
| 27 Feb 2026 | 07:00 PM | Y1 vs Y2 | R Premadasa, Colombo |
| 28 Feb 2026 | 07:00 PM | Y3 vs Y4 | Pallekele |
| 01 Mar 2026 | 03:00 PM | X2 vs X4 | Delhi |
| 01 Mar 2026 | 07:00 PM | X1 vs X3 | Kolkata |
| 04 Mar 2026 | 07:00 PM | Semi Final 1 | TBC |
| 05 Mar 2026 | 07:00 PM | Semi Final 2 | Mumbai |
| 08 Mar 2026 | 07:00 PM | FINAL | TBC |
The ICC will officially release the full schedule on November 25. However, India’s group-stage matches are already confirmed, according to several reports.
Team India – Group Stage Schedule
| Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 08 Feb 2026 | India vs USA | Ahmedabad |
| 12 Feb 2026 | India vs Namibia | Delhi |
| 15 Feb 2026 | India vs Pakistan | Colombo |
| 18 Feb 2026 | India vs Netherlands | Mumbai |
Team India – Expected Super 8 & Knockout Path
| Stage | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Super 8 – Match 1 | 22 Feb 2026 | Ahmedabad |
| Super 8 – Match 2 | 26 Feb 2026 | Chennai |
| Super 8 – Match 3 | 01 Mar 2026 | Kolkata |
| Semi-Final | 05 Mar 2026 | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai* |
| Final | 08 Mar 2026 | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad* |
T20 World Cup 2026 Groups and Teams
- Group A: India, Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, Namibia
- Group B: Australia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Oman
- Group C: England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Nepal, Italy
- Group D: South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Canada, UAE
T20 World Cup 2026: Teams and Captains
The T20 World Cup 2026 will feature 20 teams from around the world. Here is the list of qualified teams along with their current ranking positions and expected captains, showcasing top cricket nations and exciting newcomers ready to compete in the tournament.
| Team | Expected Captain |
|---|---|
| India | Suryakumar Yadav |
| Sri Lanka | Charith Asalanka |
| Afghanistan | Rashid Khan |
| Australia | Mitchell Marsh |
| Bangladesh | Litton Das |
| England | Harry Brook |
| South Africa | Aiden Markram |
| USA | Monank Patel |
| West Indies | Shai Hope |
| Ireland | Paul Stirling |
| New Zealand | Mitchell Santner |
| Pakistan | Salman Agha |
| Canada | Saad Bin Zafar |
| Italy | Joe Burns |
| Netherlands | Scott Edwards |
| Namibia | Gerhard Erasmus |
| Zimbabwe | Sikandar Raza |
| Nepal | Rohit Paudel |
| Oman | Zeeshan Maqsood |
| UAE | Muhammad Waseem |
Conclusion
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 will be an exciting cricket tournament, celebrating its 10th edition. It will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka and feature 20 teams, including top cricket nations and new teams, all playing in the fast-paced T20 format.
The tournament will start on 07 February 2026 and end with the final on 08 March 2026. Fans can look forward to thrilling matches, big moments, and amazing performances at world-class stadiums. India is the defending champion, and with teams divided into four groups, there will be intense matches from the group stage to the Super Eight and knockout rounds.
The full schedule will be released by the ICC on November 25, but fans can already check Team India’s confirmed matches and expected Super 8 and knockout path. With top players and emerging stars competing, and strong backing from sponsors such as Apollo Tyres, the T20 World Cup 2026 promises non-stop cricketing excitement for fans around the world.
