The ICC announced the schedule for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, confirming that India will open their title defense on 7 February at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium against the United States. Pakistan and the West Indies will also play their first matches on the opening day in Colombo and Kolkata. The final is set for 8 March at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, with Kolkata and Mumbai named as the semifinal venues. Colombo has been kept as the alternate venue for one semifinal and the final.
The tournament will take place across eight venues in India and Sri Lanka, including Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Colombo, Kandy, and the SSC Ground. The schedule was revealed at a ceremony in Mumbai attended by ICC Chairman Jay Shah, India captain Rohit Sharma, T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav, and women’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur. Rohit Sharma was also announced as the ICC Brand Ambassador for the event.
Jay Shah described the return of the event to the subcontinent as an important moment, saying, “It is wonderful to welcome the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup back to the subcontinent so soon after a groundbreaking Women’s Cricket World Cup. The passion for cricket in this region is unmatched, and fans have been waiting eagerly for another global spectacle.”
ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta said the 2026 edition marks a new era for global cricket events, praising the competitiveness of the T20 format. Rohit Sharma recalled his memorable moments from past tournaments: “I have the good fortune of winning this tournament two times and can say from experience that each win in this tournament is a special one. I won the title in 2007 as a youngster and then lifted it as captain in 2024, but it is not just the final that I remember with as much fondness. Many other matches also stand out to me with equal fondness.”
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026: Dates, and Venues
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 will begin on 7 February and end with the final on 8 March. India and Sri Lanka will co-host the tournament across eight venues in both countries. India’s venues include Ahmedabad, Chennai, New Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata, while Sri Lanka’s venues include Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium, the SSC Ground, and Kandy.
India will stage matches in Ahmedabad, Chennai, New Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata. Sri Lanka will stage matches in Colombo at the R. Premadasa Stadium and SSC Ground, along with the venue in Kandy. The final is scheduled for Ahmedabad, with Colombo kept as the backup venue. The semifinals are set for Kolkata and Mumbai, with Colombo available as an alternative depending on Pakistan’s qualification path.
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026: Groups
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 features twenty teams divided into four groups, with the tournament starting on 7 February. India will open their title defense in Mumbai against the USA. All group matches will run from 7 to 20 February, followed by the Super Eights from 21 February. The knockout stage includes semifinals in Kolkata or Colombo and in Mumbai, with the final scheduled for 8 March in Ahmedabad or Colombo.
Group A contains India, the USA, Namibia, the Netherlands, and Pakistan, with India and Pakistan meeting in Colombo on 15 February. Group B includes Australia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Ireland, and Oman. Group C brings together England, the West Indies, Bangladesh, Italy, and Nepal. Group D includes South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Canada, and the UAE.
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Fixtures
| Dates | Match | Time | Venue |
| February 7, Saturday | Pakistan vs Netherlands | 11:00 AM | SSC, Colombo |
| February 7, Saturday | West Indies vs Bangladesh | 3:00 PM | Kolkata |
| February 7, Saturday | India vs USA | 7:00 PM | Mumbai |
| February 8, Sunday | New Zealand vs Afghanistan | 11:00 AM | Chennai |
| February 8, Sunday | England vs Nepal | 3:00 PM | Mumbai |
| February 8, Sunday | Sri Lanka vs ireland | 7:00 PM | Premadasa, Colombo |
| February 9, Monday | Bangladesh vs Italy | 11:00 AM | Kolkata |
| February 9, Monday | Zimbabwe vs Oman | 3:00 PM | SSC, Colombo |
| February 9, Monday | South Africa vs Canada | 7:00 PM | Ahmedabad |
| February 10, Tuesday | Netherlands vs Namibia | 11:00 AM | Delhi |
| February 10, Tuesday | New Zealand vs UAE | 3:00 PM | Chennai |
| February 10, Tuesday | Pakistan vs USA | 7:00 PM | SSC, Colombo |
| February 11, Wednesday | South Africa vs Afghanistan | 11:00 AM | Ahmedabad |
| February 11, Wednesday | Australia vs Ireland | 3:00 PM | Premadasa, Colombo |
| February 11, Wednesday | England vs West Indies | 7:00 PM | Mumbai |
| February 12, Thursday | Sri Lanka vs Oman | 11:00 AM | Kandy |
| February 12, Thursday | Nepal vs Italy | 3:00 PM | Mumbai |
| February 12, Thursday | India vs Namibia | 7:00 PM | New Delhi |
| February 13, Friday | Australia vs Zimbabwe | 11:00 AM | Premadasa, Colombo |
| February 13, Friday | Canada vs UAE | 3:00 PM | Delhi |
| February 13, Friday | USA vs Netherlands | 7:00 PM | Chennai |
| February 14, Saturday | Ireland vs Oman | 11:00 AM | SSC, Colombo |
| February 14, Saturday | England vs Bangladesh | 3:00 PM | Kolkata |
| February 14, Saturday | New Zealand vs South Africa | 7:00 PM | Ahmedabad |
| February 15, Sunday | West Indies vs Nepal | 11:00 AM | Mumbai |
| February 15, Sunday | USA vs Namibia | 3:00 PM | Chennai |
| February 15, Sunday | India vs Pakistan | 7:00 PM | Premadasa, Colombo |
| February 16, Monday | Afghanistan vs UAE | 11:00 AM | Delhi |
| February 16, Monday | England vs Italy | 3:00 PM | Kolkata |
| February 16, Monday | Australia vs Sri Lanka | 7:00 PM | Kandy |
| February 17, Tuesday | New Zealand vs Canada | 11:00 AM | Chennai |
| February 17, Tuesday | Ireland vs Zimbabwe | 3:00 PM | Kandy |
| February 17, Tuesday | Bangladesh vs Nepal | 7:00 PM | Mumbai |
| February 18, Wednesday | South Africa vs UAE | 11:00 AM | Delhi |
| February 18, Wednesday | Pakistan vs Namibia | 3:00 PM | SSC, Colombo |
| February 18, Wednesday | India vs Netherlands | 7:00 PM | Ahmedabad |
| February 19, Thursday | West Indies vs Italy | 11:00 AM | Kolkata |
| February 19, Thursday | Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe | 3:00 PM | Premadasa, Colombo |
| February 19, Thursday | Afghanistan vs Canada | 7:00 PM | Chennai |
| February 20, Friday | Australia vs Oman | 7:00 PM | Kandy |
| February 21, Saturday | Y2 vs Y3 | 7:00 PM | Premadasa, Colombo |
| February 22, Sunday | Y1 vs Y4 | 3:00 PM | Kandy |
| February 22, Sunday | X1 vs X4 | 7:00 PM | Ahmedabad |
| February 23, Monday | X2 vs X3 | 7:00 PM | Mumbai |
| February 24, Tuesday | Y1 vs Y3 | 7:00 PM | Kandy |
| February 25, Wednesday | Y2 vs Y4 | 7:00 PM | Premadasa, Colombo |
| February 26, Thursday | X3 vs X4 | 3:00 PM | Ahmedabad |
| February 26, Thursday | X1 vs X2 | 7:00 PM | Chennai |
| February 27, Friday | Y1 vs Y2 | 7:00 PM | Premadasa, Colombo |
| February 28, Saturday | Y3 vs Y4 | 7:00 PM | Kandy |
| March 1, Sunday | X2 vs X4 | 3:00 PM | Delhi |
| March 1, Sunday | X1 vs X3 | 7:00 PM | Kolkata |
| March 4, Wednesday | Semi-final 1 | 7:00 PM | Kolkata/Colombo |
| March 5, Thursday | Semi-final 2 | 7:00 PM | Mumbai |
| March 8, Sunday | Final | 7:00 PM | Ahmedabad/Colombo |
FAQs
Q. Will Pakistan participate in the 2026 T20 World Cup?
A. Yes. According to the BCCI-PCB agreement, all of Pakistan’s matches in the 2026 T20 World Cup will take place in Sri Lanka.
Q. Will Rohit Sharma participate in the T20 World Cup in 2026?
A. The 2026 T20 World Cup has designated Rohit Sharma as its brand ambassador.
Q. Is India participating in the T20 World Cup in 2026?
A. Yes. India will play alongside lower-ranked teams in the same group as Pakistan.
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