The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 will be held from February 7 to March 8, 2026. India and Sri Lanka will host the event together, bringing the World Cup back to South Asia for a month-long run.
The matches will be played across eight venues in both countries, with the 20 teams taking part in the 2026 edition.
Let us have a look at the complete schedule, teams, format details, and other key updates.
ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule
The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 starts on February 6, with India facing the USA in the opening match.
Here is the complete schedule of the 2026 T20 World Cup:
| Date | Teams | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07 Feb 2026 | PAK vs NED | 11:00 AM | SSC, Colombo |
| 07 Feb 2026 | WI vs BAN | 3:00 PM | Kolkata |
| 07 Feb 2026 | IND vs USA | 7:00 PM | Mumbai |
| 08 Feb 2026 | NZ vs AFG | 11:00 AM | Chennai |
| 08 Feb 2026 | ENG vs NEP | 3:00 PM | Mumbai |
| 08 Feb 2026 | SL vs IRE | 7:00 PM | Premadasa, Colombo |
| 09 Feb 2026 | BAN vs ITA | 11:00 AM | Kolkata |
| 09 Feb 2026 | ZIM vs OMA | 3:00 PM | SSC, Colombo |
| 09 Feb 2026 | SA vs CAN | 7:00 PM | Ahmedabad |
| 10 Feb 2026 | NED vs NAM | 11:00 AM | Delhi |
| 10 Feb 2026 | NZ vs UAE | 3:00 PM | Chennai |
| 10 Feb 2026 | PAK vs USA | 7:00 PM | SSC, Colombo |
| 11 Feb 2026 | SA vs AFG | 11:00 AM | Ahmedabad |
| 11 Feb 2026 | AUS vs IRE | 3:00 PM | Premadasa, Colombo |
| 11 Feb 2026 | ENG vs WI | 7:00 PM | Mumbai |
| 12 Feb 2026 | SL vs OMA | 11:00 AM | Kandy |
| 12 Feb 2026 | NEP vs ITA | 3:00 PM | Mumbai |
| 12 Feb 2026 | IND vs NAM | 7:00 PM | Delhi |
| 13 Feb 2026 | AUS vs ZIM | 11:00 AM | Premadasa, Colombo |
| 13 Feb 2026 | CAN vs UAE | 3:00 PM | Delhi |
| 13 Feb 2026 | USA vs NED | 7:00 PM | Chennai |
| 14 Feb 2026 | IRE vs OMA | 11:00 AM | SSC, Colombo |
| 14 Feb 2026 | ENG vs BAN | 3:00 PM | Kolkata |
| 14 Feb 2026 | NZ vs SA | 7:00 PM | Ahmedabad |
| 15 Feb 2026 | WI vs NEP | 11:00 AM | Mumbai |
| 15 Feb 2026 | USA vs NAM | 3:00 PM | Chennai |
| 15 Feb 2026 | IND vs PAK | 7:00 PM | Premadasa, Colombo |
| 16 Feb 2026 | AFG vs UAE | 11:00 AM | Delhi |
| 16 Feb 2026 | ENG vs ITA | 3:00 PM | Kolkata |
| 16 Feb 2026 | AUS vs SL | 7:00 PM | Kandy |
| 17 Feb 2026 | NZ vs CAN | 11:00 AM | Chennai |
| 17 Feb 2026 | IRE vs ZIM | 3:00 PM | Kandy |
| 17 Feb 2026 | BAN vs NEP | 7:00 PM | Mumbai |
| 18 Feb 2026 | SA vs UAE | 11:00 AM | Delhi |
| 18 Feb 2026 | PAK vs NAM | 3:00 PM | SSC, Colombo |
| 18 Feb 2026 | IND vs NED | 7:00 PM | Ahmedabad |
| 19 Feb 2026 | WI vs ITA | 11:00 AM | Kolkata |
| 19 Feb 2026 | SL vs ZIM | 3:00 PM | Premadasa, Colombo |
| 19 Feb 2026 | AFG vs CAN | 7:00 PM | Chennai |
| 20 Feb 2026 | — | 11:00 AM | — |
| 20 Feb 2026 | — | 3:00 PM | — |
| 20 Feb 2026 | AUS vs OMA | 7:00 PM | Kandy |
| 21 Feb 2026 | — | 11:00 AM | — |
| 21 Feb 2026 | — | 3:00 PM | — |
| 21 Feb 2026 | Y2 vs Y3 | 7:00 PM | Premadasa, Colombo |
| 22 Feb 2026 | — | 11:00 AM | — |
| 22 Feb 2026 | Y1 vs Y4 | 3:00 PM | Kandy |
| 22 Feb 2026 | X1 vs X4 | 7:00 PM | Ahmedabad |
| 23 Feb 2026 | — | 11:00 AM | — |
| 23 Feb 2026 | — | 3:00 PM | — |
| 23 Feb 2026 | X2 vs X3 | 7:00 PM | Mumbai |
| 24 Feb 2026 | — | 11:00 AM | — |
| 24 Feb 2026 | — | 3:00 PM | — |
| 24 Feb 2026 | Y1 vs Y3 | 7:00 PM | Kandy |
| 25 Feb 2026 | — | 11:00 AM | — |
| 25 Feb 2026 | — | 3:00 PM | — |
| 25 Feb 2026 | Y2 vs Y4 | 7:00 PM | Premadasa, Colombo |
| 26 Feb 2026 | — | 11:00 AM | — |
| 26 Feb 2026 | X3 vs X4 | 3:00 PM | Ahmedabad |
| 26 Feb 2026 | X1 vs X2 | 7:00 PM | Chennai |
| 27 Feb 2026 | — | 11:00 AM | — |
| 27 Feb 2026 | — | 3:00 PM | — |
| 27 Feb 2026 | Y1 vs Y2 | 7:00 PM | Premadasa, Colombo |
| 28 Feb 2026 | — | 11:00 AM | — |
| 28 Feb 2026 | — | 3:00 PM | — |
| 28 Feb 2026 | Y3 vs Y4 | 7:00 PM | Kandy |
| 01 Mar 2026 | — | 11:00 AM | — |
| 01 Mar 2026 | X2 vs X4 | 3:00 PM | Delhi |
| 01 Mar 2026 | X1 vs X3 | 7:00 PM | Kolkata |
| 02 Mar 2026 | — | 3:00 PM | — |
| 02 Mar 2026 | — | 7:00 PM | — |
| 03 Mar 2026 | — | 3:00 PM | — |
| 03 Mar 2026 | — | 7:00 PM | — |
| 04 Mar 2026 | SF1 vs KO | 7:00 PM | Kolkata |
| 04 Mar 2026 | SF1 vs KO | 7:00 PM | Premadasa, Colombo |
| 05 Mar 2026 | — | 3:00 PM | — |
| 05 Mar 2026 | SF2 vs KO | 7:00 PM | Mumbai |
| 06 Mar 2026 | — | 3:00 PM | — |
| 06 Mar 2026 | — | 7:00 PM | — |
| 07 Mar 2026 | — | 3:00 PM | — |
| 07 Mar 2026 | — | 7:00 PM | — |
| 08 Mar 2026 | FINAL vs KO | 7:00 PM | Premadasa, Colombo |
| 08 Mar 2026 | FINAL vs KO | 7:00 PM | Ahmedabad |
Teams in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule
20 teams will compete in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Here is the list of teams and their qualification criteria:
| No | Team Name | Qualification Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | Host nation |
| 2 | Sri Lanka | Host nation |
| 3 | Afghanistan | 2024 T20 World Cup performance |
| 4 | Australia | 2024 T20 World Cup performance |
| 5 | Bangladesh | 2024 T20 World Cup performance |
| 6 | England | 2024 T20 World Cup performance |
| 7 | South Africa | 2024 T20 World Cup performance |
| 8 | United States | 2024 T20 World Cup performance |
| 9 | West Indies | 2024 T20 World Cup performance |
| 10 | Pakistan | ICC T20I ranking |
| 11 | New Zealand | ICC T20I ranking |
| 12 | Ireland | ICC T20I ranking |
| 13 | Canada | Americas Regional Qualifier |
| 14 | Netherlands | Europe Qualifier |
| 15 | Italy | Europe Qualifier (first-ever qualification) |
| 16 | Namibia | Africa Regional Qualifier |
| 17 | Zimbabwe | Africa Regional Qualifier |
| 18 | Nepal | Asia–EAP Qualifier |
| 19 | Oman | Asia–EAP Qualifier |
| 20 | UAE | Asia–EAP Qualifier |
Group Format in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026:
For the 2026 T20 World Cup, twenty teams are divided into four groups: A, B, C, and D; the top two advance to the Super 8.
Here is the group distribution of all the teams:
| Group | Teams |
|---|---|
| A | India, USA, Namibia, Netherlands, Pakistan |
| B | Australia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Oman |
| C | England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Italy, Nepal |
| D | South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Canada, UAE |
In the Super 8, the eight teams are split into two groups of four. Each team plays all three opponents in its group, and the top two from each group move to the semi-finals.
Host Nations for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule
India and Sri Lanka will co-host the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, with India hosting for the first time since 2016 and Sri Lanka hosting for the first time since 2012.
India will host matches across five cities, and Sri Lanka will host games in three cities.
This distribution spreads the workload and brings the tournament back to South Asia, where cricket is one of the most popular sports.
Venues For The ICC T20 World Cup 2026
Here’s how the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 matches are planned across venues in India and Sri Lanka
| Country | City | Stadium Name |
|---|---|---|
| India | Ahmedabad | Narendra Modi Stadium |
| India | Chennai | MA Chidambaram Stadium |
| India | New Delhi | Arun Jaitley Stadium |
| India | Mumbai | Wankhede Stadium |
| India | Kolkata | Eden Gardens |
| Sri Lanka | Colombo | R. Premadasa Stadium |
| Sri Lanka | Colombo | Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground |
| Sri Lanka | Kandy | Pallekele International Cricket Stadium |
The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will host the final of the T20 World Cup 2026, thanks to its large seating capacity. The Stadium is one of the biggest cricket stadiums in India.
Other Indian venues, such as the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai and the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, also offer high-quality pitches and facilities, making them ideal for important cricket games.
Kolkata and Mumbai will host the semifinals, while Colombo serves as an alternative venue for the final and one semifinal.
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Conclusion: The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Will Take Place Between February 7 And March 8
The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 will be held in India and Sri Lanka, with 20 teams playing in eight big stadiums across the two countries.
The tournament will follow the same format as 2024, with group matches, Super 8, semi-finals, and the final.
It will be interesting to see how defending champions India start their campaign against the USA. So, get ready for a historic 2026 T20 World Cup!
FAQs
The ICC has announced the final schedule of the T20 World Cup 2026. Matches will begin on February 6, 2026.
Ticket bookings are now open for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. You will get all details directly from the official ICC website.
The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 will be streamed live on Jio Hotstar and Star Sports Network in India.
The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 schedule includes day–night matches, with most games starting at 3:00 PM or 7:00 PM local time.
The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 schedule includes reserve days for knockout matches, ensuring semifinals and the final can be completed if delayed.
