The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is set to begin on February 7, with India and Sri Lanka sharing hosting duties for the 10th edition of cricket’s premier T20 tournament.
Twenty teams will compete across 55 matches over a month-long campaign that concludes on March 8.
This marks a significant expansion from previous editions, featuring sides from six continents, including first-time qualifiers.
The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 schedule follows a structured format with group stages, a Super 8 phase, and knockout matches across multiple venues in both host nations.
The tournament brings together established cricket powers and emerging nations, creating a diverse field that reflects the global growth of the shortest format.
ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule
ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Overview
India and Sri Lanka will jointly host the tournament across seven venues.
The competition runs from February 7 to March 8, featuring an expanded 20-team format divided into four groups of five teams each.
The group stage operates on a round-robin basis, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the Super 8 phase.
From there, the competition narrows to semi-finals and a final.
The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 schedule accommodates three daily time slots to maximize coverage across different time zones.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Tournament Edition | 10th |
| Dates | February 7 – March 8 |
| Host Countries | India, Sri Lanka |
| Total Teams | 20 |
| Groups | 4 (5 teams each) |
| Match Format | T20 |
| Total Matches | 55 |
ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule – Final Fixture After Scotland Replaces Bangladesh
The tournament opens with Pakistan facing the Netherlands at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo.
Daily scheduling features three match slots at 11:00 AM, 3:00 PM, and 7:00 PM local time, ensuring consistent action throughout the group phase.
Defending champions India begin their campaign on February 7 against the United States at Wankhede Stadium.
The group stage runs through February 20, followed by the Super 8 phase from February 21 to March 1. Semi-finals are scheduled for March 4 and 5, with the final on March 8.
The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 schedule includes a notable Scotland replacement for Bangladesh in Group C following security-related withdrawals.
The complete ICC T20 World Cup 2026 fixtures maintain geographic balance with matches distributed across Indian and Sri Lankan venues.
Match Structure & Format
- Group Stage Matches: Four groups play round-robin formats with each team facing four opponents. Three matches run daily across both host nations, totaling 40 group-stage fixtures through February 20.
- Super 8 Phase: Top two teams from each group advance to two Super 8 groups (X and Y). Eight teams play six matches each over ten days, determining the four semi-finalists through February 21 to March 1.
- Knockout Matches: Semi-finals take place at Eden Gardens/R. Premadasa Stadium and Wankhede Stadium. The final is scheduled at either Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad or R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo at 7:00 PM local time.
ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Fixtures
| Date | Match No. | Match | Group | Venue | Local Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, February 7 | Match 1 | Pakistan vs Netherlands | A | Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo | 11:00 AM |
| Saturday, February 7 | Match 2 | West Indies vs Scotland | C | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 03:00 PM |
| Saturday, February 7 | Match 3 | India vs United States of America | A | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 07:00 PM |
| Sunday, February 8 | Match 4 | New Zealand vs Afghanistan | D | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 11:00 AM |
| Sunday, February 8 | Match 5 | England vs Nepal | C | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 03:00 PM |
| Sunday, February 8 | Match 6 | Sri Lanka vs Ireland | B | R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo | 07:00 PM |
| Monday, February 9 | Match 7 | Scotland vs Italy | C | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 11:00 AM |
| Monday, February 9 | Match 8 | Zimbabwe vs Oman | B | Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo | 03:00 PM |
| Monday, February 9 | Match 9 | South Africa vs Canada | D | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 07:00 PM |
| Tuesday, February 10 | Match 10 | Netherlands vs Namibia | A | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | 11:00 AM |
| Tuesday, February 10 | Match 11 | New Zealand vs United Arab Emirates | D | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 03:00 PM |
| Tuesday, February 10 | Match 12 | Pakistan vs United States of America | A | Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo | 07:00 PM |
| Wednesday, February 11 | Match 13 | South Africa vs Afghanistan | D | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 11:00 AM |
| Wednesday, 11 February | Match 14 | Australia vs Ireland | B | R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo | 03:00 PM |
| Wednesday, 11 February | Match 15 | England vs West Indies | C | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 07:00 PM |
| Thursday, 12 February | Match 16 | Sri Lanka vs Oman | B | Pallekele International Cricket Stadium | 11:00 AM |
| Thursday, 12 February | Match 17 | Nepal vs Italy | C | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 03:00 PM |
| Thursday, 12 February | Match 18 | India vs Namibia | A | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | 07:00 PM |
| Friday, 13 February | Match 19 | Australia vs Zimbabwe | B | R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo | 11:00 AM |
| Friday, 13 February | Match 20 | Canada vs United Arab Emirates | D | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | 03:00 PM |
| Friday, February 13 | Match 21 | United States of America vs Netherlands | A | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 07:00 PM |
| Saturday, 14 February | Match 22 | Ireland vs Oman | B | Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo | 11:00 AM |
| Saturday, 14 February | Match 23 | England vs Scotland | C | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 03:00 PM |
| Saturday, 14 February | Match 24 | New Zealand vs South Africa | D | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 07:00 PM |
| Sunday, 15 February | Match 25 | West Indies vs Nepal | C | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 11:00 AM |
| Sunday, February 15 | Match 26 | United States of America vs Namibia | A | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 03:00 PM |
| Sunday, 15 February | Match 27 | India vs Pakistan | A | R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo | 07:00 PM |
| Monday, 16 February | Match 28 | Afghanistan vs United Arab Emirates | D | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | 11:00 AM |
| Monday, 16 February | Match 29 | England vs Italy | C | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 03:00 PM |
| Monday, 16 February | Match 30 | Australia vs Sri Lanka | B | Pallekele International Cricket Stadium | 07:00 PM |
| Tuesday, February 17 | Match 31 | New Zealand vs Canada | D | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 11:00 AM |
| Tuesday, 17 February | Match 32 | Ireland vs Zimbabwe | B | Pallekele International Cricket Stadium | 03:00 PM |
| Tuesday, 17 February | Match 33 | Scotland vs Nepal | C | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 07:00 PM |
| Wednesday, 18 February | Match 34 | South Africa vs United Arab Emirates | D | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | 11:00 AM |
| Wednesday, 18 February | Match 35 | Pakistan vs Namibia | A | Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo | 03:00 PM |
| Wednesday, February 18 | Match 36 | India vs Netherlands | A | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 07:00 PM |
| Thursday, 19 February | Match 37 | West Indies vs Italy | C | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 11:00 AM |
| Thursday, 19 February | Match 38 | Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe | B | R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo | 03:00 PM |
| Thursday, 19 February | Match 39 | Afghanistan vs Canada | D | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 07:00 PM |
| Friday, 20 February | Match 40 | Australia vs Oman | B | Pallekele International Cricket Stadium | 07:00 PM |
| Saturday, February 21 | Match 41 | Super 8 Group 2 (Y2 vs Y3) | – | R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo | 07:00 PM |
| Sunday, 22 February | Match 42 | Super 8 Group 2 (Y1 vs Y4) | – | Pallekele International Cricket Stadium | 03:00 PM |
| Sunday, 22 February | Match 43 | Super 8 Group 1 (X1 vs X4) | – | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 07:00 PM |
| Monday, February 23 | Match 44 | Super 8 Group 1 (X2 vs X3) | – | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 07:00 PM |
| Tuesday, February 24 | Match 45 | Super 8 Group 2 (Y1 vs Y3) | – | Pallekele International Cricket Stadium | 07:00 PM |
| Wednesday, 25 February | Match 46 | Super 8 Group 2 (Y2 vs Y4) | – | R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo | 07:00 PM |
| Thursday, February 26 | Match 47 | Super 8 Group 1 (X3 vs X4) | – | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 03:00 PM |
| Thursday, February 26 | Match 48 | Super 8 Group 1 (X1 vs X2) | – | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 07:00 PM |
| Friday, February 27 | Match 49 | Super 8 Group 2 (Y1 vs Y2) | – | R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo | 07:00 PM |
| Saturday, February 28 | Match 50 | Super 8 Group 2 (Y3 vs Y4) | – | Pallekele International Cricket Stadium | 07:00 PM |
| Sunday, 1 March | Match 51 | Super 8 Group 1 (X2 vs X4) | – | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | 03:00 PM |
| Sunday, March 1 | Match 52 | Super 8 Group 1 (X1 vs X3) | – | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 07:00 PM |
| Wednesday, March 4 | 1st Semi-Final | TBC | – | Eden Gardens, Kolkata/ R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo | 07:00 PM |
| Thursday, March 5 | 2nd Semi-Final | TBC | – | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 07:00 PM |
| Sunday, March 8 | Final | TBC | – | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad/ R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo | 07:00 PM |
Teams Qualified for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026
All 20 participating teams have confirmed their spots through various qualification pathways.
Italy achieved a historic milestone by qualifying for their first T20 World Cup through the Europe regional qualifier. Scotland replaces Bangladesh in Group C.
| Qualification Route | Teams |
|---|---|
| Hosts | India, Sri Lanka |
| Top Finishers (2024) | Afghanistan, Australia, England, South Africa, USA, West Indies |
| ICC Rankings | New Zealand, Pakistan, Ireland, Scotland |
| Europe Qualifier | Italy, Netherlands |
| Americas Qualifier | Canada |
| Africa Qualifier | Namibia, Zimbabwe |
| Asia/EAP Qualifier | Nepal, Oman, UAE |
The field represents six continents, with established Test nations competing alongside Associate members. Seven teams from the 2024 edition return based on their top finishes, while four teams secured spots through ICC T20I rankings.
Regional qualifiers provided pathways for emerging cricket nations across Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia. This geographic distribution ensures representation from multiple cricket boards and creates competitive balance across all four groups.
Conclusion:
The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 schedule spans 30 days across seven venues in India and Sri Lanka.
Fifty-five matches will determine the champion, beginning February 7 and concluding March 8 with the final at Narendra Modi Stadium or R. Premadasa Stadium.
The expanded 20-team format creates additional opportunities for Associate nations while maintaining the tournament’s competitive intensity through structured group and knockout phases.
- Key Dates to Remember: February 7 marks the opening match between Pakistan and the Netherlands. The final is scheduled for March 8 at either Ahmedabad or Colombo.
- Match Volume: Fifty-five total matches, including 40 group-stage fixtures, 12 Super 8 matches, two semi-finals, and one final spread across both host nations.
- Host Nations: India provides five venues (Wankhede, Eden Gardens, Narendra Modi Stadium, Arun Jaitley, and MA Chidambaram). Sri Lanka hosts at R. Premadasa Stadium, Sinhalese Sports Club, and Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.
- Historic Moment: Italy becomes the first European qualifier outside established cricket nations to reach a men’s T20 World Cup.
Also Check:
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- Canada Cricket Squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026
- India’s squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026
- New Zealand Squad for T20 World Cup 2026
- England Squad for T20 World Cup 2026
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