The International Cricket Council on Tuesday announced the schedule for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, confirming that India and Sri Lanka will jointly host the 20-team tournament from February 7 to March 8. The announcement was made at a special event in Mumbai, setting the stage for what promises to be one of the most expansive editions in the competition’s history.
Across 29 action-packed days, 55 matches will be contested at eight venues, five in India and three in Sri Lanka, before the champions are crowned on March 8. The tournament format features four groups of five teams each, followed by the Super Eight stage and the knockouts.
The standout fixture of the group stage, India vs Pakistan, is slated for February 15 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, a contest expected to command massive global viewership and carry significant weight in the race to the Super Eight.
India’s Group Stage Fixtures
- Feb 7: vs USA — Mumbai
- Feb 12: vs Namibia — New Delhi
- Feb 15: vs Pakistan — Colombo
- Feb 18: vs Netherlands — Ahmedabad
Full Schedule
The schedule for ICC Men’s @T20WorldCup 2026 is here! 📅
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
— ICC (@ICC) November 25, 2025
The ICC confirmed that the venue for the title clash will be determined by Pakistan’s performance. If Pakistan do not reach the final, the final will take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. If Pakistan qualifies for the final, the summit clash will shift to Colombo.
The move comes amid ongoing geopolitical sensitivities and logistical considerations surrounding Indo-Pak fixtures.
Super Eight and Knockout Fixtures
The Super Eight stage will run from February 21 to March 1, with qualifiers split into two groups, X and Y. The semifinals are scheduled for:
- March 4: Semi-final 1 — Kolkata or Colombo
- March 5: Semi-final 2 — Mumbai
The final will be held on March 8.
Host Venues
The eight stadiums hosting the tournament include:
India:
- Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
- MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
- Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi
- Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
- Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Sri Lanka:
- R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
- Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo
- Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy
India Drawn with Pakistan in Group A
Defending champions India headline Group A, setting up another high-voltage clash with arch-rivals Pakistan. They are joined by the United States, the Netherlands and Namibia.
- 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
India enter the tournament as the reigning T20 World Cup champions after their memorable seven-run victory over South Africa in the 2024 final in Barbados. The triumph handed India their second T20 crown, adding to their landmark victory in the inaugural 2007 edition.
