2026 Men's T20 World Cup
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Get ready, cricket fans! The stage is set for the 10th edition of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, and it's going to be a spectacular event. India and Sri Lanka are teaming up to co-host this thrilling tournament, scheduled to electrify the cricketing world from February to March 2026. And remember, India are the reigning champions, looking to defend their title!
The ICC Men's T20 World Cup is a biennial spectacle, a global celebration of Twenty20 International cricket, organized by the International Cricket Council. Since its inception in 2007 in South Africa, it’s become a must-watch event, held every two years. India, fresh off their victory over South Africa in the last final, are the ones to beat.
The journey to co-hosting began in November 2021. Initially, Sri Lanka was slated to host the entire tournament, but with the expansion of the event and the need for more venues, India stepped in as a co-host. This isn't new territory for either nation; Sri Lanka hosted in 2012, and India in 2016. A significant development occurred in December 2024, following an agreement between the BCCI and the PCB. This confirmed that matches involving India and Pakistan in any ICC events hosted by either nation will be played at neutral venues until at least 2027. Consequently, all of Pakistan's matches in the 2026 T20 World Cup will be exclusively held in Sri Lanka.
The format remains familiar and exciting, mirroring the previous edition. Twenty qualifying teams will be split into four groups of five. Each team within a group will face off against the other four, leading to ten matches per group. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super 8 stage. Here, the eight qualified teams will be divided into two groups of four, based on pre-tournament seedings. They'll battle it out in six group matches each, with the top two from each advancing to the high-stakes knockout stage.
Qualification is a mix of direct entries and hard-fought regional battles. Sri Lanka and India are in as co-hosts. They'll be joined by the top eight finishers from the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup, plus the three best-ranked T20I teams from the ICC rankings. The remaining eight spots will be determined through regional qualifiers: two from Africa, two from Europe, three from the combined Asia-EAP region, and one from the Americas. And a historic moment awaits as Italy makes its debut in the men's T20 World Cup, marking their first appearance in a major ICC tournament!
The knockout stage is where dreams are made and shattered. Two intense semi-finals will pave the way for the grand finale. As per the agreement, Pakistan will play all their matches in Sri Lanka. One of the semi-finals is expected to take place at the iconic R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, while the venue for the other semi-final is still to be decided. Reports initially suggested the final would be held at the renovated Eden Gardens in Kolkata, with an expanded capacity of 90,000. However, with renovation plans postponed, the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad has been slated to host. But here's the twist: due to the neutral venue agreement, if Pakistan qualifies for the final, it will be relocated to the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Get ready for a World Cup filled with drama, passion, and unforgettable cricket!
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The 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup will be the 10th edition of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup. It is scheduled to be hosted by
Board of Control for Cricket in India and Sri Lanka Cricket from February to March 2026. India are the defending champions.
== Background ==
The ICC Men's T20 World Cup is a biennial world cup for cricket in Twenty20 International (T20I) format, organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC). The tournament, now being held every two years, was first played in 2007 in South Africa. India are the defending champions, having defeated South Africa in the final of the previous edition.
=== Host selection ===
In November 2021, as part of the 2024–2031 ICC men's hosts cycle, Sri Lanka and India were announced as co-hosts for the tournament. Initially the plan was for Sri Lanka to host the entire tournament but due to expansion of the tournament and lack of stadiums in Sri Lanka it was decided to co-host with India. Sri Lanka first hosted the Men's T20 World Cup in 2012 and India hosted it in 2016. In December 2024, following an agreement between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the ICC confirmed that matches involving India and Pakistan at all ICC events hosted by India or Pakistan would be played at a neutral venue until at least 2027. As a result, any matches involving Pakistan in the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup will be played only in Sri Lanka.
=== Format ===
The tournament's format will remain the same as the previous edition. The 20 qualifying teams were divided into four groups of five teams; the five teams in each group played with the other four – for a total of ten matches per group – and the top two teams in each group advanced to the Super 8 stage. The advanced 8 teams were divided into two groups of four teams based on pre-tournament seedings; the advanced teams in each group played with all the others in that group – for a total of six matches per group – and the top two teams in each advanced group advanced to the knockout stage.
== Qualification ==
Sri Lanka and India qualified directly as co-hosts. They will be joined by the top eight teams from the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup and the best three other teams from the ICC Men's T20I Team Rankings. The remaining eight teams will be decided by regional qualifiers, with two teams qualifying from both Africa and Europe, three teams from the combined Asia–EAP region, and one team from the Americas region.
Italy qualified for the men's T20 World Cup for the first time, which will also mark their debut in a major ICC tournament.
== Knockout stage ==
The knockout stage consists of two semi-finals and a final to decide the winner. As per the agreement between BCCI and the PCB, Pakistan are scheduled to play all their matches in Sri Lanka. One of the semi-finals is likely to be held in the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The venue for another semi-final remains undecided.
As per reports, the final of the tournament was reported to take place in the renovated Eden Gardens with an extended capacity of 90,000. But after the postponement of the renovation plan, the hosting rights of the final were given to the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Because of the neutral venue agreement between BCCI and PCB, the final will be relocated to R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo if Pakistan qualifies.
== References ==
== External links ==
Official website
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