ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026: Full Schedule, Format, Teams and Venues

India enter the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 as defending champions following their title triumph in the Caribbean and the United States in 2024. Playing in familiar home conditions across India and Sri Lanka, they are among the tournament favourites, although the unpredictable nature of T20 cricket ensures an open and thrilling contest.

The 2026 edition marks the 10th staging of the Men’s T20 World Cup, featuring 20 teams and a packed schedule stretching over a month.

Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Start Date and Schedule

When Does the T20 World Cup 2026 Start?

The tournament begins on 7 February 2026 at 05:30 GMT, with Pakistan facing the Netherlands in Colombo.

Three matches are scheduled on the opening day:

• Pakistan vs Netherlands – 05:30

• West Indies vs Scotland – 09:30

• India vs USA – 15:30

The group stage runs until 20 February, featuring three matches daily, except the final group-stage day, which will have a single game at 13:30 GMT.

Super 8s, Semi-Finals and Final Dates

• Super 8s: One or two matches per day at 09:30 and 13:30

• Semi-finals: 4 and 5 March

• Final: Sunday, 8 March, at 13:30 BST

The final is scheduled to be played in Ahmedabad, subject to qualification conditions.

Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Groups

Group Stage Breakdown

Group A: India, Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, Namibia
Group B: Australia, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Zimbabwe, Oman
Group C: England, West Indies, Scotland, Nepal, Italy
Group D: New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan, Canada, UAE

Each team plays four matches, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the Super 8s.

Men’s T20 World Cup 2026: Results & Fixtures (Full Schedule)

Groups Overview

Group A: India, Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, Namibia
Group B: Australia, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Zimbabwe, Oman
Group C: England, West Indies, Scotland, Nepal, Italy
Group D: New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan, Canada, UAE

All match start times are in GMT

Match Results So Far

February 7, 2026

• Pakistan vs Netherlands (Colombo SSC)
  Pakistan won by three wickets

• West Indies vs Scotland (Kolkata)
  West Indies won by 35 runs

• India vs USA (Mumbai)
  India won by 29 runs

February 8, 2026

• New Zealand vs Afghanistan (Chennai)
  New Zealand won by five wickets

• England vs Nepal (Mumbai)
  England won by four runs

• Sri Lanka vs Ireland (Colombo RPS)
  Sri Lanka won by 20 runs

February 9, 2026

• Scotland vs Italy (Kolkata)
  Scotland won by 73 runs

• Zimbabwe vs Oman (Colombo SSC)
  Zimbabwe won by eight wickets

• South Africa vs Canada (Ahmedabad, 13:30)

Upcoming Fixtures

February 10, 2026

• Netherlands vs Namibia (Delhi, 05:30)

• New Zealand vs UAE (Chennai, 09:30)

• Pakistan vs USA (Colombo SSC, 13:30)

February 11, 2026

• South Africa vs Afghanistan (Ahmedabad, 05:30)

• Australia vs Ireland (Colombo RPS, 09:30)

• England vs West Indies (Mumbai, 13:30)

February 12, 2026

• Sri Lanka vs Oman (Pallekele, 05:30)

• Nepal vs Italy (Mumbai, 09:30)

• India vs Namibia (Delhi, 13:30)

February 13, 2026

• Australia vs Zimbabwe (Colombo RPS, 05:30)

• Canada vs UAE (Delhi, 09:30)

• USA vs Netherlands (Chennai, 13:30)

February 14, 2026

• Ireland vs Oman (Colombo SSC, 05:30)

• England vs Scotland (Kolkata, 09:30)

• New Zealand vs South Africa (Ahmedabad, 13:30)

February 15, 2026

• West Indies vs Nepal (Mumbai, 05:30)

• USA vs Namibia (Chennai, 09:30)

• India vs Pakistan (Colombo RPS, 13:30)

February 16, 2026

• Afghanistan vs UAE (Delhi, 05:30)

• England vs Italy (Kolkata, 09:30)

• Australia vs Sri Lanka (Pallekele, 13:30)

February 17, 2026

• New Zealand vs Canada (Chennai, 05:30)

• Ireland vs Zimbabwe (Pallekele, 09:30)

• Scotland vs Nepal (Mumbai, 13:30)

February 18, 2026

• South Africa vs UAE (Delhi, 05:30)

• Pakistan vs Namibia (Colombo SSC, 09:30)

• India vs Netherlands (Ahmedabad, 13:30)

February 19, 2026

• West Indies vs Italy (Kolkata, 05:30)

• Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe (Colombo RPS, 09:30)

• Afghanistan vs Canada (Chennai, 13:30)

February 20, 2026

• Australia vs Oman (Pallekele, 13:30)

Super 8 Fixtures

• February 21: Y2 vs Y3 (Colombo RPS, 13:30)

• February 22:

  • Y1 vs Y4 (Pallekele, 09:30)

  • X1 vs X4 (Ahmedabad, 13:30)

• February 23: X2 vs X3 (Mumbai, 13:30)

• February 24: Y1 vs Y3 (Pallekele, 13:30)

• February 25: Y2 vs Y4 (Colombo RPS, 13:30)

• February 26:

  • X3 vs X4 (Ahmedabad, 09:30)

  • X1 vs X2 (Chennai, 13:30)

• February 27: Y1 vs Y2 (Colombo RPS, 13:30)

• February 28: Y3 vs Y4 (Pallekele, 13:30)

• March 1:

  • X2 vs X4 (Delhi, 09:30)

  • X1 vs X3 (Kolkata, 13:30)

Knockout Matches

Semi-Finals

• March 4: Semi-final 1 (Kolkata or Colombo, 13:30)

• March 5: Semi-final 2 (Mumbai, 13:30)

Final

• March 8: Final (Ahmedabad or Colombo, 13:30)

Teams Competing in the T20 World Cup 2026

Qualified Teams and Key Changes

All 12 Test-playing nations have qualified.

• Italy are tournament debutants

• Canada return to a global tournament for the first time since 2014

Scotland replaced Bangladesh after the ICC rejected Bangladesh’s request to move matches from India to Sri Lanka due to safety concerns.

Pakistan considered a boycott but will participate under an agreement reached in 2024 that India–Pakistan matches will not be played in each other’s countries.

Venues and Stadiums for T20 World Cup 2026

Host Venues in India and Sri Lanka

India (5 venues):

• Eden Gardens, Kolkata

• Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

• MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

• Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

• Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi

Sri Lanka (3 venues):

• R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

• Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo

• Pallekele Cricket Stadium

The Narendra Modi Stadium, with a capacity of 132,000, is the largest cricket venue in the world and is scheduled to host the final unless Pakistan qualify, in which case the match moves to Colombo.

Rules and Playing Conditions

Match Rules and Regulations

• Matches are played over 20 overs per side

• Six-over powerplay in each innings

• Matches last approximately 3 hours and 10 minutes

• Each innings is allocated 1 hour and 25 minutes

• A ‘stop-clock’ rule requires the bowling side to be ready within 60 seconds

Each team gets:

• Two unsuccessful reviews per innings

If scores are level:

• A super over is played

• Additional super overs follow until a winner is decided

Minimum overs for a result:

• 5 overs in group stages

• 10 overs in semi-finals and final

DLS will be used if weather intervenes after the minimum overs.

Previous Men’s T20 World Cup Winners

Champions List

• 2007 – India

• 2009 – Pakistan

• 2010 – England

• 2012 – West Indies

• 2014 – Sri Lanka

• 2016 – West Indies

• 2021 – Australia

• 2022 – England

• 2024 – India

Conclusion

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 promises a month of high-intensity cricket, featuring top teams, iconic venues, and a proven format that rew