The 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Schedule takes place from February 7 to March 8, 2026. India and Sri Lanka co-host the premier global T20 tournament (10th edition). Defending champions India, led by captain Suryakumar Yadav, aim to become the first team to defend the title since the format’s inception in 2007. With 20 teams competing in 55 matches across eight venues (five in India, three in Sri Lanka), expect some great matches and potential upsets in T20.
The full schedule and groups were announced by the ICC on November 25, 2025. We have the complete group stage fixtures (40 matches from February 7-20), advancement paths to Super 8s, semifinals, and final, and more. TV/streaming will be available globally via official ICC broadcasters (e.g., Star Sports/Disney+ Hotstar in India, Willow TV in the US; check local listings).
2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Schedule Format Overview
Here’s the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup schedule format overview for you.
- Teams: 20 (direct qualifiers + regional winners; Italy debuting).
- Group Stage: Four groups of five; each team plays four round-robin matches.
- Advancement: Top two from each group advance to Super 8s (two groups of four, round-robin).
- Knockouts: Top two from each Super 8 group to semifinals (March 4-6), then the final (March 8).
- Key Rules: Standard T20I format; neutral venues for India-Pakistan matches (all Pakistan games in Sri Lanka per BCCI-PCB agreement).
- Total Matches: 55 (40 group + Super 8 + 2 semis + final).
2026 T20 World Cup Cricket Groups
The 2026 T20 World Cup Cricket Groups were finalized with seeds and qualifiers:
| Group | Teams |
| Group A | India (Host), Pakistan, Namibia, Netherlands, USA |
| Group B | Australia, Ireland, Oman, Sri Lanka (Host), Zimbabwe |
| Group C | Bangladesh, England, Italy, Nepal, West Indies |
| Group D | Afghanistan, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, UAE |
Notable: India and Pakistan in the same group (clash in Sri Lanka); Italy’s maiden appearance; strong fields in Groups A and C.
T20 World Cup (Cricket) Key Venues
- India: Narendra Modi Stadium (Ahmedabad – likely final), Wankhede Stadium (Mumbai), Eden Gardens (Kolkata), MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chennai), Arun Jaitley Stadium (Delhi).
- Sri Lanka: R. Premadasa Stadium (Colombo), Sinhalese Sports Club (Colombo), Pallekele International Cricket Stadium (Kandy).
Pakistan matches exclusively in Sri Lanka for neutral hosting.
Full ICC Men’s T20 Group Stage Schedule (February 7-20, 2026)
All times in IST (Indian Standard Time); day/night games are common. Matches daily across venues. (Full 40-match list below; Super 8s and knockouts follow group outcomes.) The setup of this tournament is just like past ICC World Cups. For Americans new to following, its easier to associate the tournament setup with something like the 2026 World Cup, but a little different after the initial group stage is over.
Group A Matches
- February 7: Pakistan vs Netherlands, Colombo (SSC), 11:00 AM
- February 7: India vs USA, Mumbai (Wankhede), 7:00 PM
- February 10: Pakistan vs USA, Colombo, 7:00 PM
- February 12: India vs Namibia, Delhi (Arun Jaitley), 7:00 PM
- February 13: USA vs Netherlands, Chennai (MA Chidambaram), 7:00 PM
- February 15: USA vs Namibia, Chennai, 3:00 PM
- February 15: India vs Pakistan, Colombo, 7:00 PM
- February 18: Pakistan vs Namibia, Colombo, 3:00 PM
- February 18: India vs Netherlands, Ahmedabad (Narendra Modi), 7:00 PM
Group B Matches
- February 8: Sri Lanka vs Ireland, Colombo, 7:00 PM
- February 9: Zimbabwe vs Oman, Colombo, 3:00 PM
- February 11: Australia vs Ireland, Colombo, 3:00 PM
- February 12: Sri Lanka vs Oman, Kandy (Pallekele), 11:00 AM
- February 13: Australia vs Zimbabwe, Colombo, 11:00 AM
- February 14: Ireland vs Oman, Colombo, 11:00 AM
- February 16: Australia vs Sri Lanka, Kandy, 7:00 PM
- February 19: Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe, Colombo, 3:00 PM
- February 20: Australia vs Oman, Kandy, 7:00 PM
Group C Matches
- February 7: West Indies vs Bangladesh, Kolkata (Eden Gardens), 3:00 PM
- February 8: England vs Nepal, Mumbai, 3:00 PM
- February 9: Bangladesh vs Italy, Kolkata, 11:00 AM
- February 11: England vs West Indies, Mumbai, 7:00 PM
- February 14: England vs Bangladesh, Kolkata, 3:00 PM
- February 15: West Indies vs Nepal, Mumbai, 11:00 AM
- February 16: England vs Italy, Kolkata, 3:00 PM
- February 17: Bangladesh vs Nepal, Mumbai, 7:00 PM
- February 19: West Indies vs Italy, Kolkata, 11:00 AM
Group D Matches
- February 8: New Zealand vs Afghanistan, Chennai, 11:00 AM
- February 9: South Africa vs Canada, Ahmedabad, 7:00 PM
- February 10: New Zealand vs UAE, Chennai, 3:00 PM
- February 11: South Africa vs Afghanistan, Ahmedabad, 11:00 AM
- February 13: Canada vs UAE, Delhi, 3:00 PM
- February 14: New Zealand vs South Africa, Ahmedabad, 7:00 PM
- February 16: Afghanistan vs UAE, Delhi, 11:00 AM
- February 17: New Zealand vs Canada, Chennai, 11:00 AM
- February 18: South Africa vs UAE, Delhi, 11:00 AM
- February 19: Afghanistan vs Canada, Chennai, 7:00 PM
(Note: Some times/venues are as per confirmed announcements; minor adjustments possible closer to tournament. Full daily multi-match days include cross-group games.)
2026 ICC Men’s T20 Super 8s, Semifinals & Final Schedule
After the group stage (February 7-20), the top two teams from each of the four groups advance to the Super 8 stage (February 21 – March 1). This features two groups of four teams each in a round-robin format (each team plays three matches against the others in their group). No points carry over from the group stage. The top two teams from each Super 8 group advance to the semifinals.
How Does Seeding work in the Super 8 Groups?
The Super 8 groups are pre-seeded based on T20I rankings prior to the tournament, regardless of group stage finishing positions. Seeded teams:
- Super 8 Group 1: Australia, India, South Africa, West Indies (matches primarily in India).
- Super 8 Group 2: England, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka (matches in Sri Lanka).
Advancing teams slot into these seeded positions (e.g., if a non-seeded team qualifies instead of a seeded one, it takes that seed’s spot). Fixtures use placeholders (X1-X4 for Group 1, Y1-Y4 for Group 2) until qualifiers are known, but dates, times (IST), and venues are fixed.
Super 8 Group 1 Fixtures (India venues)
- Match 43: February 22, 2026, 19:00 IST (Night), X1 vs X4 – Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
- Match 44: February 23, 2026, 19:00 IST (Night), X2 vs X3 – Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
- Match 47: February 26, 2026, 15:00 IST (Day/Night), X3 vs X4 – Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
- Match 48: February 26, 2026, 19:00 IST (Night), X1 vs X2 – MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
- Match 51: March 1, 2026, 15:00 IST (Day/Night), X2 vs X4 – Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
- Match 52: March 1, 2026, 19:00 IST (Night), X1 vs X3 – Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Super 8 Group 2 Fixtures (Sri Lanka venues)
- Match 41: February 21, 2026, 19:00 IST (Night), Y2 vs Y3 – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
- Match 42: February 22, 2026, 15:00 IST (Day/Night), Y1 vs Y4 – Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy
- Match 45: February 24, 2026, 19:00 IST (Night), Y1 vs Y3 – Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy
- Match 46: February 25, 2026, 19:00 IST (Night), Y2 vs Y4 – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
- Match 49: February 27, 2026, 19:00 IST (Night), Y1 vs Y2 – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
- Match 50: February 28, 2026, 19:00 IST (Night), Y3 vs Y4 – Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy
2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Schedule – Knockout Stage
- Semifinals:
- Semi-final 1: March 4, 2026, 19:00 IST (Night) – Eden Gardens, Kolkata (or R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo if Pakistan qualifies)
- Semi-final 2: March 5, 2026, 19:00 IST (Night) – Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
- Final: March 8, 2026, 19:00 IST (Night) – Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad (or R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo if Pakistan qualifies)
Bracket paths: Super 8 Group 1 winner vs. Group 2 runner-up (or cross-format), and vice versa, in the semifinals. The top four teams battle for the title in these high-stakes knockouts.
Printable 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Bracket
Once the Super 8 is come, its tome for the semifinals. Here’s the printable 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Bracket for you. You can also save or print it to PDF format.
Early Favorites & Predictions
Here are the early favorites and predictions for the 2026 T20. These are all subject to change, so make sure you do your own homework.
- Favorites: India (defending champs, home advantage), Australia (consistent performers), England (strong T20 side).
- Dark Horses: West Indies (explosive batting), Afghanistan (spin threat), emerging USA/Netherlands.
- To Watch: India-Pakistan clash, debutants Italy, potential Cinderella runs in Super 8s.
How to Watch & Tickets
- Broadcast: ICC partners (Star Sports/Disney+ Hotstar in India/Sri Lanka; global rights vary – Willow TV US, Sky Sports UK, etc.).
- Tickets: On sale via official ICC/BCCI/SLC sites; expect high demand for India/Pakistan games.
- More Info: Check icc-cricket.com for live scores, squads.
