ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Full Schedule: India vs Pakistan Will Take Place On THIS Date

On November 25, 2025, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the fixtures and schedule for the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. India and Sri Lanka will host the 8th edition of the Men’s T20 World Cup, potentially kicking off from February 7 to March 8, next year. A total of 20 teams will compete for the cup, with Italy making its debut in an ICC event.

The T20 World Cup 2026 schedule reveal was held in the presence of former India captain Rohit Sharma, who retired from T20Is last year, Sri Lankan Angelo Mathews, current men’s T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav, and ICC Women’s World Cup 2025-winning Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur. The event was running live on Star Sports and available on the JioHotstar app and website.

Cricket lovers and sports enthusiasts were glued to their screens, eager for nothing but every detail of the most anticipated clash between India and Pakistan. Scroll down to snatch a glimpse of the entire T20 schedule.

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule Announcement

On February 7, 2026, at Mumbai’s iconic Wankhede Stadium, India will mark the opening of title defense with a marquee night fixture against the United States. According to the ICC media release, former champions Pakistan and the West Indies will also feature on day one, playing at the historic Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo and the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, respectively.

List of Qualified Teams in T20 World Cup 2026

1. India (Host)
2. Sri Lanka (Host),
3. Afghanistan
4. Australia
5. Bangladesh
6. England
7. South Africa
8. United States
9. West Indies
10. Ireland 
11. New Zealand 
12. Pakistan
13. Canada
14. Netherlands 
15. Italy
16. Zimbabwe 
17. Namibia
18. Nepal 
19. Oman
20. UAE

India will face the USA on 7 February 2026 in Mumbai, followed by a match against Namibia on 12 February 2026 in New Delhi. On February 15, India will play against Pakistan at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. The final group match will be on 18 February 2026 against the Netherlands in Ahmedabad.

The world’s largest cricket venue, the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, will host the final on 8 March 2026. For the tournament, eight electrifying venues across India and Sri Lanka have been earmarked. 

Full List of Host Venues

1. MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chennai)
2. Arun Jaitley Stadium (New Delhi)
3. Wankhede Stadium (Mumbai)
4. Eden Gardens (Kolkata) 
5. R. Premadasa Stadium (Colombo)
6. Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground (Colombo) 
7. Pallekele International Cricket Stadium (Kandy)

The 2024 format will be followed. That time, India lifted the silverware in Barbados. As per the ICC release, 20 teams have been divided into four groups of five, with the top two from each progressing to the Super Eights, where teams will be placed according to pre-determined seedings. The list of groups is as follows.

Group A: India, USA, Namibia, Netherlands, Pakistan

Group B: Australia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Oman

Group C: England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Italy, Nepal

Group D: South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Canada, UAE

At the announcement ceremony, Mr Jay Shah, ICC Chairman, stated, “It is wonderful to welcome the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup back to the subcontinent so soon after a groundbreaking Women’s Cricket World Cup. The T20 format continues to drive the sport’s global expansion and will be showcased at the LA Olympics in 2028. With that in mind, the 2026 edition will capture the imagination of millions. One can already picture the electric atmosphere at the Narendra Modi Stadium when the champions lift the trophy on 8 March.”