The International Cricket Council announced the schedule for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 on Tuesday (November 25, 2025). The tournament will begin on February 7, with the final taking place on March 8. India and Sri Lanka are co-hosting this mega tournament, in which a total of 20 teams are participating. The most anticipated match in this tournament is once again the India-Pakistan match, the date of which has been confirmed. This match between the two countries is scheduled for February 15.
The eagerly awaited match between India and Pakistan will be played on February 15 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. This will be India’s third match in the group stage and the first meeting between the two teams since the 2025 Asia Cup, where they faced each other three times. The tournament will be held in Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Colombo, Mumbai, and Kandy. The venue for the T20 World Cup final has not yet been confirmed. If Pakistan reaches the final, it will be held in Colombo.
India’s Full Schedule
The Indian team has been placed in Group A for the tournament, which includes India, Pakistan, the USA, the Netherlands, and Namibia.
- First Match: February 7 against the USA in Mumbai (tournament opening match).
- Second Match: February 12 against Namibia in Delhi.
- Third Match: February 15 against Pakistan in Colombo.
- Fourth Match: February 18 against the Netherlands in Ahmedabad.
T20 World Cup 2026 — Match Schedule (Groups A–D)
All timings are shown in Indian Standard Time (IST).
Group A — India, Pakistan, USA, Namibia, Netherlands
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 February | Pakistan vs Netherlands | Colombo | 11:00 AM |
| 7 February | India vs USA | Mumbai | 7:00 PM |
| 10 February | Netherlands vs Namibia | Delhi | 11:00 AM |
| 10 February | Pakistan vs USA | Colombo | 7:00 PM |
| 12 February | India vs Namibia | Delhi | 7:00 PM |
| 13 February | USA vs Netherlands | Chennai | 7:00 PM |
| 15 February | USA vs Namibia | Chennai | 3:00 PM |
| 15 February | India vs Pakistan | Colombo | 7:00 PM |
| 18 February | Pakistan vs Namibia | Colombo | 3:00 PM |
| 18 February | India vs Netherlands | Ahmedabad | 7:00 PM |
Group B — Sri Lanka, Ireland, Zimbabwe, Oman, Australia
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 February | Sri Lanka vs Ireland | Colombo | 7:00 PM |
| 9 February | Zimbabwe vs Oman | Colombo | 3:00 PM |
| 11 February | Australia vs Ireland | Colombo | 3:00 PM |
| 12 February | Sri Lanka vs Oman | Kandy | 11:00 AM |
| 13 February | Australia vs Zimbabwe | Colombo | 11:00 AM |
| 14 February | Ireland vs Oman | Colombo | 11:00 AM |
| 16 February | Australia vs Sri Lanka | Kandy | 7:00 PM |
| 17 February | Ireland vs Zimbabwe | Kandy | 3:00 PM |
| 19 February | Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe | Colombo | 3:00 PM |
| 20 February | Australia vs Oman | Kandy | 7:00 PM |
Group C — West Indies, Bangladesh, England, Nepal, Italy
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 February | West Indies vs Bangladesh | Kolkata | 3:00 PM |
| 8 February | England vs Nepal | Mumbai | 3:00 PM |
| 9 February | Bangladesh vs Italy | Kolkata | 11:00 AM |
| 11 February | England vs West Indies | Mumbai | 7:00 PM |
| 12 February | Nepal vs Italy | Mumbai | 3:00 PM |
| 14 February | England vs Bangladesh | Kolkata | 3:00 PM |
| 15 February | West Indies vs Nepal | Mumbai | 11:00 AM |
| 16 February | England vs Italy | Kolkata | 3:00 PM |
| 17 February | Bangladesh vs Nepal | Mumbai | 7:00 PM |
| 19 February | West Indies vs Italy | Kolkata | 11:00 AM |
Group D — New Zealand, Afghanistan, South Africa, UAE, Canada
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 February | New Zealand vs Afghanistan | Chennai | 11:00 AM |
| 9 February | South Africa vs Canada | Ahmedabad | 7:00 PM |
| 10 February | New Zealand vs UAE | Chennai | 3:00 PM |
| 11 February | South Africa vs Afghanistan | Ahmedabad | 11:00 AM |
| 13 February | Canada vs UAE | Delhi | 3:00 PM |
| 14 February | New Zealand vs South Africa | Ahmedabad | 7:00 PM |
| 16 February | Afghanistan vs UAE | Delhi | 11:00 AM |
| 17 February | New Zealand vs Canada | Chennai | 11:00 AM |
| 18 February | South Africa vs UAE | Delhi | 11:00 AM |
| 19 February | Afghanistan vs Canada | Chennai | 7:00 PM |
Note: All times are shown in Indian Standard Time (IST). Venues and timings are subject to change — please check official ICC announcements for any updates.
T20 World Cup 2026 Format
The format of the T20 World Cup 2026 will remain the same as in 2024. A total of 20 teams will participate in the tournament, divided into five groups of four teams each. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Eight stage, where they will be further divided into two groups of four teams each. The top two teams from each Super Eight group will qualify for the semi-finals, followed by the final.
Teams participating in the T20 World Cup 2026:
India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, United States, West Indies, New Zealand, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, Italy, Netherlands, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Nepal, Oman and UAE.
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