T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule Announcement LIVE: India & Pakistan Placed in Group A, Full Fixture List Released
T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule Live Updates: India and Pakistan placed in Group A; full fixtures, venues, match dates, and tournament format revealed. Tournament begins February 7.
ICC unveils the full schedule for the T20 World Cup 2026 featuring India–Pakistan in Group A.
The T20 World Cup 2026 schedule has been officially announced by the International Cricket Council (ICC), and the age-old rivals India and Pakistan will definitely clash in Group A. The much awaited fight would happen on February 15, 2026, in Colombo, at the R Premadasa Stadium, starting at 7 PM IST.
The tournament, which will be held from February 7, 2026, is going to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka and conducted across eight places — with five venues in India and three in Sri Lanka.
India Returns as Defending Champions
This edition carries added significance as India enters the tournament as defending champions, a situation last seen in a home World Cup in 1987. With Sri Lanka jointly hosting, the Men in Blue aim to avoid the historical “champions’ curse” that has challenged title defenders across global sport.
Tournament Format
The 2026 T20 World Cup retains the 20-team expanded format introduced in 2024:
- 4 groups of 5 teams
- Top 2 from each group qualify for the Super Eight
- Followed by two semifinals and a final
- Qualification slots were filled through direct entries, world rankings, and global qualifiers. Italy, notably, will make their ICC tournament debut.
Fans can follow the live broadcast of the schedule launch on Star Sports and stream it on the JioStar app.
Qualified Teams for T20 World Cup 2026
India (hosts), Sri Lanka (hosts), Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, USA, West Indies, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Canada, Netherlands, Italy, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Nepal, Oman, UAE
LIVE Updates
20:26 IST | Full Schedule Out
The complete list of fixtures and venues for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 has been released.
20:23 IST | India vs Pakistan Confirmed
India will take on Pakistan on February 15 in Colombo, 7 PM IST.
Suryakumar Yadav’s team will look to extend India’s dominant 7–1 T20 World Cup record over Pakistan.
20:18 IST | Group Stage Timeline
Group stage: Feb 7–Feb 20
Tournament opener: Pakistan vs Netherlands, SSC Colombo
Group stage finale: Australia vs Oman, Kandy
Super Eight: Feb 21–Mar 1
Semifinals: March 4 & 5
Final: March 8 (Venue based on Pakistan’s qualification)
20:09 IST | Final Venue Decision
If Pakistan reaches the final, it will be held in Colombo (neutral venue).
If not, the final will take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
20:05 IST | Semifinal Venues
If Pakistan does not qualify for the semis, the matches will be held at:
Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Otherwise, Colombo will host.
19:59 IST | Super Eight Venues Announced
The Super Eight stage will feature:
India: 3 venues
Sri Lanka: 2 venues
Pakistan’s Super Eight matches will be held exclusively in Kandy or Colombo due to neutral-venue requirements.
19:58 IST | Format Overview
Top two teams from each group progress to the Super Eight, where every team plays cross-group matches.
The top four from this stage advance to the semifinals, with the winners meeting in the March 8 final.
