Cricket fans will turn their attention to India and Sri Lanka as the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) T20 World Cup 2026 gets under way from February 7.The tournament’s 10th edition, which will be spread over 54 matches, will conclude on March 8.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listHere’s what you need to know about the T20 World Cup 2026’s format and schedule:Which teams are in the T20 World Cup, and what are their groups?The tournament was expanded to include 20 teams in 2024, and the number of competitors will remain the same this year.However, there was a late change in the team list as the ICC expelled Bangladesh from the tournament following a weeks-long impasse on their participation. Scotland replaced Bangladesh, who were kicked out due to their refusal to travel to India for the World Cup over security concerns.The 20 teams have been divided into four groups of five teams each. These are:Group A:
India
Namibia
Netherlands
Pakistan
USA
Group B:
Australia
Ireland
Oman
Sri Lanka
Zimbabwe
Group C:
England
Italy
Nepal
West Indies
Scotland
Group D:
Afghanistan
Canada
New Zealand
South Africa
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
What’s the format of the T20 World Cup 2026?The tournament will be divided into two group-based rounds and a knockout round, comprising the semifinals and the final.The top two teams from each of the four groups will qualify for the Super 8 stage, where they will be divided into two groups of four teams each.The two best-performing Super 8 teams will enter the semifinals.Here’s a breakdown of the tournament’s schedule:
Group stage: February 7 – 20
Super 8: February 21 – March 1
Semifinals: March 4 and 5
Final: March 8
Advertisement VenuesFive stadiums in India and three in Sri Lanka will host the tournament.The venues for all fixtures, barring one semifinal and the final, have been confirmed by the ICC.If India qualify …
