ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule: Match Dates, Venues & Complete Fixtures
Cricket enthusiasts worldwide are counting down to one of the most anticipated sporting events of 2026. The ICC has unveiled the complete match schedule for what promises to be an unforgettable month of T20 cricket action across two passionate cricket nations.
T20 World Cup 2026 Tournament Overview
The tenth edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup marks a historic expansion in cricket’s most electrifying format. Running from February 7 to March 8, 2026, this tournament brings together 20 nations competing across 55 matches in India and Sri Lanka.
This represents the first time 20 teams will battle for T20 cricket’s ultimate prize. The expanded format creates more opportunities for associate nations to showcase their talent on the global stage while maintaining the tournament’s competitive intensity. India enters as defending champions after their thrilling victory in the 2024 edition, aiming to become the first team to successfully defend the T20 World Cup title.
Quick Tournament Facts:
- Total Teams: 20 nations from across the globe
- Total Matches: 55 high-intensity fixtures
- Host Countries: India (primary host) and Sri Lanka (co-host)
- Tournament Duration: 30 days of non-stop cricket action
- Venues: 8 world-class cricket stadiums
- Format: Group Stage → Super 8 → Semifinals → Final
The tournament structure ensures every team gets meaningful match time while building toward a climactic finale that will determine cricket’s newest T20 champions.
Download T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule PDF
Planning your cricket viewing calendar just got easier. Download the official tournament schedule in PDF format for offline access to all match dates, timings, and venue information.
The downloadable file includes complete group stage fixtures, Super 8 matchups, knockout dates, venue details, and time zone conversions for fans watching from different countries. Keep it handy on your phone or print it out to track the entire tournament journey.
Complete Match Schedule – All 55 Fixtures
| Match No. | Date | Day | Teams | Venue | Time (IST) | Time (GMT) | Group/Stage |
| 1 | Feb 7, 2026 | Sat | Pakistan vs Netherlands | Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo | 10:30 AM | 5:00 AM | Group A |
| 2 | Feb 7, 2026 | Sat | West Indies vs Bangladesh | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 2:30 PM | 9:00 AM | Group C |
| 3 | Feb 7, 2026 | Sat | India vs USA | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 6:30 PM | 1:00 PM | Group A |
| 4 | Feb 8, 2026 | Sun | New Zealand vs Afghanistan | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 10:30 AM | 5:00 AM | Group D |
| 5 | Feb 8, 2026 | Sun | England vs Nepal | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 2:30 PM | 9:00 AM | Group C |
| 6 | Feb 8, 2026 | Sun | Sri Lanka vs Ireland | R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo | 6:30 PM | 1:00 PM | Group B |
| 7 | Feb 9, 2026 | Mon | Bangladesh vs Italy | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 10:30 AM | 5:00 AM | Group C |
| 8 | Feb 9, 2026 | Mon | Zimbabwe vs Oman | Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo | 2:30 PM | 9:00 AM | Group B |
| 9 | Feb 9, 2026 | Mon | South Africa vs Canada | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 6:30 PM | 1:00 PM | Group D |
| 10 | Feb 10, 2026 | Tue | Netherlands vs Namibia | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | 10:30 AM | 5:00 AM | Group A |
| 11 | Feb 10, 2026 | Tue | New Zealand vs UAE | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 2:30 PM | 9:00 AM | Group D |
| 12 | Feb 10, 2026 | Tue | Pakistan vs USA | Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo | 6:30 PM | 1:00 PM | Group A |
| 13 | Feb 11, 2026 | Wed | South Africa vs Afghanistan | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 10:30 AM | 5:00 AM | Group D |
| 14 | Feb 11, 2026 | Wed | Australia vs Ireland | R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo | 2:30 PM | 9:00 AM | Group B |
| 15 | Feb 11, 2026 | Wed | England vs West Indies | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 6:30 PM | 1:00 PM | Group C |
| 16 | Feb 12, 2026 | Thu | Sri Lanka vs Oman | Pallekele International Stadium | 10:30 AM | 5:00 AM | Group B |
| 17 | Feb 12, 2026 | Thu | Nepal vs Italy | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 2:30 PM | 9:00 AM | Group C |
| 18 | Feb 12, 2026 | Thu | India vs Namibia | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | 6:30 PM | 1:00 PM | Group A |
| 19 | Feb 13, 2026 | Fri | Australia vs Zimbabwe | R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo | 10:30 AM | 5:00 AM | Group B |
| 20 | Feb 13, 2026 | Fri | Canada vs UAE | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | 2:30 PM | 9:00 AM | Group D |
| 21 | Feb 13, 2026 | Fri | USA vs Netherlands | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 6:30 PM | 1:00 PM | Group A |
| 22 | Feb 14, 2026 | Sat | Ireland vs Oman | Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo | 10:30 AM | 5:00 AM | Group B |
| 23 | Feb 14, 2026 | Sat | England vs Bangladesh | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 2:30 PM | 9:00 AM | Group C |
| 24 | Feb 14, 2026 | Sat | New Zealand vs South Africa | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 6:30 PM | 1:00 PM | Group D |
| 25 | Feb 15, 2026 | Sun | West Indies vs Nepal | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 10:30 AM | 5:00 AM | Group C |
| 26 | Feb 15, 2026 | Sun | USA vs Namibia | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 2:30 PM | 9:00 AM | Group A |
| 27 | Feb 15, 2026 | Sun | India vs Pakistan | R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo | 6:30 PM | 1:00 PM | Group A |
| 28 | Feb 16, 2026 | Mon | Afghanistan vs UAE | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | 10:30 AM | 5:00 AM | Group D |
| 29 | Feb 16, 2026 | Mon | England vs Italy | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 2:30 PM | 9:00 AM | Group C |
| 30 | Feb 16, 2026 | Mon | Australia vs Sri Lanka | Pallekele International Stadium | 6:30 PM | 1:00 PM | Group B |
| 31 | Feb 17, 2026 | Tue | New Zealand vs Canada | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 10:30 AM | 5:00 AM | Group D |
| 32 | Feb 17, 2026 | Tue | Ireland vs Zimbabwe | Pallekele International Stadium | 2:30 PM | 9:00 AM | Group B |
| 33 | Feb 17, 2026 | Tue | Bangladesh vs Nepal | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 6:30 PM | 1:00 PM | Group C |
| 34 | Feb 18, 2026 | Wed | South Africa vs UAE | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | 10:30 AM | 5:00 AM | Group D |
| 35 | Feb 18, 2026 | Wed | Pakistan vs Namibia | Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo | 2:30 PM | 9:00 AM | Group A |
| 36 | Feb 18, 2026 | Wed | India vs Netherlands | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 6:30 PM | 1:00 PM | Group A |
| 37 | Feb 19, 2026 | Thu | West Indies vs Italy | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 10:30 AM | 5:00 AM | Group C |
| 38 | Feb 19, 2026 | Thu | Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe | R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo | 2:30 PM | 9:00 AM | Group B |
| 39 | Feb 19, 2026 | Thu | Afghanistan vs Canada | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 6:30 PM | 1:00 PM | Group D |
| 40 | Feb 20, 2026 | Fri | Australia vs Oman | Pallekele International Stadium | 6:30 PM | 1:00 PM | Group B |
| 41 | Feb 21, 2026 | Sat | TBC vs TBC | R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo | 6:30 PM | 1:00 PM | Super 8 – Group 2 |
| 42 | Feb 22, 2026 | Sun | TBC vs TBC | Pallekele International Stadium | 2:30 PM | 9:00 AM | Super 8 – Group 2 |
| 43 | Feb 22, 2026 | Sun | TBC vs TBC | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 6:30 PM | 1:00 PM | Super 8 – Group 1 |
| 44 | Feb 23, 2026 | Mon | TBC vs TBC | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 6:30 PM | 1:00 PM | Super 8 – Group 1 |
| 45 | Feb 24, 2026 | Tue | TBC vs TBC | Pallekele International Stadium | 6:30 PM | 1:00 PM | Super 8 – Group 2 |
| 46 | Feb 25, 2026 | Wed | TBC vs TBC | R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo | 6:30 PM | 1:00 PM | Super 8 – Group 2 |
| 47 | Feb 26, 2026 | Thu | TBC vs TBC | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 2:30 PM | 9:00 AM | Super 8 – Group 1 |
| 48 | Feb 26, 2026 | Thu | TBC vs TBC | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 6:30 PM | 1:00 PM | Super 8 – Group 1 |
| 49 | Feb 27, 2026 | Fri | TBC vs TBC | R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo | 6:30 PM | 1:00 PM | Super 8 – Group 2 |
| 50 | Feb 28, 2026 | Sat | TBC vs TBC | Pallekele International Stadium | 6:30 PM | 1:00 PM | Super 8 – Group 2 |
| 51 | Mar 1, 2026 | Sun | TBC vs TBC | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | 2:30 PM | 9:00 AM | Super 8 – Group 1 |
| 52 | Mar 1, 2026 | Sun | TBC vs TBC | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 6:30 PM | 1:00 PM | Super 8 – Group 1 |
| 53 | Mar 4, 2026 | Wed | Semifinal 1 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata / Colombo* | 6:30 PM | 1:00 PM | Knockout |
| 54 | Mar 5, 2026 | Thu | Semifinal 2 | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 6:30 PM | 1:00 PM | Knockout |
| 55 | Mar 8, 2026 | Sun | FINAL | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad / Colombo* | 6:30 PM | 1:00 PM | Knockout |
Note: *Venue changes to Colombo if Pakistan qualifies for knockout stages (as per neutral venue agreement)
T20 World Cup 2026 Venues & Stadium Guide
The tournament venues represent cricket’s finest stadiums, each bringing unique characteristics and atmosphere to the competition.
India Cricket Stadiums
Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
The world’s largest cricket venue with 132,000 capacity hosts both the tournament opener and the championship final. Its massive LED screens, state-of-the-art facilities, and overwhelming atmosphere create an unmatched experience. The pitch typically offers good bounce and carry, favoring teams with quality pace attacks.
Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Cricket’s most passionate fortress holds 90,000 fans who create deafening noise throughout matches. Known as the “Mecca of Indian Cricket,” this historic venue has witnessed countless memorable moments. The pitch assists spin bowling in the second innings, making toss decisions crucial.
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
This 33,000-capacity venue gained legendary status after hosting India’s 2011 World Cup triumph. Its true batting surface and sea breeze factor create tactical challenges. The stadium hosts India’s tournament opener and the second semifinal.
Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi
Delhi’s premier cricket facility offers balanced conditions where both departments get assistance. The 41,000-capacity stadium features modern amenities and excellent sightlines from every angle.
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
The 50,000-capacity Chepauk Stadium is renowned for turning pitches that challenge batting techniques. Spin bowling dominates here, requiring teams to pack quality slow bowlers in their playing eleven.
Sri Lanka Cricket Grounds
R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
This 35,000-capacity venue hosts the crucial India versus Pakistan encounter plus numerous other high-profile matches. The stadium features excellent drainage systems and modern facilities, with pitches offering pace and bounce.
Pallekele International Stadium, Kandy
Set against stunning hill country backdrops, Pallekele’s 35,000-capacity venue sits at higher elevation where swing bowling becomes more effective. Cooler temperatures and morning dew create challenging batting conditions.
Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo
This historic venue brings old-world charm while hosting the tournament’s opening match. The intimate 10,000+ capacity creates unique atmosphere where every boundary resonates throughout the ground.
Tournament Format & Qualification Rules
Understanding the tournament structure helps fans appreciate the strategic importance of each match.
Group Stage Format
Twenty teams divide into four groups of five nations each. Teams play everyone in their group once, earning:
- 2 points for victories
- 1 point for no results or ties
- 0 points for losses
The top two teams from each group advance to the Super 8 stage. If teams finish level on points, net run rate determines final standings.
Super 8 Stage Format
Eight qualifiers redistribute into two Super 8 groups of four teams. Each team plays the three others in their group once. The regrouping prevents teams from facing opponents they already met in the group stage.
Top two from each Super 8 group progress to the semifinals, making this phase intensely competitive as one bad match can end championship dreams.
Knockout Stage Format
Single elimination semifinals determine which two teams contest the final. No replays exist, though reserve days cover rain-affected knockout matches. The final winner claims the T20 World Cup trophy and four-year bragging rights as world champions.
Key Matchups & Must-Watch Fixtures
Certain matches transcend normal competition, becoming global events that captivate millions.
Marquee Rivalries
India vs Pakistan (February 15, Colombo)
Cricket’s greatest rivalry takes center stage in Colombo on Valentine’s Day weekend. This match generates more viewership than most sports finals, with over 500 million fans expected to tune in globally.
England vs Australia (Potential Super 8 or Knockout)
The Ashes rivals bring their historic rivalry to T20 format. Their competitive matches always deliver drama regardless of tournament stage or stakes.
India vs England (Potential Super 8 or Knockout)
Recent finals between these teams produced thrilling cricket. Both nations possess explosive batting lineups and quality bowling attacks.
Opening Day Highlights
February 7 features a spectacular triple-header launching the tournament:
Morning Session: Pakistan opens the tournament against Netherlands in Colombo (10:30 AM IST)
Afternoon Clash: West Indies battles Bangladesh at Eden Gardens (2:30 PM IST)
Prime Time Showdown: Defending champions India face USA at Wankhede Stadium (6:30 PM IST)
This opening day schedule ensures non-stop cricket from morning through evening across two countries.
High-Stakes Knockout Matches
The semifinals on March 4-5 will determine which teams contest the championship. Both matches feature evening starts to maximize stadium attendance and global television audiences.
The March 8 final at Ahmedabad’s colossal Narendra Modi Stadium promises to be cricket’s biggest single-day event of 2026.
Match Timings & Time Zones
All matches follow three standard time slots designed to accommodate different audiences:
Morning Matches: 10:30 AM IST (5:00 AM GMT / 10:30 PM EST previous day)
Afternoon Matches: 2:30 PM IST (9:00 AM GMT / 4:00 AM EST)
Evening Matches: 6:30 PM IST (1:00 PM GMT / 8:00 AM EST)
Evening fixtures consistently draw larger crowds and television viewership, making them preferred slots for marquee matchups. International fans should note that times remain consistent in IST regardless of location, requiring conversions for accurate local viewing schedules.
How to Watch T20 World Cup 2026
TV Broadcasting Partners
Major sports networks worldwide have secured broadcasting rights:
- India: Star Sports Network (Hindi, English, regional languages)
- United Kingdom: Sky Sports Cricket
- Australia: Fox Sports and Channel Nine
- United States: ESPN+ and Willow TV
- Pakistan: PTV Sports and Ten Sports
- Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation
Check local listings closer to tournament dates for confirmed broadcast schedules and channel allocations.
Live Streaming Options
Digital platforms ensure cricket fans never miss action:
- Hotstar (India): Complete tournament coverage with multiple language options
- Sky Go (UK): Mobile and tablet streaming for Sky subscribers
- Kayo Sports (Australia): Dedicated cricket streaming platform
- ESPN+ (USA): Live matches and highlight packages
- ICC Official App: Selected matches with multilingual commentary
Most streaming services require subscriptions, though some free-to-air options may emerge closer to the tournament.
Ticket Booking Information
Securing stadium seats for this historic tournament requires advance planning. The ICC opened ticket sales in phases, with premium matches like India versus Pakistan selling out rapidly.
Visit our dedicated tickets booking page for complete information on purchasing options, pricing tiers, stadium-specific details, and official vendor links.
General admission tickets start at ₹100 in India and LKR 1000 in Sri Lanka, making this the most accessible World Cup in history.
The stage is set for 30 days of unforgettable T20 cricket across India and Sri Lanka. With 20 teams chasing glory and 55 matches promising non-stop action, the 2026 T20 World Cup will create memories that last generations. Mark your calendars, book your tickets, and prepare to witness cricket history unfold.
FAQs – T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule
When does T20 World Cup 2026 start?
The tournament kicks off on February 7, 2026 with three opening day matches. Pakistan faces Netherlands in the ceremonial opener at Colombo’s Sinhalese Sports Club at 10:30 AM IST.
How many matches will be played?
The tournament features 55 total matches including 40 group stage games, 12 Super 8 fixtures, 2 semifinals, and 1 final. Every team is guaranteed at least four matches during the group phase.
Where is the final match being held?
The championship final takes place on March 8, 2026 at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, capable of holding over 132,000 spectators. If Pakistan reaches the final, the venue shifts to R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo per neutral venue agreements.
Which teams are in which groups?
Group A: India, Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, Namibia
Group B: Sri Lanka, Australia, Ireland, Zimbabwe, Oman
Group C: England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Nepal, Italy
Group D: South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan, UAE, Canada
What time do matches start in IST?
Three standard match times operate throughout the tournament: 10:30 AM IST (morning matches), 2:30 PM IST (afternoon matches), and 6:30 PM IST (evening matches). Prime matches typically receive the evening slot for maximum attendance.
Can I download the full schedule?
Yes, the complete tournament schedule is available in downloadable PDF format at the top of this page. The file includes all match dates, venues, timings, and time zone conversions for international fans.
The stage is set for 30 days of unforgettable T20 cricket across India and Sri Lanka. With 20 teams chasing glory and 55 matches promising non-stop action, the 2026 T20 World Cup will create memories that last generations. Mark your calendars, book your tickets, and prepare to witness cricket history unfold.