The 10th edition of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup will be held from Saturday to March 8 against a backdrop of a diplomatic standoff and rising tensions among South Asian neighbours.
The 30-day tournament will feature 55 matches across eight venues, five in India and three in Sri Lanka.
The T20 format is a fast form of cricket compared with One Day Internationals (ODIs). The teams have 20 overs per side with matches lasting about three to four hours. The format rewards power hitting and aggression, and momentum can change in a few deliveries.
Here is everything you need to know about the tournament:
Where are the games being played?
The tournament will open in Colombo, Sri Lanka, at the Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground on Saturday with Pakistan taking on the Netherlands. The final is scheduled to be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India, on March 8.
Pakistan, who won the tournament in 2009, has asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to play all its World Cup matches in Sri Lanka rather than in India, citing security concerns. This arrangement mirrors previous ICC decisions that allowed India to play matches hosted by Pakistan at neutral venues.
Other hosting cities include New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata in India and Kandy in Sri Lanka.
INTERACTIVE -STADIUMS- T20 MEN'S CRICKET WORLD CUP — 2026 — FEB3, 2026-1770220847
(Al Jazeera)
Which teams have qualified?
Twenty teams will take part in the tournament:
Afghanistan
Australia – 2021 champions
Canada
England – 2010 and 2022 champions
India – 2007 and 2024 champions
Ireland
Italy – making their debut
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Oman
Pakistan – 2009 champions
Scotland
South Africa
Sri Lanka – 2014 champions
United Arab Emirates
United States
West Indies – 2012 and 2016 champions
Zimbabwe
Notably missing from this list is Bangladesh, which was removed from the tournament after its cricket board, citing government security concerns about playing in India, requested that its matches be relocated. The ICC rejected the request and invited Scotland to replace them.
This will be the first time Bangladesh will miss a men’s T20 World Cup.
In protest, Pakistan’s government said it will not take the field against India in their scheduled Group A fixture on February 15.
The decision comes amid heightened tensions after Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan’s interior minister and chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, accused India of involvement in attacks in Balochistan last week that, according to authorities, killed at least 31 civilians, 17 security personnel and 145 fighters.
INTERACTIVE -TEAMS- T20 MEN'S CRICKET WORLD CUP — 2026 — FEB3, 2026-1770220849
(Al Jazeera)
Who are the previous winners?
India won the inaugural title in 2007, defeating Pakistan in South Africa.
In 2009, Pakistan won the title. England followed in 2010, and the West Indies emerged as the tournament’s first multiple winners after securing titles in 2012 and 2016.
Sri Lanka claimed the title in 2014 while Australia added their name to the list in 2021. England secured their second title in 2022 before India became a two-time champion with victory in 2024, joining the West Indies and England among the most successful teams in the competition’s history.
No team have won the trophy consecutively.
INTERACTIVE -WINNERS- T20 MEN'S CRICKET WORLD CUP — 2026 — FEB3, 2026-1770220856
(Al Jazeera)
Match schedule
The 20 teams are split into four groups, and each team will compete against the others in their group for a total of 40 matches.
The top two teams from each group will progress to the Super 8 stage, where they will be split into two groups of four. The top two teams from each group will move on to the semifinals, leading to the final on March 8.
INTERACTIVE -WINNERS- T20 MEN'S CRICKET WORLD CUP — 2026 — FEB3, 2026 copy-1770220851
(Al Jazeera)
How much is the prize money?
The ICC has not yet revealed the prize money for the 2026 tournament, but in 2024, the ICC allocated a pool of $11.25m in prize money with the winners receiving $2.45m, the highest prize money in the tournament’s history.
BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS — JUNE 29: Rohit Sharma of India lifts the ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup Trophy following the ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup West Indies & USA 2024 Final match between South Africa and India at Kensington Oval on June 29, 2024 in Bridgetown, Barbados. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
Rohit Sharma of India lifts the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup trophy at the Kensington Oval on June 29, 2024, in Bridgetown, Barbados [Gareth Copley/Getty Images]
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BBC
Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 — results & fixtures
Nepal cricket team players stand beside T20 WC trophy
The Men’s T20 World Cup trophy has toured the different competing nations [Getty Images]
BBC
Fri, February 13, 2026 at 9:22 PM GMT+2
·
3 min read
Group A: India, Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, Namibia
Group B: Australia, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Zimbabwe, Oman
Group C: England, West Indies, Scotland, Nepal, Italy
Group D: New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan, Canada, UAE
Tables
Men’s T20 World Cup tables, top run-scorers & wicket-takers
All start times GMT
7 February
Pakistan v Netherlands (Colombo SSC)
Pakistan won by three wickets
Report; Scorecard
West Indies v Scotland (Kolkata)
West Indies win by 35 runs
Report; Scorecard
India v USA (Mumbai)
India won by 29 runs
Report; Scorecard
8 February
New Zealand v Afghanistan (Chennai)
New Zealand won by five wickets
Report; Scorecard
England v Nepal (Mumbai)
England won by four runs
Report; Scorecard
Sri Lanka v Ireland (Colombo RPS)
Sri Lanka won by 20 runs
Report; Scorecard
9 February
Scotland v Italy (Kolkata)
Scotland won by 73 runs
Report; Scorecard
Zimbabwe v Oman (Colombo SSC)
Zimbabwe won by eight wickets
Report; Scorecard
South Africa v Canada (Ahmedabad)
South Africa won by 57 runs
Report; Scorecard
10 February
Netherlands v Namibia (Delhi)
Netherlands won by seven wickets
Report; Scorecard
New Zealand v UAE (Chennai)
New Zealand won by 10 wickets
Report; Scorecard
Pakistan v USA (Colombo SSC)
Pakistan won by 32 runs
Report; Scorecard
11 February
South Africa v Afghanistan (Ahmedabad)
South Africa won after second super over
Report; Scorecard
Australia v Ireland (Colombo RPS)
Australia won by 67 runs
Report; Scorecard
England v West Indies (Mumbai)
West Indies won by 30 runs
Report; Scorecard
12 February
Sri Lanka v Oman (Pallekele)
Sri Lanka won by 105 runs
Report; Scorecard
Nepal v Italy (Mumbai)
Italy won by 10 wickets
Report; Scorecard
India v Namibia (Delhi)
India won by 93 runs
Report; Scorecard
13 February
Australia v Zimbabwe (Colombo RPS)
Zimbabwe won by 23 runs
Report; Scorecard
Canada v UAE (Delhi)
UAE won by five wickets
Report; Scorecard
USA v Netherlands (Chennai)
USA won by 93 runs
Report; Scorecard
14 February: Ireland v Oman (Colombo SSC, 5:30), England v Scotland (Kolkata, 9:30), New Zealand v South Africa (Ahmedabad, 13:30)
15 February: West Indies v Nepal (Mumbai, 5:30), USA v Namibia (Chennai, 9:30), India v Pakistan (Colombo RPS, 13:30)
16 February: Afghanistan v UAE (Delhi, 5:30), England v Italy (Kolkata, 9:30), Australia v Sri Lanka (Pallekele, 13:30)
17 February: New Zealand v Canada (Chennai, 5:30), Ireland v Zimbabwe (Pallekele, 9:30), Scotland v Nepal (Mumbai, 13:30)
18 February: South Africa v UAE (Delhi, 5:30), Pakistan v Namibia (Colombo SSC, 9:30), India v Netherlands (Ahmedabad, 13:30)
19 February: West Indies v Italy (Kolkata, 5:30), Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe (Colombo RPS, 9:30), Afghanistan v Canada (Chennai, 13:30)
20 February: Australia v Oman (Pallekele, 13:30)
Super 8s
21 February: Y2 v Y3 (Colombo RPS, 13:30)
22 February: Y1 v Y4 (Pallekele, 9:30), X1 v X4 (Ahmedabad,13:30)
23 February: X2 v X3 (Mumbai,13:30)
24 February: Y1 v Y3 (Pallekele, 13:30)
25 February: Y2 v Y4 (Colombo RPS,13:30)
26 February: X3 v X4 (Ahmedabad, 9:30), X1 v X2 (Chennai, 13:30)
27 February: Y1 v Y2 (Colombo RPS,13:30)
28 February: Y3 v Y4 (Pallekele, 13:30)
1 March: X2 v X4 (Delhi, 9:30), X1 v X3 (Kolkata, 13:30)
Semi-finals and final
4 March: Semi-final 1 (Kolkata or Colombo,13:30)
5 March: Semi-final 2 (Mumbai, 13:30)
8 March: Final (Ahmedabad or Colombo,13:30)
NB Fixtures and start times are subject to change. The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made