T20 World Cup 2026 schedule confirmed: India-Pakistan clash set for February 15 in Colombo

20-team spectacle set for India and Sri Lanka

The ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 will begin on February 7, with the group stage running until February 20 across eight venues in India and Sri Lanka. A total of 40 matches will be played in the opening phase before the Super Eights begin on February 21 and the tournament builds towards its knockout stage.

The 20 participating nations are India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Australia, Scotland, England, South Africa, United States, West Indies, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Canada, Italy, Netherlands, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Nepal, Oman and the UAE.

Groups and format

Teams are split into four groups of five, with each side playing four group matches. The top two from each group advance. The groups are:

• Group A: India, Pakistan, USA, Netherlands and Namibia
• Group B: Australia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Ireland and Oman
• Group C: England, West Indies, Scotland, Italy and Nepal
• Group D: South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Canada and the UAE

Marquee fixtures

The headline contest of the group stage is the India–Pakistan encounter, scheduled for February 15 in Colombo. In a significant logistical note, all of Pakistan's matches will be played in Sri Lanka, as will all of Group B's fixtures featuring co-hosts Sri Lanka.

Scotland replace Bangladesh

Scotland will take Bangladesh's place in Group C alongside England, Italy, West Indies and Nepal. Originally, Bangladesh were scheduled to face West Indies (February 7), Italy (February 9) and England (February 14) in Kolkata, followed by a match against Nepal on February 17 in Mumbai. After Bangladesh's exclusion, Scotland will face the same four teams on the same dates and venues.

Knockouts and venues

The semi-finals will be held in Kolkata or Colombo and Mumbai, before the final on March 8 in Ahmedabad or Colombo. The world's largest cricket venue, the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, has been earmarked to host the final on March 8, in a tournament that will span eight electrifying venues across India and Sri Lanka.

The full list of host venues comprises the Narendra Modi Stadium (Ahmedabad), MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chennai), Arun Jaitley Stadium (New Delhi), Wankhede Stadium (Mumbai), Eden Gardens (Kolkata), R. Premadasa Stadium (Colombo), Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground (Colombo) and Pallekele International Cricket Stadium (Kandy).