The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially released the full schedule for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, confirming that arch-rivals India and Pakistan will face each other on 15 February 2026 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The match is scheduled to begin at 7 pm IST, with security, broadcasting and crowd-management preparations already underway, given the global attention the fixture draws every edition.
The 2026 T20 World Cup will be played from 7 February to 8 March 2026, jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, marking the second time in history that the two neighbours co-host an ICC event. The ICC confirmed the tournament format, venues and complete match list on its official website as anticipation builds for one of the most widely watched sporting events worldwide.
Group Structure:
India has been placed in Group A, along with
Pakistan
United States
Netherlands
Namibia
Rohit Sharma’s side will open their campaign on 7 February 2026, followed by back-to-back group games before the high-voltage encounter against Pakistan on February 15. India’s matches are split between host cities in India and Sri Lanka, with the India–Pakistan match strategically scheduled in Colombo due to neutral-venue considerations. Pakistan, meanwhile, will play all its group-stage matches in Sri Lanka, a decision taken earlier by the ICC to streamline logistics and ensure crowd preparedness.
Tournament Format: The 2026 World Cup features 20 teams, divided into four groups of five. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Eight, followed by the semifinals and the final on 8 March, likely to be held at a major Indian venue (final venue to be announced by the ICC soon).
- India will host matches across major metro venues, including:
Mumbai
Delhi
Ahmedabad
Chennai
Bengaluru
Kolkata
Sri Lanka will host fixtures in Colombo, Kandy and Hambantota, including Pakistan’s entire group-stage campaign.
