ICC T20 World Cup is set to commence on Saturday following a political controversy, leading to Bangladesh being kicked out and Pakistan refusing to face arch-rivals and co-hosts India.
The tournament is scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8. Pakistan will open the tournament against the Netherlands in Colombo.
Defending champions and tournament favorite India will launch their campaign in a high-profile night match on the opening day against the United States in Mumbai, carrying the expectations of more than a billion home supporters. Led by Suryakumar Yadav, India are widely tipped to top Group A and progress comfortably to the Super Eight stage. However, they will not take the United States lightly, with the Americans having stunned Pakistan in 2024 to reach the Super Eights.
Former champions Australia and England also loom as major title contenders and will be keen to prevent India from retaining the trophy.
Australia, winners in 2021, have been weakened by the absence of pace spearhead Pat Cummins due to a lower back injury, while Josh Hazlewood will miss the early matches as he recovers from fitness issues. Even so, captain Mitchell Marsh’s side are expected to advance from Group B, which also includes Ireland, Sri Lanka, Oman and Zimbabwe.
England, captained by Harry Brook, enter the tournament brimming with confidence after a 3–0 T20 series win in Sri Lanka. They headline Group C alongside West Indies, Italy, Nepal and Scotland. Brook leads England at a global event for the first time since taking over from Jos Buttler.
Scotland, drafted in late to replace Bangladesh, face West Indies on the opening day, while Italy will make their World Cup debut against Scotland. South Africa, runners-up in 2024, begin against Canada in a challenging Group D that also features New Zealand, Afghanistan and the UAE.
2026 Men’s T20 World Cup Schedule
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Feb | Pakistan vs Netherlands | SSC, Colombo | 11:00 AM |
| 7 Feb | India vs USA | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 7:00 PM |
| 8 Feb | England vs Nepal | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 3:00 PM |
| 11 Feb | England vs West Indies | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 7:00 PM |
| 15 Feb | India vs Pakistan | R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo | 7:00 PM |
| 18 Feb | India vs Netherlands | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 7:00 PM |
| 4 Mar | Semi-final 1 | Kolkata/Colombo | 7:00 PM |
| 5 Mar | Semi-final 2 | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 7:00 PM |
| 8 Mar | Final | Ahmedabad/Colombo | 7:00 PM |
Note: If Pakistan qualifies for the knockouts, their matches will be moved to Colombo.
