Mumbai: Cricket fans across the globe finally have clarity on what promises to be one of the biggest sporting events of 2026, as the ICC on Friday unveiled the full schedule for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. With India and Sri Lanka co-hosting the tournament, the announcement instantly set the cricket world buzzing.

India will kick off their title defence on 7 February with a high-voltage night clash against the United States at Mumbai’s iconic Wankhede Stadium. The opening day will also feature two former champions — Pakistan taking the field at Colombo’s historic Sinhalese Sports Club and the West Indies locking horns at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens.

The final has been assigned to the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on 8 March — a fitting venue given its status as the world’s largest cricket stadium. Eight venues in total will be in play across both host nations, including Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Kandy and Colombo’s two major grounds.

The schedule was revealed at a sparkling ceremony in Mumbai, presided over by ICC Chairman Jay Shah. Sharing the stage were Rohit Sharma, newly named ICC Brand Ambassador and India’s T20 World Cup-winning captain, current India T20 skipper Suryakumar Yadav, and India women’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur.

The tournament format mirrors the successful 2024 structure. Twenty teams will compete, split into four groups of five. The top two from each group will move into the Super Eights, based on pre-set seedings.

Group Line-up:

Group A: India, USA, Namibia, Netherlands, Pakistan

Group B: Australia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Oman

Group C: England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Italy, Nepal

Group D: South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Canada, UAE

Sri Lanka will host all Group B matches, and Pakistan will play their entire group stage in Sri Lanka. The venue for the knockout stages could shift based on Pakistan’s progress. If they reach the semis, Kolkata’s Semi-Final 1 will move to Colombo. If they reach the final, the match will relocate from Ahmedabad to Colombo. Any India–Pakistan semi-final will also be staged in Colombo.

Jay Shah called the tournament a “global spectacle” and highlighted the unmatched passion for cricket in the region. ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta emphasised that this edition will mark a “new era of global marquee cricket events”, especially with 20 teams from five continents competing.

Rohit Sharma reflected on his journey across two T20 World Cup wins, recalling moments such as Suryakumar Yadav’s stunning catch in Barbados, Virat Kohli’s famous knock in Melbourne, and Yuvraj Singh’s six sixes in Durban. He said he was “proud to return in a new role” as the tournament’s Brand Ambassador.

India and Sri Lanka will be hosting the event for the second time, after staging the editions in 2012 and 2016. With multiple past champions in the mix and a packed schedule, the 2026 tournament is already shaping up to be a blockbuster.