India will start their ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 campaign against defending champions Australia at Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town on 7 October 2027. Three days later, on 10 October, they meet Pakistan at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.
The International Cricket Council released the schedule at a ceremony in Cape Town on Thursday, marking one year to go to the tournament. The ticket ballot opened on the same day.
South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia are joint hosts. The 14-team event has 57 matches at 12 venues and runs from 2 October to 21 November 2027. It is the first time the men’s World Cup returns to Africa since 2003, and Namibia will host matches at the senior tournament for the first time.
India’s group and key dates
India are in Group A with Australia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Qualifier A. Group B has New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, England, Bangladesh and Qualifier B.
The India-Australia match is a repeat of the 2023 final. India also play Zimbabwe at the Mosi-oa-Tunya Stadium in Victoria Falls in Match 33.
Elsewhere on the opening weekend, Afghanistan meet Pakistan in Centurion and England play Bangladesh in Windhoek on 8 October. Zimbabwe, back at the World Cup after 12 years, face Qualifier A at Queen’s Sports Club in Bulawayo on 9 October. Sri Lanka start against Qualifier B in Windhoek on 10 October.
The semi-finals are in Cape Town on 17 November and Tshwane on 18 November. The final is at Johannesburg on 21 November.
Venues
South Africa have eight venues: Johannesburg, Tshwane (formerly Pretoria), Cape Town, Durban, Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), Bloemfontein, Paarl and KuGompo City (formerly East London). Zimbabwe’s matches are in Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls, and Namibia’s in Windhoek.
How the tournament works
Ten teams qualified directly by the cut-off date of 30 September 2026, including hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe. The other four places will be decided at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2027.
The Qualifier winner goes straight into the group stage. The teams finishing second, third and fourth play a three-match Super Series in Namibia, and only the top side from that round robin goes through.
The 12 teams in the group stage play everyone in their group once. The top three from each group, plus the better of the two fourth-placed sides, move into a Super 7, where each team plays the other six. The top four reach the semi-finals, with first playing fourth and second playing third.
To help fans plan travel, seven teams have been given fixed Super 7 positions: India (A1), Australia (A2), Pakistan (A3), England (AB4), New Zealand (B1), South Africa (B2) and Sri Lanka (B3). If an unseeded team finishes above a seeded team, it takes that team’s slot.
Jay Shah on tickets
ICC chairman Jay Shah said: “The announcement of the schedule and opening of the ticket ballot are major milestones on the road to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, bringing fans one step closer to a spectacular celebration of cricket across the three nations.”
“The ICC remains committed to making its World Cup events accessible to as many fans as possible, with affordable ticket prices and options that bring families, young people and local communities closer to the action,” he added.
Trevor Manuel, independent chairperson of the tournament’s Local Organising Committee Board, said Southern Africa approached 2027 “with the same confidence, ambition and determination to deliver a tournament worthy of the occasion”.
How the ticket ballot works
Tickets will cost from about USD 9.50 (R158) for entry-level seats to about USD 30 (R514) for the biggest matches, depending on exchange rates. There are also family bundles, student and pensioner prices, early-bird local allocations and group prices for community clubs and schools.
Entry to the ballot at tickets.cricketworldcup.com is free and no payment is taken when fans register. Each person can enter once per match but can apply for as many matches as they like. It is not first-come, first-served.
Where demand for a match is higher than the number of tickets, buyers will be picked at random. Successful applicants will get an email explaining how to buy.
The ballot closes at 23:59 South African time on 21 November 2026, which is 3.29am IST on 22 November.
