T20 World Cup 2026 schedule announced, India vs Pakistan on Feb 15 in Colombo

Key points

• The ICC announced the T20 World Cup 2026 schedule on November 25, 2025, with the tournament running from February 7 to March 8 across eight venues in India and Sri Lanka.
• India is in Group A with Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, and Namibia, and will play Pakistan on February 15 at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
• The final venue is conditional, it will be held in Colombo if Pakistan reaches the final, otherwise at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
• All Pakistan matches will be played in Sri Lanka due to a neutral venue agreement, including their group stage matches.
• Rohit Sharma, who captained India to victory in 2024, has been named tournament brand ambassador, while Suryakumar Yadav will captain the defending champions.
• The 20-team tournament features 55 matches, with India playing USA on February 7 in Mumbai, Namibia on February 12 in Delhi, and Netherlands on February 28 in Ahmedabad.

The International Cricket Council unveiled the complete schedule for the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 on November 25, 2025, confirming that the tournament will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8, 2026. The 10th edition of the tournament will feature 20 teams competing in 55 matches across eight venues, with five stadiums in India and three in Sri Lanka, marking India’s second time as host after 2016 and Sri Lanka’s second time after 2012. Defending champions India, who won the 2024 title under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, will be led by Suryakumar Yadav in their title defence.

India’s Group A fixtures and path to knockout

India has been placed in Group A alongside arch-rivals Pakistan, the United States, the Netherlands, and Namibia, creating a challenging but manageable group stage campaign. The team will begin their title defence on February 7 against the USA at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, followed by a match against Namibia on February 12 at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. The much-anticipated India-Pakistan clash is scheduled for February 15 at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka, continuing the tradition of high-voltage encounters between the two teams. India will conclude their group stage against the Netherlands on February 28 at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, a match that could be crucial for securing a top-two finish and progression to the Super Eight stage.

Unique final venue arrangement

In an interesting twist, the ICC has announced that the final venue will depend on Pakistan’s performance in the tournament. If Pakistan reaches the final, the title match will be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, to accommodate Pakistan’s preference for playing in Sri Lanka under the neutral venue agreement. However, if Pakistan fails to reach the final, the championship match will be played at the world’s largest cricket stadium, Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India. This conditional arrangement reflects the complexities of hosting a tournament across two nations while managing bilateral cricketing relationships and security considerations.

Complete list of venues and groups

The tournament will be staged across eight venues, five in India and three in Sri Lanka. Indian venues include Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Eden Gardens in Kolkata, MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, and Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Sri Lankan venues comprise R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Colombo, and Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy. The 20 teams are divided into four groups of five teams each, with Group B featuring Australia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Ireland, and Oman, Group C comprising England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Italy, and Nepal, and Group D including South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Canada, and UAE.

Rohit Sharma appointed brand ambassador

In a significant announcement, the ICC named former India captain Rohit Sharma as the tournament brand ambassador for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Rohit, who led India to victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup and announced his retirement from the format immediately after, will be associated with the tournament in a new capacity. ICC Chairman Jay Shah announced the schedule unveiling ceremony, highlighting Rohit’s prolific T20I career where he scored 4,231 runs at an average of 32.01 and strike rate of 140.89, and his unique achievement of being part of two successful Men’s T20 World Cup campaigns in 2007 and 2024. Speaking about his appointment, Rohit expressed excitement about the tournament returning to India and his association with it in a new role.

Key match information from the article in table form, focused on India’s group games and the major tournament fixtures.

India group-stage matches

Key tournament fixtures