The draw for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup has been revealed, with co-hosts India and Sri Lanka facing different challenges. India, a top-ranked team in the ICC T20I Rankings, have been placed in a relatively easier group along with Pakistan (ranked seventh), Netherlands (13th), Namibia (15th), and USA (18th), as per Cricbuzz.
On the other hand, Sri Lanka (eighth) find themselves in a tougher group with Australia (second), Zimbabwe (11th), Ireland (12th), and Oman.
India’s path to Super Eight looks straightforward
The tournament will feature four groups of five teams each, with the top two from each group qualifying for the Super Eight. This means India and Pakistan are likely to advance, no matter what happens in their highly-anticipated clash. However, it’s worth noting that in the last edition in 2024, Pakistan had lost to USA.
Tough competition for South Africa and England
Former champions England (third) and West Indies (sixth) have been drawn in the same group with Bangladesh (ninth), Nepal (17th), and Italy, the world’s 28th-ranked team. Meanwhile, runners-up South Africa (fifth) will face New Zealand (fourth), Afghanistan (10th), UAE (16th), and Canada. These groups promise some tough competition in the preliminary stage of the tournament from February 7 to March 8.
India’s World Cup campaign
India’s World Cup campaign will kick off against USA, followed by league matches against Namibia, Pakistan, and Netherlands. The highly-anticipated India-Pakistan clash will be held in Colombo as per a pre-arranged agreement.
A look at the venues
Matches in India will be hosted by Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, and Ahmedabad while Kandy (Sri Lanka) is also on the list along with two international venues in Colombo. The final is scheduled to take place in Ahmedabad unless Pakistan make it that far. Semifinals will be held in Mumbai and Kolkata, depending on which teams reach the last-four stage. One semifinal and the final are also scheduled for Colombo if Pakistan reach that far in the championship. The International Cricket Council (ICC) will announce the draw in Mumbai on November 25.
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