Ahmedabad Or Colombo In Line To Host T20 World Cup 2026 Final: Report

T20 World Cup 2026: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has earmarked February 7 to March 8, 2026, as the window for the next edition of the men's T20 World Cup, with India and Sri Lanka set to share hosting duties.

According to reports, fixtures will be staged across a minimum of five Indian venues along with two in Sri Lanka. The grand finale is expected to take place either at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad or in Colombo, with the choice depending on Pakistan's progress in the competition.

As part of the ICC's arrangement with the BCCI, all of Pakistan's matches will be played in Sri Lanka.

Although the complete schedule is yet to be released, the ICC has informed member boards of the tentative window. The 2026 tournament will retain the same structure used in the 2024 edition in the USA and West Indies. That format featured 20 teams split into four groups of five, with the top two from each group moving into the Super Eight stage, followed by semifinals and the final.

Defending champions India are among the 15 teams already confirmed for the event. The other guaranteed participants include hosts Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan, Ireland, West Indies, USA, Canada, and the Netherlands. Italy will also mark their historic debut after securing qualification earlier this year.

Five more teams are yet to be determined. Two spots will be filled through the Africa regional qualifiers, while Asia and the East Asia-Pacific qualifiers will provide the remaining three. These competitions are expected to conclude by mid-2025, finalising the complete lineup for the World Cup.

For India, this will be the first time since 2016 that the country hosts a men's T20 World Cup, though on that occasion it was not a joint venture. With Sri Lanka co-hosting and Pakistan's games moved there for logistical and political reasons, the 2026 edition is set to have a unique flavour both on and off the field.

The ICC is expected to release the full schedule and list of venues in the coming months.