The ICC has finalized the host venues for the tournament, which will be jointly organized by India and Sri Lanka. However, the full schedule has not yet been announced, and according to India’s PTI news agency, it is expected to be released next week.
The World Cup will begin on March 7 and the final will be played on March 8. Similar to the 2023 ODI World Cup, the final match of the T20 World Cup will be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. However, if arch-rivals Pakistan reach the final, the match will instead take place at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
In India, matches will be played across five venues — Arun Jaitley Stadium (Delhi), Eden Gardens (Kolkata), Wankhede Stadium (Mumbai), M. A. Chidambaram Stadium (Chennai), and Narendra Modi Stadium (Ahmedabad). In Sri Lanka, games will be hosted at three venues, including Colombo and Pallekele.
Due to the longstanding suspension of bilateral series between India and Pakistan, all of Pakistan’s matches will be played in Sri Lanka. Earlier this year, during the Champions Trophy (February–March), India’s matches were also held in Dubai despite Pakistan being the official host.
Like the 2024 T20 World Cup, the 2026 edition will feature 20 teams. According to the tournament format, there will be four groups of five teams each, with every team playing against the others in its group. The top two teams from each group will advance to the ‘Super Eight’ stage, divided into two groups of four. The top two teams from each Super Eight group will then progress to the semi-finals.
All 20 teams have already been finalized after regional qualifiers, and Italy will participate in a World Cup for the first time in history.
