The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially launched the complete fixture list for the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, confirming that arch-rivals Pakistan and India will clash on Sunday, 15 February in Colombo.
Co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, the 10th edition of the tournament will run from 7 February to 8 March 2026 and feature an expanded field of 20 teams for the first time.
Key Highlights
- Pakistan and India are drawn in Group A together with the United States, Namibia, and the Netherlands.
- All of Pakistan’s group-stage matches will be played in Sri Lanka.
- The tournament opener on 7 February will see India take on the USA in Mumbai, while Pakistan begin their campaign against the Netherlands in Colombo on the same day.
- The final is scheduled for either Ahmedabad or Colombo, depending on Pakistan’s qualification for the knockout stage (due to the ongoing absence of bilateral cricket between the two nations).
Group Composition
- Group A: India, Pakistan, USA, Namibia, Netherlands
- Group B: Sri Lanka, Australia, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Oman
- Group C: England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Italy, Nepal
- Group D: South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan, UAE, Canada
Format
Four groups of five teams each → Top two from every group advance to Super Eight → Two Super Eight groups of four → Top two from each Super Eight group qualify for semi-finals → Final on 8 March.
India enter the event as defending champions after lifting the title in Barbados in 2024.
With the Pakistan-India encounter locked in for 15 February in Colombo, the cricketing world already has its most-watched date circled for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
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