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Scheduled to run from February 7 to March 8, 2026, the 10th edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will see India, the defending champions, aim to retain their title after defeating South Africa in the 2024 final. The tournament, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, marks a return to the subcontinent following India’s sole hosting of the 2016 edition and Sri Lanka’s in 2012. Initially, it was reported that Sri Lanka was slated to host the entire tournament, but due to the expanded 20-team format and limited stadium capacity, the ICC opted for a co-hosting arrangement with India.
With the multi-nation tournament approaching, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, will culminate in a grand finale at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 8, 2026. However, in a significant twist, if the Pakistan national cricket team qualifies for the summit clash, the final will be relocated to the R. Premadasa International Stadium in Colombo, as reported by ESPNcricinfo on September 9, 2025. This decision stems from a formal agreement between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), ensuring that matches involving India and Pakistan in ICC events hosted by either nation are played at neutral venues until at least 2027.
Ahmedabad has previously hosted the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup
The tournament’s format mirrors the 2024 edition, with 20 teams divided into four groups of five. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Eight stage, followed by semifinals and the final. Fifteen teams have already secured their spots: co-hosts India and Sri Lanka, along with Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, USA, West Indies, New Zealand, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, Netherlands, and Italy—the latter marking their World Cup debut. The remaining five teams will emerge from regional qualifiers in Africa, Asia, and the East Asia-Pacific in 2025. Pakistan, who failed to reach the Super Eight in 2024, qualified based on their ICC T20I rankings, setting the stage for a potential high-stakes clash with India.
The Narendra Modi Stadium, with its capacity of 130,000, is no stranger to hosting high-stakes ICC finals, having been the venue for the 2023 ODI World Cup final. Its selection for the 2026 T20 World Cup final underscores its status as one of the world’s premier cricketing arenas. However, the contingency plan to shift the final to Colombo if Pakistan qualifies reflects the ongoing geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan, which have led to a mutual agreement to avoid playing in each other’s countries for ICC and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) events. This arrangement, formalized in December 2024, was first implemented for the 2025 Champions Trophy, where India’s advancement to the final prompted a venue change to Dubai.
