The Viking Cup 2026 is the second edition of the prominent European Associate international T20 tournament. Running from June 11 to June 14, 2026, it is designed to give maximum competitive exposure to rising cricket nations in Northern and Central Europe.
Tournament Format & Teams
Four national teams will participate in the event:
-
Sweden (Hosts)
-
Norway
-
Finland
-
Austria
The tournament is structured in a Round-Robin Group Stage where every country plays against each other exactly once. A total of 3 points are awarded for a win. Once the six group stage matches finish, the top two teams advance straight to The Final, while the bottom two battle in the 3rd Place Play-off.
Match Schedule
All matches are held back-to-back over a packed four-day weekend. Timings are listed below in Local Time, Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), and Indian Standard Time (IST).
|
Date & Match Number |
Teams Playing |
Local Time |
GMT Time |
IST Time |
|
Thursday, June 11 Match 1 |
Sweden vs Norway |
10:30 AM |
08:30 AM |
02:00 PM |
|
Thursday, June 11 Match 2 |
Austria vs Finland |
02:30 PM |
12:30 PM |
06:00 PM |
|
Friday, June 12 Match 3 |
Sweden vs Finland |
10:30 AM |
08:30 AM |
02:00 PM |
|
Friday, June 12 Match 4 |
Austria vs Norway |
02:30 PM |
12:30 PM |
06:00 PM |
|
Saturday, June 13 Match 5 |
Finland vs Norway |
10:30 AM |
08:30 AM |
02:00 PM |
|
Saturday, June 13 Match 6 |
Sweden vs Austria |
02:30 PM |
12:30 PM |
06:00 PM |
|
Sunday, June 14 Play-off |
Semi-Final |
10:30 AM |
08:30 AM |
02:00 PM |
|
Sunday, June 14 Grand Finale |
The Final |
02:30 PM |
12:30 PM |
Venue Profile
Every game of the tournament is set at the Botkyrka Cricket Center in Stockholm, Sweden. This pitch is known locally for using synthetic artificial mats over a hard base. This gives a very even bounce, which usually benefits batsmen who look to play big shots. The ground features slightly shorter square boundaries, making it a very high-scoring venue for T20 cricket.
Squad Dynamics & Key Players
The Viking Cup also sits within official ICC Associate cricket windows, teams use their best possible senior line-ups.
Sweden: Playing at home, they rely on a heavily spinning bowling attack to choke teams in the middle overs. Players like Advait Dhabe provide solid team balance.
Austria: They enter the tournament as a very physical side with big hitters. All-rounder Aqib Iqbal acts as the linchpin for their middle order, while bowler Karanbir Singh handles the tough final overs.
Norway and Finland: Both nations bring deep squads that recently played in regional ICC qualifiers. They rely heavily on fast bowling and aggressive power-plays during the first 6 overs.
Streaming Details:
Digital Live Streaming: You can watch the full tournament live via the European Cricket Network (ECN). For fans in South Asia, the digital streaming rights are hosted by FanCode. Fans in North America can check scheduled updates via Willow TV.
Live Ball-by-Ball Text Commentary: Complete real-time scoreboards, wagon wheels, and run-rate graphs are available on the ESPNcricinfo Viking Cup Hub and the Cricbuzz Tournament Page.
