 "Narendra Modi Stadium is likely to get another high-profile match as ICC is planning to host the T20 World Cup final next year. Image: Reuters")
The 2026 T20 World Cup is set to begin on February 7 and run until March 8, with India and Sri Lanka jointly hosting the tournament across eight venues. According to a report, Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium will host both the opening match and the final , while Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium has been shortlisted to stage one of the semifinals.
As per The Indian Express, the second semifinal could take place in Colombo if India and Pakistan are drawn to face each other in the knockouts. In such a case, both teams would play in Sri Lanka as part of the neutral-venue agreement between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). However, if Pakistan don’t qualify, India will likely play their semifinal at Wankhede.
Which other cities in India will host games?
The matches are expected to be held across five major cities in India, including Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, and Ahmedabad. Sri Lanka will host the matches at three venues. The BCCI has reportedly decided to limit the number of venues compared to the 2023 ODI World Cup. It has also been decided that cities that hosted games during this year’s ICC Women’s ODI World Cup will not be selected.
The ICC is expected to formally announce the tournament schedule in the coming weeks. If Sri Lanka qualify for the semifinals, they will reportedly play in Colombo, while if Pakistan reach the final, the summit clash will be held at a neutral venue in line with the existing arrangement between India and Pakistan, which came into force before the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year.
The 2026 T20 World Cup will be the first ICC men’s event to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka since the 2011 ODI World Cup. India and Sri Lanka co-hosted the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup as Pakistan couldn’t travel to India because of the agreement between the BCCI and PCB. The same will be followed in next year’s men’s T20 World Cup. The BCCI has reportedly submitted the schedule to the ICC.
India will enter the competition as favourites since they won the previous edition in Barbados. India defeated South Africa in the final to win the title for the second time. Suryakumar Yadav will lead the team this time around as Rohit Sharma retired after winning the trophy last year.