CHENNAI: Defending champions India will begin their 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup campaign against United States of America in Mumbai on February 7. The tournament, to be played in India and Sri Lanka, is scheduled happen from February 7 till March 8 with the final being played in Ahmedabad. Pakistan will play all their games in Colombo as it was the case in the Women's World Cup and take on India on February 15 at the R Premadasa Stadium.
The tournament format is same as that of the 2024 edition that India went on to win USA and West Indies while remaining unbeaten. The 20 teams taking part in the tournament are split into four groups with top two from each advancing to the Super Eights stages. From there, four teams will move on to the semifinals and then the final. India are in Group A alongside Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, and Namibia. After the opening game against USA, they will go on to play Namibia in New Delhi, followed by Pakistan in Colombo. They will finish the group stage against Netherlands in Ahmedabad.
The 2024 World Cup-winning captain Rohit Sharma was named as the ambassador during the tournament launch event in Mumbai on Tuesday. Speaking at the launch event in Mumbai, India captain Suryakumar Yadav said that the vibe of a home World Cup is completely different.
"I have been a part of a wonderful team that play in the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. The vibe was different, it is a completely different ball game. Yes, the fan will be similar to what we see in franchise cricket but when India comes into the picture, when you play for the country it is a completely different emotion altogether. They are very excited. We have been trying to play different brand of cricket. Hopefully, we continue the same thing going into the World Cup. Playing in India am sure is a different feeling, Very challenging, yes, there will be pressure but also unbelievable amount of support from everyone," Yadav said.
Meanwhile, 2024 finalists South Africa are grouped with New Zealand, Afghanistan, Canada and UAE. England are grouped with West Indies in Group C while Australia and Sri Lanka are in Group B. This tournament will also mark a new beginning for Italy who will play in the tournament for the very first time. From the 2024 edition, Ugada and Papua New Guinea will miss out with Italy and Zimbabwe taking their place in this edition.