The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the draw for the 2026 T20 World Cup on Tuesday (November 25), confirming that arch-rivals India and Pakistan have been drawn in the same group.1 Their highly anticipated, politically-charged clash is scheduled for February 15, 2026, in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The 20-team tournament will run from February 7 to March 8, 2026, utilizing eight venues—five in India and three in Sri Lanka.
Due to the strained political relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, Pakistan will play all of its matches in Sri Lanka.
The final, scheduled for March 8 in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad, will be moved to Colombo if Pakistan qualifies for the championship match.
Defending champions India will kick off their Group A campaign against the USA in Mumbai on February 7.
The lingering political tensions were highlighted by a recent military conflict between the neighbours in May, which overshadowed the subsequent Asia Cup where India refused to accept the winners' trophy from the Asian Cricket Council Chief, who is also Pakistan’s interior minister.
The 20 participating teams are divided into five groups of four. The format is as follows: 1. Group Stage: Top two teams from each of the five groups advance. 2. Super Eight: The resulting 10 teams compete in this phase. 3. Semi-finals: The top four teams from the Super Eight qualify.
|
Group |
Teams |
|
A |
India, Pakistan, USA (Initial opponents listed) |
|
B |
Sri Lanka, Australia, Ireland, Zimbabwe, Oman |
|
C |
England, West Indies, Italy, Bangladesh, Nepal |
|
D |
New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan, Canada, United Arab Emirates |
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