ISLAMABAD (AP) — The International Cricket Council has changed the competition formats of two major men’s tournaments, adding a preliminary round before the group stage of the 2027 World Cup and revamping the playoffs for the Twenty20 World Cup in 2028.
“The changes were introduced to create more meaningful contests, elevate competitive standards, strengthen the competitive structure of both events, and enhance the tournament experience for athletes and fans,” cricket ‘s international governing body said in the wake of weekend board meetings.
The traditional World Cup — which features one-day international games — is usually staged once every four years. Australia is the defending champion after beating India in the final at Ahmedabad in a 10-team tournament in 2023.
Next year’s edition will involve 14 teams and be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
The T20 World Cup is usually staged once every two years, and India is the defending champion after winning on home soil in March.
2027 World Cup
Round 1: The teams in the 12th, 13th and 14th qualifying places will contest a so-called “Super Series” round, with the winner advancing to join 11 other teams in the group stage.
Round 2: Twelve teams will be divided into two groups of six. The top three teams from each group in the league stage will advance — along with the best fourth-place team — to the Super 7 stage.
Round 3: The Super 7 round includes a round-robin format with each team playing six other rivals and the top four advancing to the knockout stage. The semifinals will feature No. 1 vs. No. 4 and No. 2 vs. No. 3.
“The structure has been designed to strengthen the competitive narrative across every stage of the event,” the ICC said.
T20 World Cup 2028
The tournament in Australia and New Zealand will feature 20 teams and will have 30 matches in the initial group stage.
Group stage: The participating teams will be divided into five groups of four. In the previous T20 World Cup, there was four groups of five teams. The top two teams from each group will advance.
Super 10: This round will have two groups of five, playing a round-robin format. The winners of each will qualify directly for the semifinals. The remaining two semifinal spots will be decided through a new eliminators round, with the second-place teams from each Super 10 group facing the third-place teams from the opposite group. The winners of those eliminators will complete the semifinal lineup.
Twelve teams — Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe — have already made it to the 2028 event, based on performances in the 2026 T20 World Cup and team rankings.
The remaining eight spots at the 2028 edition will be filled through a 16-team global qualifier competition.
The U.S., Canada, Italy, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Oman and United Arab Emirates got automatic places at the global qualifier. Scotland has direct entry into Europe regional final.
___
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
