ICC approves revamped formats for 2027 ODI World Cup and 2028 T20 World Cup – Key changes explained

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has approved new formats for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2028. The decisions were taken at the Annual General Meeting in Edinburgh after recommendations from the Chief Executives’ Committee. The updates seek to deliver tighter contests, raise competitive standards, and give more teams a genuine chance to shine while improving the experience for players and supporters.

What changes are coming to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 format?

The 2027 edition, co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, will still feature 14 teams but will now follow a clear three-stage path to the final.

The three lowest-ranked sides will first play a short round-robin Super Series. The winner earns a place in the main draw. The remaining 12 teams then split into two groups of six. Each group plays a full round-robin, producing 30 matches in total. The top three from each group plus the next best team across both groups advance to the Super 7.

In the Super 7, all seven teams play each other once in a round-robin format that includes 21 matches. The top four sides reach the semifinals, with the first-placed team facing the fourth and the second taking on the third. This structure keeps more teams in contention for longer and creates high-stakes cricket right up to the knockout stage.

How will the new format work for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2028?

The 2028 T20 World Cup remains a 20-team event co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. The biggest shift is the move to give more sides a realistic path into the later stages.

The group stage now uses five groups of four teams instead of four groups of five. This produces 30 matches, with the top two from each group advancing to the Super 10. The 10 teams are then divided into two groups of five for round-robin play, adding another 20 matches. The winner of each Super 10 group goes straight to the semifinals.

A new Eliminators round will decide the other two semifinalists. The second-placed team from one Super 10 group faces the third-placed team from the opposite group, and vice versa. The winners complete the semifinal line-up.

The semifinals and final keep their traditional format. The changes are expected to increase the number of meaningful games and help emerging teams reach the business end of the tournament.

Which teams have already qualified for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2028?

Twelve teams have secured their spots based on results from the 2026 T20 World Cup and current rankings. They are Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the West Indies, and Zimbabwe. These sides form a strong core for the 2028 event.

How can other teams qualify for the remaining spots in the 2028 T20 World Cup?

The final eight places will be decided through a 16-team Global Qualifier. Eight teams that competed in 2026 but missed automatic qualification, including Canada, Italy, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Oman, United Arab Emirates and United States, enter this event directly. Scotland receives direct entry into the Europe Regional Final due to special circumstances.

The remaining eight spots in the Global Qualifier come from regional events: two each from Africa, Asia, and Europe, plus one each from the Americas and East Asia-Pacific.

At the Global Qualifier, the highest-placed team from each region plus the next three teams overall will qualify for the main tournament, subject to minimum performance standards. The ICC Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee will review the plans in November before final sign-off.