With less than four months to go for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, the buzz is steadily building for the showpiece event. On Sunday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made some critical decisions regarding the tournament.
Starting and ending date
While the exact dates and schedule is still awaited, a tentative period has been locked in by the BCCI. The T20 World Cup 2026 is expected to kick-off on February 7 while the final is slated to be held on March 8. The tournament will be held across seven main venues with India and Sri Lanka being the co-hosts.
Important update on venues
The BCCI has decided that none of the venues that hosted the 2025 Women's ODI World Cup will be on show for the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup. This is to ensure that maximum venues get the opportunity to host World Cup matches across men's and women's cricket.
Venue details
As per latest reports, Ahmedabad will host the opening game and final of T20 World Cup 2026. In case Pakistan qualifies for the summit clash, then it shall be played in Sri Lanka as per the latest agreement between BCCI, PCB and ICC. Apart from Ahmedabad, the other Indian venues will be Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi and Chennai.
Meanwhile, Mumbai is slated to host the semifinal featuring India unless they have to face Pakistan. The other semifinal will be held on Sri Lankan soil. According to sources within the BCCI, Sri Lanka is set to have Colombo and Pallekele as two of their venues while the third will be a toss-up between Dambulla and Hambantota.