ICC T20 World Cup 2026: Qualified teams, venues in India, live streaming

A total of 20 teams will be taking part in the 2026 T20 World Cup with India and Sri Lanka as co-hosts

The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is just a few months away and, keeping the timeline in mind, the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday finally released the list of venues for all the tournament matches that will be held in India and Sri Lanka.

 

Ahmedabad, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai are set to host matches in India, while Colombo and Kandy will host matches in Sri Lanka. The co-hosts India will start the tournament as the defending champions and will try to keep the ICC tournament-winning streak that started with the same T20 World Cup 2024 intact.

Pakistan to play in Sri Lanka

As part of the BCCI–PCB deal of not playing matches in each other’s country, all the matches involving the Pakistan cricket team will be played in Sri Lanka. This also implies that if Pakistan qualifies for the semifinal or final, the venue of these marquee matches will shift from India to Sri Lanka. While Ahmedabad is in line to host the final, the venue for the title clash could shift to Colombo if Pakistan qualifies.

When will the schedule of ICC T20 World Cup 2026 be revealed

 

As per the latest reports, the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 will commence on February 7 and will conclude with the final on March 8. However, the exact schedule is not out. According to PTI, the full schedule is expected to be released by the ICC by mid or late November 2025. 

ICC T20 World Cup 2026: Venues

India

• Ahmedabad
• Chennai
• Kolkata
• Delhi
• Mumbai

Sri Lanka

• Colombo
• Kandy

List of Teams Qualified for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup

1. India
2. Sri Lanka
3. Afghanistan
4. Australia
5. Bangladesh
6. England
7. South Africa
8. United States of America (USA)
9. West Indies
10. Ireland
11. New Zealand
12. Pakistan
13. Canada
14. Italy
15. Netherlands
16. Namibia
17. Zimbabwe
18. Nepal
19. Oman
20. United Arab Emirates (UAE)

How every participating team booked their place in ICC T20 World Cup 2026

Hosts’ Quota

 

Defending champions India and 2014 winners Sri Lanka have secured their places in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 through the hosts’ quota. India automatically qualified as reigning champions, while Sri Lanka joined them as co-hosts despite bowing out in the league stage of the 2024 edition.

 

On last edition’s performance

 

Seven teams earned direct entry into the 2026 T20 World Cup based on their performances in the 2024 edition, where they reached the Super 8 stage. These teams are Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, the United States of America (USA) and West Indies.

 

Based on ICC rankings

 

Three additional teams made it to the tournament through the ICC T20I team rankings among the remaining sides. New Zealand, Pakistan and Ireland secured their berths via this route, rounding out the list of directly qualified nations.

 

Regional qualifiers

 

The final eight spots were decided through regional qualification events. Canada overcame Bermuda to claim the American region’s final berth, joining the already-qualified West Indies and USA.

 

From Europe, Netherlands and Italy grabbed the top two positions to qualify alongside England and Ireland. In the African region, Zimbabwe and Namibia advanced after strong showings in the regional finals.

 

Lastly, from the combined Asia–EAP qualifiers, Nepal, Oman and UAE sealed their tickets by finishing as the top three sides in their group.

ICC T20 World Cup 2026: Live streaming and telecast details

When will ICC T20 World Cup 2026 begin? 

The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 will begin on Saturday, February 7, 2026.

 

What are the venues for ICC T20 World Cup 2026? 

Ahmedabad, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai are set to host matches in India, while Colombo and Kandy will host matches in Sri Lanka.

 

When will the final of ICC T20 World Cup 2026 take place? 

The final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 will take place in Ahmedabad on Sunday, March 8.

 

Where to watch live telecast of ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in India? 

The live telecast of all the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 matches will be available on Star Sports Network in India.

 

Where to watch live streaming of ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in India? 

The live streaming of all the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 matches will be available on the JioHotstar app and website in India.