Sri Lanka is set to co-host the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup alongside India, marking the island’s biggest international cricket event in over a decade.
The tournament, scheduled for February 7th to March 8th 2026, will feature 20 teams, the largest lineup in the history of the competition. It will be played across three venues in Sri Lanka and five in India.
According to the International Cricket Council, both countries qualified automatically as hosts, while the remaining teams have advanced through regional qualifying tournaments. The expanded format will see four groups of five teams each, followed by a Super Eight round, semi-finals and final.
In Sri Lanka, Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium, Kandy’s Pallekele International Stadium, and the Sinhalese Sports Club are among the venues expected to host matches. India will stage fixtures in major cities including Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Delhi and Kolkata.
The co-hosting arrangement is seen as a strategic opportunity to strengthen regional cooperation and revive Sri Lanka’s cricket infrastructure, which last hosted an ICC men’s event in 2012. Tourism authorities also anticipate a boost in visitor arrivals during the tournament period, with fan zones and hospitality programs expected across host cities.
Officials said all Pakistan’s matches will be held in Sri Lanka due to bilateral travel restrictions, making the island a key neutral venue for the event.
The ICC will release the final fixture schedule during this month. (Newswire)