India will kickstart their T20 World Cup title defence against USA in Mumbai on February 7 as the ICC announced the schedule for the 2026 edition on Tuesday (November 25). A clash between Pakistan and Netherlands will kickstart the tournament earlier in the day in Colombo with a West Indies - Bangladesh contest sandwiched between the two in Kolkata.

As a result of an agreement that was put in place earlier this year for multi-nation tournaments hosted by India or Pakistan, the ICC have alternate options for the semifinal and final. If Pakistan go the distance, they will play their semifinal clash and the final in Colombo. If Pakistan do not make it to the final, then the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will host the final on March 8. While Mumbai will be hosting one semifinal, Kolkata will host the other in case the 2009 champions don't qualify for the knockouts.

Group A

(India, Pakistan, Namibia, Netherlands, USA)

India and Pakistan are strong favourites to emerge on top from a group that consists of the USA, Netherlands and Namibia. Although, it's worth noting that the USA did stun Pakistan in the previous edition. The marquee clash from this group featuring archrivals India and Pakistan will be played on February 15 in Colombo.

DateFixtureVenueTimeFebruary 7Pakistan vs NetherlandsColombo (SSC)11:00 AMFebruary 7India vs USAMumbai7:00 PMFebruary 10Netherlands vs NamibiaDelhi11:00 AMFebruary 10Pakistan vs USAColombo (SSC)7:00 PMFebruary 12India vs NamibiaDelhi7:00 PMFebruary 13USA vs NetherlandsChennai7:00 PMFebruary 15USA vs NamibiaChennai3:00 PMFebruary 15India vs PakistanColombo (RPS)7:00 PMFebruary 18Pakistan vs NamibiaColombo (SSC)3:00 PMFebruary 18India vs NetherlandsAhmedabad7:00 PM

Group B

(Sri Lanka, Australia, Ireland, Zimbabwe, Oman)

Co-hosts Sri Lanka have been handed a tougher group comparatively that features 2021 champions Australia and two tricky opponents in Zimbabwe and Ireland. Zimbabwe, who missed out on the 2024 edition, open their campaign against Sri Lanka. Oman are the final team in the group.

DateFixtureVenueTimeFebruary 8Sri Lanka vs IrelandColombo (RPS)7:00 PMFebruary 9Zimbabwe vs OmanColombo (SSC)3:00 PMFebruary 11Australia vs IrelandColombo (RPS)3:00 PMFebruary 12Sri Lanka vs OmanKandy11:00 AMFebruary 13Australia vs ZimbabweColombo (RPS)11:00 AMFebruary 14Ireland vs OmanColombo (SSC)11:00 AMFebruary 16Austarlia vs Sri LankaKandy7:00 PMFebruary 17Ireland vs ZimbabweKandy3:00 PMFebruary 19Sri Lanka vs ZimbabweColombo (RPS)3:00 PMFebruary 20Australia vs OmanKandy7:00 PM

Group C

(England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Nepal, Italy)

England and West Indies, both two-time champions, have been placed in the same group which could get tricky with Bangladesh being the third outfit. Italy, who have made it to a World Cup for the first time in their history, are also present in the group with Nepal rounding it off.

DateFixtureVenueTimeFebruary 7West Indies vs BangladeshKolkata3:00 PMFebruary 8England vs NepalMumbai3:00 PMFebruary 9Bangladesh vs ItalyKolkata11:00 AMFebruary 11England vs West IndiesMumbai7:00 PMFebruary 12Nepal vs ItalyMumbai3:00 PMFebruary 14England vs BangladeshKolkata3:00 PMFebruary 15West Indies vs NepalMumbai11:00 AMFebruary 16England vs ItalyKolkata3:00 PMFebruary 17Bangladesh vs NepalMumbai7:00 PMFebruary 19West Indies vs ItalyKolkata11:00 AM

Group D

(South Africa, Afghanistan, New Zealand, Canada, UAE)

In what looks like a group of death, 2024 runners-up have been placed in a group with New Zealand and Afghanistan. In the last edition, Afghanistan had a dream run where they eventually made it to the semifinal for the first time in their history. UAE and Canada are the less-fancied teams in the group.

DateFixtureVenueTimeFebruary 8New Zealand vs AfghanistanChennai11:00 AMFebruary 9South Africa vs CanadaAhmedabad7:00 PMFebruary 10New Zealand vs UAEChennai3:00 PMFebruary 11South Africa vs AfghanistanAhmedabad11:00 AMFebruary 13Canada vs UAEDelhi3:00 PMFebruary 14New Zealand vs South AfricaAhmedabad7:00 PMFebruary 16Afghanistan vs UAEDehli11:00 AMFebruary 17New Zealand vs CanadaChennai11:00 AMFebruary 18South Africa vs UAEDehli11:00 AMFebruary 19Afghanistan vs CanadaChennai7:00 PM

The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super Eight in which the teams will be split into two groups of four each. The top two teams from those groups will progress to the semifinals, followed by the final. Sri Lanka will get to play a home semifinal only if Pakistan also qualify for the final four alongside them. If Sri Lanka qualify for the semifinal and Pakistan do not, then the island nation will play their last four fixture in Kolkata as the first semifinal. In case India also qualify for the semis and are scheduled to face Sri Lanka, then the clash will be held in Mumbai as the second semifinal.

If India and Pakistan both qualify for the semis and are scheduled to face each other, then the contest will be held in Colombo as the first semifinal. If Pakistan and Sri Lanka both fail to qualify for the last four, then the first semifinal will be held in Kolkata and the second in Mumbai.

Based on the ICC rankings as of July 25, 2025, defending champions India (X1), England (Y1), Australia (X2), New Zealand (Y2), West Indies (X3), Pakistan (Y3), South Africa (X4) and Sri Lanka (Y4) have been seeded for the Super 8 stage. If any of these eight teams do not qualify for the Super 8, then the teams that qualify from their respective groups will replace them.

Schedule for Super 8 and knockouts

DateFixtureVenueTimeFebruary 21Y2 vs Y3Colombo (RPS)7:00 PMFebruary 22Y1 vs Y4Kandy3:00 PMFebruary 22X1 vs X4Ahmedabad7:00 PMFebruary 23X2 vs X3Mumbai7:00 PMFebruary 24Y1 vs Y3Kandy7:00 PMFebruary 25Y2 vs Y4Colombo (RPS)7:00 PMFebruary 26X3 vs X4Ahmedabad3:00 PMFebruary 26X1 vs X2Chennai7:00 PMFebruary 27Y1 vs Y2Colombo (RPS)7:00 PMFebruary 28Y3 vs Y4Kandy7:00 PMMarch 1X2 vs X4Delhi3:00 PMMarch 1X1 vs X3Kolkata7:00 PMMarch 41st SFKolkata/Colombo (RPS)7:00 PMMarch 52nd SFMumbai7:00 PMMarch 8FinalAhmedabad/Colombo (RPS)7:00 PM