The ICC said the new tournament structures have been approved by its Board following recommendations from the Development and Chief Executives’ Committees
Published: July 15, 2026, 6:04 PM IST
Share Article
https://www.india.com/sports/icc-set-to-ring-in-major-changes-for-odi-and-t20-world-cups-heres-all-you-need-to-know-8474847/
Former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar brings the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Trophy in the field before the start of first semifinal match between India and New Zealand at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Wednesday, November 15, 2023. (Photo: IANS/Biplab Banerjee)
In a latest and massive development, the International Cricket Council has announced major changes to the formats of the 2027 ODI World Cup and the 2028 T20 World Cup after its Annual Conference in Edinburgh. The governing body said the revised structures are aimed at making both tournaments more competitive from the opening match while ensuring every game has greater importance.
The 2027 ODI World Cup, which is to be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, will feature a total of 14 teams now, an increase from the 10-team format used in the 2023 edition. However, the tournament will now follow a new three-stage format before the knockout rounds.
As per the new structure, the teams qualifying in positions 12 to 14 will begin their campaign in a Super Series stage. The winner of this round will join the remaining teams in the next phase, where 12 sides will be divided into two groups of six teams each.
The top three teams from each group, along with the next best-ranked side across both groups, will progress to the newly introduced Super 7 stage. Earlier plans had proposed a Super 6 round, but the ICC has replaced it with the larger Super 7 format.
The top four teams from the Super 7 standings will then qualify for the semifinals, with the winners advancing to the final.
According to the ICC, the revised format is designed to keep teams in contention for longer and ensure every match has a greater impact on qualification.
Qualification for the 2027 ODI World Cup has also been confirmed. A total of 10 teams will earn direct entry into the tournament. Co-hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe will qualify automatically as Full Members of the ICC. Namibia, despite being one of the hosts, will not receive automatic qualification because it is an Associate Member.
The remaining direct qualification spots will go to the eight highest-ranked teams in the ODI rankings. The final four places in the tournament will be decided through a global qualifying event.
The ICC has also approved significant changes to the 2028 Men’s T20 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
The tournament will feature five groups of four teams during the opening stage. The top two teams from each group will qualify for a newly expanded Super 10 stage, replacing the Super 8 format that was used in previous editions.
The Super 10 will consist of two groups of five teams each. Unlike the earlier format, where the top two teams from each Super 8 group reached the semifinals, only the group winners will now qualify directly for the last four.
Teams finishing second in each Super 10 group will face the third-placed team from the opposite group in eliminator matches, with the winners completing the semifinal line-up. The ICC believes this format will add more competitive matches and keep teams fighting for qualification until the end.
The governing body said the decision to expand the second stage from 8 to 10 teams was influenced by the strong performances of emerging nations during the 2026 T20 World Cup in India.
The ICC also confirmed the qualification pathway for the 2028 tournament. Scotland has been granted direct entry into the Europe Regional Final after replacing Bangladesh at short notice during the 2026 T20 World Cup.
The remaining teams that played in the 2026 edition but did not qualify automatically will advance directly to the Global Qualifier. Eight additional teams will qualify through regional tournaments, with two each from Africa, Asia and Europe, and one each from the Americas and East Asia-Pacific regions.
From the Global Qualifier, the highest-ranked team from each region, along with the next three best-performing teams overall, will secure places at the 2028 T20 World Cup.
The ICC said the new tournament structures have been approved by its Board following recommendations from the Development and Chief Executives’ Committees. Final approval will be given after a review by the Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee during the Board’s November meetings.
