T20 World Cup 2026 final to take place in Ahmedabad; India vs Pakistan clash set for this venue

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is scheduled to host the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka following the recently concluded Women's World Cup 2025. Notably, the upcoming T20 tournament will take place in Tier-1 venues after using lesser-known grounds for the Women’s World Cup in India.

The marquee tournament will take place in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8. A total of 20 teams will compete for the title for the second straight edition. Team India, who claimed the 2024 title with a seven-wicket win over South Africa in the final, will now look to defend their crown on home soil.

T20 World Cup 2026 Set for February 6 to March 7 in India and Sri Lanka

The competition will feature 20 teams. The hosts, India and Sri Lanka, directly qualified for the tournament along with the seven highest-placed sides from the previous edition (Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, the United States, and the West Indies).

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Ireland, New Zealand, and Pakistan secured their spots based on their T20I team rankings. The remaining countries progressed through regional qualifiers. Canada topped the Americas pathway, while Italy and the Netherlands advanced from Europe.

Namibia and Zimbabwe earned qualification through the Africa region. The final places went to Oman, Nepal, and the UAE through the combined Asia and East Asia-Pacific qualifying route.

India Set to Take On Pakistan in Colombo on …

According to a report by RevSportz, defending champions India are set to begin their World Cup campaign against the United States. The tournament, which will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, is tentatively scheduled from February 7 to March 8.

Notably, the highly anticipated clash against Pakistan is expected to take place on February 15 in Colombo. The India–Pakistan T20 World Cup encounters remain one of the biggest draws in world cricket due to the political backdrop and massive fan interest surrounding the rivalry.

"India will open their T20 World Cup campaign against the USA, while their match against Pakistan is likely on February 15 in Colombo," the report read.

"As per the tentative schedule, the 2026 T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, will be played from February 7 to March 8."

Wankhede and Narendra Modi Stadium to Host T20 World Cup 2026 Knockout Matches

Colombo will host a semi-final in the T20 World Cup only if either Sri Lanka or Pakistan qualify for the last four. The venue will remain a backup option should Pakistan advance to the final.

India last hosted a major ICC men’s event in 2023, when the ODI World Cup was played across nine cities: Dharamsala, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Delhi, Pune, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru.

It has been reported that Mumbai could stage one of the semi-finals, while the final may take place in Ahmedabad on March 8. If Pakistan reach the semi-finals, they will be assigned to Colombo.

Under the current ICC rights cycle, India and Pakistan have agreed to face each other only at neutral venues in multi-nation tournaments. The full schedule for the 2026 T20 World Cup is expected to be released soon.

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