2026 T20 World Cup: 8 venues finalized, title clash likely at this iconic stadium

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 is scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka in February-March. There's not much time left for the start of this major tournament, although the International Cricket Council (ICC) has not yet released the official schedule. The full schedule is expected to be announced this week.

The wait is over! Eight venues have been shortlisted for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Find out where the title match could be played : According to a report, the T20 World Cup matches will be played at a total of 8 venues. In India, Ahmedabad (Narendra Modi Stadium), Kolkata (Eden Gardens), Mumbai (Wankhede Stadium), Delhi (Arun Jaitley Stadium) and Chennai (M.A. Chidambaram Stadium) have been selected to host the matches. Whereas, in Sri Lanka, three venues have been finalized – R. Premadasa Stadium and Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, and Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy.

According to reports, if either Sri Lanka or Pakistan reach the semi-finals, their match will be played in Colombo. However, if neither team reaches the semi-finals, both semi-finals will be held in India – one in Ahmedabad and the other in Kolkata.

The final will be hosted based on the teams' qualifications. If Pakistan makes it to the final, the final will be played at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. If Pakistan does not reach the final, the title match will be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. This is the same stadium that hosted the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup.

This year, a total of 20 teams will participate in the T20 World Cup. They will be divided into four groups of five teams each. Two teams from each group will advance to the Super 8 stage, after which the semi-finals and final will be played. All 13 Test-playing teams will participate in the tournament, while Canada, the Netherlands, the UAE, Nepal, Oman, Namibia, and Italy have also qualified. Notably, Italy will be participating in the T20 World Cup for the first time. India is the defending champion, having won the title in June 2024 by defeating South Africa.