T20 World Cup 2026: Easy grouping for India, not so easy for co-hosts Sri Lanka
India and Sri Lanka, the joint hosts of the Twenty20 World Cup early next year, appear to have received contrasting draws. Top-ranked India are placed, arguably, in an easy cluster - something Pakistan could also claim - but Sri Lanka may not necessarily feel as lucky. The island nation (No 8 in the ICC rankings) is grouped with three other full-member Test-playing sides - Australia (No 2), Zimbabwe (No 11) and Ireland (No 12) - along with Oman (No. 20). It could be a group of death.
On the other hand, India and Pakistan (No 7) are the only Test-playing nations in their bracket, with the Netherlands (No 13), Namibia (No 15) and the USA (No 18) completing the five-team lineup. With two sides from each pool qualifying for the Super Eight stage, it should be a straightforward route for the arch-rivals to advance to the next round irrespective of the result in their blockbuster face-off. It is, of course, imperative to add a disclaimer here: Pakistan had lost to the USA in the previous edition in 2024.
There are four groups of five teams each, and there may be a case for arguing that there are multiple 'groups of death' in the preliminary stage. England (No 3) and the West Indies (No 6), both former champions, are drawn together with Bangladesh (No 9) - a full member and a formidable side, particularly in subcontinental conditions. The three are grouped alongside Nepal (No 17) and rank outsiders Italy, the 28th-ranked team in the world.
Runners-up South Africa (No 5) are also in a tough cluster. Theoretically, they may have to overcome at least one of New Zealand (No 4) or Afghanistan (No 10) - no easy pushovers in T20 cricket - to advance to the next round, especially given that they can expect an easier time against the UAE (No 16) and Canada (No 18), the other two teams in their group, in the February 7-March 8 championship.
India open their World Cup campaign against the USA, followed by league fixtures against Namibia, Pakistan and the Netherlands. As per a pre-arranged agreement, the big India-Pakistan match will be played in Colombo. As reported by Cricbuzz before, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi and Ahmedabad are the cities that will host matches in India. In Sri Lanka, Kandy will be a venue in addition to the two international grounds in Colombo.
Ahmedabad is slated to host the final, unless, of course, Pakistan make the title clash. Mumbai and Kolkata are in line for the semifinal matches, depending on which teams qualify for the last-four stage. Colombo is shortlisted for one semifinal and the final, should Pakistan advance that far in the championship.
The first two teams from each pool will qualify for the Super Eight, from which the top four sides will progress to the semifinals, followed by the final. The International Cricket Council (ICC) will unveil the draw in Mumbai on November 25.
