The International Cricket Council (ICC) unveiled the complete calendar for the men's ICC 2027 World Cup on Thursday. This tournament, scheduled for next year, will take place in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. Fourteen teams will participate, and the Indian squad will begin its journey on October 7 with a match against Australia in Cape Town.
India's second match is scheduled against Pakistan. These long-standing rivals will meet on October 10 in Johannesburg, and this fixture is expected to be one of the most discussed matches of the tournament.
The event kicks off on October 2. However, before the group stage, there will be a Super Series in Windhoek involving three teams. These matches will take place on October 2, 4, and 6. Each of the three teams will play each other once. The team that accumulates the most points in the Super Series will secure a spot in the group stage.
South Africa and Zimbabwe have automatically qualified for the tournament as host nations. Additionally, eight other teams have qualified directly based on the ICC ODI rankings as of September 30, 2026. The fate of the remaining four teams will be decided through the Cricket World Cup qualification round. The team finishing first in the qualification round will advance directly to the group stage. The other three teams will have the opportunity to participate in the Super Series, which will determine the final team for the group stage.
In the group stage, 12 teams will be divided into two groups of six. Group A will include India, Australia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, and one qualifier. Group B will consist of South Africa, England, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and another qualifier.
The first group stage match will be on October 7 between India and Australia in Cape Town. Australia is the 2023 World Champion, while India was the runner-up in that tournament. On October 8, England and Bangladesh will meet in Windhoek. Meanwhile, on October 10, South Africa will start its campaign with a match against New Zealand in Cape Town.
Zimbabwe will play Afghanistan on October 11 in Bulawayo. Zimbabwe's last group stage match will be on October 24 against India in Victoria Falls.
The Indian team's path begins with a match against Australia on October 7. This is followed by a game against Pakistan on October 10 in Johannesburg. India will play Afghanistan on October 14 in Tswane, and then face a qualifier on October 17 in Bloemfontein. India's final group match is set for October 24 against Zimbabwe in Victoria Falls. Thus, in the group stage, the Indian team will face Australia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, one qualifier, and Zimbabwe.
The match between India and Pakistan will attract significant attention within the World Cup program. Since both teams are in the same group, their encounter in the group stage is inevitable. This match is anticipated to generate immense excitement among cricket fans worldwide.
After the group stage concludes, the tournament will proceed to the Super 7 stage. The top three teams from each group will advance to the Super 7. Furthermore, the team that scores the most points among the fourth-placed teams in both groups will also qualify for the Super 7. Consequently, seven teams will advance to the next stage. Points accumulated by teams in the group stage will not carry over to the Super 7; all teams will start this stage with zero points. In the Super 7, each team will play six matches. This stage will run from October 25 to November 14.
The ICC has pre-determined seven teams to participate in the Super 7. The purpose of this decision is to simplify the planning of potential matches, venues, and travel for spectators, teams, and organizers.
Following the Super 7 stage, four teams will advance to the semi-finals, comprising the top four teams in the table. The team ranked first will face the team ranked fourth, while the teams ranked second and third will compete in the other semi-final. The first semi-final is scheduled for November 17 in Cape Town. The second semi-final will take place on November 18 in Tswane. A reserve day is provided for both semi-finals. The World Cup final is slated for November 21 in Johannesburg. November 22 is designated as a reserve day for the final, allowing the match to be played on this day in case of bad weather or other circumstances.
The ICC announced that the World Cup schedule was published a year before the tournament begins in Cape Town. Concurrently, the ticket sales process for fans commenced. ICC Chairman Jay Shah stated that the announcement of the tournament schedule and the start of ticket sales are crucial steps in preparing for the event. He also noted that South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia will jointly host this major international cricket tournament for leading global teams.
