Mumbai: The next chapter in the India versus Pakistan cricket rivalry will be scripted in the ICC T20 World Cup, on February 15, 2026.
The groupings and fixtures for the high-profile tournament were announced on Tuesday evening. India and Sri Lanka will be the co-hosts of the February 7 to March 8 World Cup.
The marquee clash between India and Pakistan will be played on neutral territory, at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium.
Like the 2024 edition, 20 teams will be vying for the coveted T20 World Cup trophy, divided into four preliminary groups of five teams each. India and Pakistan have been placed in Group A, along with the Netherlands, USA and Namibia.
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The top two from each group will advance to the Super Eight phase, where 8 teams will be divided into two groups. Two teams from Super Eight groups will qualify for the semifinals.
The matches will be played at 8 venues — Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi in India and Colombo (2 grounds) and Kandy.
The two semifinals will be played in Kolkata or Colombo on March 4, and Mumbai on March 5. The final will be staged at Narendra Modi Stadium or Colombo, on March 8. If Pakistan qualify for the semifinals and final, those games will be held in Colombo, instead of in India.
Honour for Rohit
In a big honour for Rohit Sharma, the captain of India’s 2023 T20 World Cup-winning team was named as the Tournament Ambassador.
“It’s my honour to announce that @ImRo45 is the tournament ambassador for the upcoming @T20WorldCup in India & Sri Lanka. There can be no better representative for the event than the winning captain of the 2024 T20 World Cup, and a player who has been in all nine editions so far,” announced Jay Shah, Chairman of International Cricket Council (ICC).