The International Cricket Council (ICC) has approved enhancements to the formats of the Men’s ODI Cricket World Cup 2027 and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2028 at the Annual General Meeting in Edinburgh on Wednesday.
The ICC introduced the changes to create more meaningful contests, elevate competitive standards, strengthen the competitive structure of both events, and enhance the tournament experience for athletes and fans.
South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia will co-host the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027. The tournament will continue to feature 14 teams but will now follow a new three-stage format leading to the finals, headlined by a fresh Super Series round.
In Round 1, the bottom three placed sides among the 14 qualified teams will play a round robin Super Series. The winner of that series will progress to the next round.
Round 2 will feature 30 matches. Organizers will split the remaining 12 teams into two groups of six, each playing a round robin format. The top three teams from each group, along with the next best placed team across both groups, will advance to the Super 7 stage.
Round 3, the Super 7 stage, will feature 21 matches in a round robin format among seven teams, with the top four qualifying for the semi-finals. The team finishing first will face the fourth placed side, while the second and third placed teams will meet in the other semi-final.
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will continue to be a 20-team event in its 2028 edition, which Australia and New Zealand will co-host. The ICC designed the revised format to increase the number of teams in the second stage of the competition, expanding representation for emerging teams in the Super 10 stage.
The group stage will feature 30 matches. Organizers will divide the 20 participating teams into five groups of four, replacing the previous format of four groups of five from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super 10 stage.
The Super 10 stage will feature 20 matches across two groups of five, playing a round robin format. The winners of each Super 10 group will qualify directly for the semi-finals.
A new Eliminators round, featuring two matches, will decide the remaining two semi-final spots, with the second placed teams from each Super 10 group facing the third placed teams from the opposite group. The winners of the Eliminators will complete the semi-final lineup, while the semi-finals and final will continue to follow the existing format.
