DUBAI: India and Sri Lanka are getting ready to host the next ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2026 after this year’s spellbinding 20-team event in the USA and the West Indies ended last weekend.

Again a 55-match affair, the tournament will be played out in the same format, with four groups of five, before two Super Eights groups, semi-finals and a final to crown the next champion, as per ICC, Asian News Internatioal (ANI) reported on Tuesday.

Before that though, the final eight teams for the tournament need to be decided. As hosts, Sri Lanka and India take up the first two spots for 2026. From there, the next 10 spots were determined by Super Eight qualifiers at the 2024 edition, and ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings on the 30th June were the cut-off date.

Thanks to their strong first-round play and entry to the Super Eights, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa and the West Indies all secured 2026 T20 World Cup spots, as well as the USA, who upstaged Pakistan in a Super Over to steal a Second R
ound spot in Group A. Despite missing out on the Super Eights, Babar Azam’s men meanwhile secured their place at the next edition thanks to their T20I ranking (7th), alongside New Zealand (6th) and Ireland (11th).

The final eight teams for the 2026 edition will be decided by regional qualifiers, in a similar pathway to that of the 2024 qualifying.

Africa, Asia and Europe have two qualification spots, with one spot for both the Americas and East-Asia Pacific regions.

Source: Emirates News Agency