New Delhi: The ICC Mens T20 World Cup 2026 will be hosted jointly by India and Sri Lanka. The tournament will be played between February 7 and March 8 with 20 international teams participating. Teams from Asia to America and Africa will be part of this Mahakumbh which is going to multiply the thrill of the competitions. Venue and Finals Strategy The league matches of the World Cup will be held in at least seven cities — five in India and two in Sri Lanka. The final is originally scheduled to be held in Ahmedabad but if Pakistan reaches the final the match will be shifted to Colombo in view of political sensitivities. The decision has been taken keeping in mind the existing Indo-Pak relations. Who will be in the fray? India and Sri Lanka have already got direct entry as hosts. Also the Super 8 teams of the 2024 World Cup the top three additional teams of the ICC rankings and the remaining 8 teams will come from regional qualifiers — including Africa Europe Americas Asia and East Asia Pacific. Same old but successful format The format of the 2026 T20 World Cup will be exactly the same as seen in 2024. 4 groups in the early stage then Super 8 then the semi-finals and finals. A total of 55 matches will be played. India are the defending champions this time having defeated South Africa in the final last time. 2026: Super Season of Cricket The start of 2026 for India is going to be filled with cricket: First the WPL (Women’s Premier League) then the T20 World Cup after that the IPL. There are also ODI and T20I series scheduled against New Zealand in January. In other words cricket fans are going to get new thrills every month. Story Highlights Joint Host: India and Sri Lanka will jointly host the T20 World Cup 2026. Impact of political aspects: In case of an India-Pakistan final the final will be shifted to Colombo. Recognized format: Group stage Super 8 semi-finals and then the title battle. Process of qualification: Apart from the hosts the rest of the teams will be selected from the Super 8 ranking and regional qualifiers.