Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan (left) and India’s Hardik Pandya work together throughout their ICC Males’s T20 World Cup match on the Nassau County Worldwide Cricket Stadium in New York on June 9, 2024. — ICC
LAHORE: The Worldwide Cricket Council has reportedly finalised the schedule of the ICC Males’s T20 World Cup 2026, with a high-octane encounter between arch-rivals Pakistan and India slated for February 15.
As per Indian media experiences, the tenth version of the lads’s T20 World Cup is prone to be performed between February 7 and March 8, with India and Sri Lanka confirmed as co-hosts for the event that includes 20 groups. The ICC is anticipated to formally announce the schedule on November 25.
Pakistan and India are reportedly positioned in the identical Group alongside america, Namibia, and Netherlands. The arch-rivals will face one another on February 15 in Colombo, whereas Pakistan will play all its matches in Sri Lanka.
Groups are divided into 4 teams of 5, with the highest two from every group advancing to the Tremendous Eight stage, which is able to then be cut up into two teams of 4.
The highest two sides from every Tremendous Eight group will transfer on to the semi-finals.
India enter the competitors as defending champions, having defeated South Africa within the closing in Barbados earlier this yr.
Notably, all 20 groups set to take part within the mega occasion have already been confirmed, with the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) qualification final month.
The ultimate is prone to be held in Ahmedabad or Colombo, relying on whether or not Pakistan qualifies, on condition that India and Pakistan are presently not enjoying bilateral cricket on account of political tensions.
The UAE joined Nepal and Oman as the ultimate three groups to qualify for subsequent yr’s T20 World Cup 2026 from the Asia-EAP area.
Alongside hosts India and Sri Lanka, the opposite groups with computerized qualification embrace the highest seven sides from the 2024 T20 World Cup: Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, america, and West Indies.
The three groups that certified primarily based on their T20I rankings are Pakistan, New Zealand, and Eire.
Regional qualifiers additionally secured their locations: Canada claimed the lone Americas spot, whereas Italy (making their T20 World Cup debut) and the Netherlands certified from Europe.
Namibia and Zimbabwe grabbed the 2 spots from the Africa qualifier.
