Narendra Modi Stadium Set to Bookend T20 Men’s World Cup 2026 with Opening and Possible Final Showdown

The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is set to kick off the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup next year, and may also host the final unless Pakistan reaches the final match.

If Pakistan does reach the final, the match will take place in Colombo, following a prior arrangement between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Meanwhile, the semifinals are likely to be held at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium and Kolkata’s Eden Gardens.

It’s confirmed that the second semifinal will happen in Mumbai, while Kolkata will likely host the first semifinal, assuming Pakistan does not advance to this stage.

If Pakistan reaches the semifinals, the match will be hosted in Colombo.

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As previously reported by Sportstar, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has narrowed down eight venues for the World Cup—Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata, along with three venues in Sri Lanka: the R. Premadasa Stadium and the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, and the Pallekele International Stadium in Kandy.

Although the fixture list hasn’t been released, sources suggest the tournament is expected to begin on February 7 and conclude on March 8. The ICC is still deciding whether to arrange the warm-up games in Bengaluru.

If Bengaluru hosts the warm-up matches, it will be interesting to see whether they occur at the Centre of Excellence or the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Co-hosted by the BCCI and Sri Lanka Cricket, the 20-team tournament will utilize the same format as the 2024 event in the United States and the West Indies. Teams will be placed in four groups comprising five teams each, according to a recent ICC statement.

The group stage will lead into a Super-Eight phase featuring the top two teams from each group. “The Super Eights will constitute two groups of four teams each, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout semifinals,” the ICC stated.

The tournament will feature all 13 Test-playing countries, along with Canada, the Netherlands, UAE, Nepal, Oman, Namibia, and newcomer Italy.

Published on Nov 09, 2025