International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced significant changes to the formats of its major men’s tournaments one day world cup and this t20 world cupA move designed to increase competitiveness and ensure that each stage of the events carries greater weight. The revised structures, unveiled after the ICC annual meetings in Edinburgh, will expand both tournaments with additional rounds and introduce new qualification routes, although the proposals will need final approval later this year.
Four-phase format to be expanded in ODI World Cup
One of the biggest changes has come to the Men’s ODI World Cup, which will now be played in four different stages. The tournament will also return to a 14-team format after the last two editions in 2019 and 2023 featured only 10 teams. The competition will begin with a preliminary preliminary round involving the 12th, 13th and 14th placed teams. Only the winner of this stage will advance to the next stage, joining the remaining 11 qualified teams.
In the second phase, there will be two groups of six teams each. At the end of the group stage, the top three teams from each group, along with the highest-ranked fourth-placed team in both groups, will qualify for the newly introduced Super 7 round. Replacing the previous Super 6 stage, the Super 7 will operate as a round-robin league where every match holds vital importance. According to the ICC, the revised system is designed to reward consistency throughout the tournament while ensuring more meaningful competitions before the knockout rounds.
The top four teams from the Super 7 standings will advance to the semi-finals, with the first-placed team playing the fourth-placed team and the second-placed team playing the third-placed team.
T20 World Cup gets Super 10 and Eliminator matches
The ICC has also made changes to the Men’s T20 World Cup format by expanding the second phase of the tournament.
Instead of four groups of five teams, the initial stage will now consist of five groups with four teams each. The top two teams from each group will advance, creating a second round of 10 teams instead of the previous Super 8 stage. These 10 teams will be divided into two groups of five, which will form the newly introduced Super 10 stage.
Another notable addition is the introduction of IPL-style eliminator matches. While the table-toppers from both Super 10 groups will qualify directly for the semi-finals, the second-placed teams in each group will take on the third-placed team from the opposite group in two eliminator fixtures. The winners of those competitions will complete the semi-final lineup before the tournament concludes with the championship final. The ICC believes that the revised format will provide more opportunities for emerging nations while keeping the race for the knockout stage alive for longer.
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Qualification pathway for 2028 T20 World Cup updated
The governing body has also confirmed changes to the qualification process for the 2028 Men’s T20 World Cup. Scotland have been given direct entry into the Europe regional finals after replacing Bangladesh at the 2026 tournament at short notice. Teams that participated in the 2026 edition but failed to achieve automatic qualification will compete through the Global Qualifiers.
Eight additional spots in the Global Qualifiers will be determined through regional qualifying tournaments in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas and the East Asia-Pacific region. The highest-ranked team from each region, along with the next three best-performing teams overall, will earn a spot at the 2028 T20 World Cup, and join the 12 automatically qualified nations to complete the 20-team field.
Although the ICC Board has endorsed these recommendations following proposals from its Development and Chief Executive Committee, the changes are still subject to final review and approval by the Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee in November.
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