BCCI has finally shortlisted a pool of 5 cities across India where the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 matches will be played. India will host the World Cup with its neighboring country Sri Lanka, so some matches will also be held at Sri Lankan venues.
The ICC T20 World Cup will be played in 2026, with India and Sri Lanka co-hosting the ICC tournament. India are the defending champions of the ICC T20 World Cup after winning it under Rohit Sharma in 2024.
India will play in this format without two of its experienced cricketers, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, as they announced their retirement after the last World Cup win. 20 teams will participate in the competition.
BCCI shortlists venues to host ICC T20 World Cup 2026
The Board of Control for Cricket in India has shortlisted a list of five venues in the Indian subcontinent as prime venues for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026. According to The Indian Express report, top BCCI officials decided in a meeting that the World Cup will be played in fewer cities, with at least 5-6 matches at the same venue.
It is also learned that he has clearly stated that the venues hosting the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 in India, which include Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, Indore and Navi Mumbai, will not be used for T20 World Cups going forward.
Therefore BCCI has selected Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi, Eden Gardens, Kolkata, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai and Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai as the venues for the World Cup.
ICC had issued the decision on the semi-final venues
The tournament will be hosted by both India and Sri Lanka, which means the knockout matches should be played in both countries, but this is not the plan. Being a better board and their teams having more chances of reaching the semi-finals, BCCI can host two semi-finals.
The ICC has made it clear to the BCCI that if Sri Lanka qualifies for the knockouts of the competition, their matches will be held in their home country and not on Indian soil. It seems that BCCI has also accepted this proposal.
While the other semi-finals will continue to be held in India, most likely one of the above-mentioned five venues will definitely host the ICC knockout game.
Sri Lanka will host the Games at three different venues
Lanka Cricket Board will host matches at three venues in the ICC T20 World Cup; However, the locations are yet to be revealed. Possibly, the grounds of Pallekele, Colombo and Dambulla can be cited as the three most ideal venues for T20 cricket.
Like the ICC Women’s World Cup, Sri Lanka will host all its matches on home soil and will also host all of Pakistan’s matches. As per the agreement between PCB and BCCI ahead of the Champions Trophy in 2025, they will not travel or play any games in their respective countries.
Even if Pakistan reaches the semi-finals or final of the competition, it will be shifted to Sri Lanka instead of India, just as the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy final was held in Dubai despite Pakistan being the official host.
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