New Delhi: The T20 World Cup 2026 is scheduled to start on February 7 with the final to be played on March 8. India and Sri Lanka will host the 10th edition of the tournament.
That’s the only information available
With less than 100 days left, the host BCCI, SLC (Sri Lanka Cricket), and the ICC have not yet announced the date and the venues. Fans will face difficulties, as they cannot arrange their leaves, flights, or hotel bookings without information on the schedule and venues.
This isn’t the first time such delays have occurred. For the 2023 World Cup, the BCCI released tickets just 100 days before later revising the schedule. The Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 is slated for June-July, and the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has already confirmed three venues. In contrast, Cricket Australia and the ICC had announced the full schedule for the 2022 T20 World Cup ten months in advance. When InsideSport contacted a BCCI official regarding the 2026 schedule, the response was simply “soon,” while the ICC did not respond.
BCCI were occupied with the Women’s World Cup 2025
With the BCCI occupied with the Women’s World Cup at home, discussions regarding the T20 World Cup were delayed. However, an announcement is expected once BCCI officials return from the ICC meeting in Dubai. The meeting is also set to be a clash between the PCB and BCCI over the Asia Cup 2025 trophy. So far, two venues have been confirmed: the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will host the final on March 8, while Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium will stage the India vs Pakistan encounter.
In addition, Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Guwahati, and Kolkata are confirmed to host matches, with Vishakhapatnam, Hyderabad, and Dharamsala also in hosting contention. The M. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai is currently undergoing renovations ahead of the T20 World Cup. However, Bengaluru could miss out again due to issues with the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, as a Karnataka government panel has deemed the venue unfit for major events. If this decision is not overturned, Bengaluru will be excluded from hosting T20 World Cup 2026 matches, following the Women’s World Cup.
Fans will have to wait for official announcement
With venues and dates yet to be confirmed, fans are left frustrated. During the last World Cup hosted by India, travelling supporters faced disruptions when venue changes upset their plans. With no clarity on the schedule this time, fans are left with little choice but to wait.
“It’s frustrating. Every time there is a World Cup in India, the schedule comes so late that there is no other option but to pay an exorbitant amount for hotels, flights and even tickets. Let’s say I want to plan for the India-Pakistan match in Colombo. I don’t know when it is. I can’t book tickets or even apply for leave,” one of the fans planning to travel to Sri Lanka told InsideSport.
Traveling fans from Australia, England, and South Africa have taken to social media to voice their concerns over the scheduling.