asianprimenews
Breaking News
CricketCricket fans updateIcc mens world cup 2026 updatesSports

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 schedule announced* Rohit Sharma named ICC BrandAmbassador for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026

by asianprimenews0914

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 schedule announced* Rohit Sharma named ICC BrandAmbassador for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026

Co-hosts India will open their title defence at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 with a marquee night fixture against the United States at Mumbai’s iconic Wankhede Stadium on 7 February, setting the tone for what promises to be a spectacular opening day of cricket across the subcontinent. Former champions Pakistan and the West Indies will also feature on day one, playing at the historic Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo and the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, respectively.

The world’s largest cricket venue, the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, has been earmarked to host the final on 8 March, in a tournament that will span eight electrifying venues across India and Sri Lanka. The MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chennai), Arun Jaitley Stadium (New Delhi), Wankhede Stadium (Mumbai), Eden Gardens (Kolkata) R. Premadasa Stadium (Colombo), Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground (Colombo) and Pallekele International Cricket Stadium (Kandy) round out the full list of host venues. The complete schedule was unveiled at a glittering ceremony in Mumbai today.

ICC Chairman Mr Jay Shah presided over the event, which showcased the fixtures. Sharing the stage were Rohit Sharma, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup-winning captain and newly appointed ICC Brand Ambassador, India’s T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav, and India women’s captain and reigning ICC CWC 2025 winner Harmanpreet Kaur.

The event will follow the same successful format used in 2024, when India lifted the trophy in Barbados. Twenty teams have been divided into four groups of five, with the top two from each progressing to the Super Eights, where teams will be placed according to pre-determined seedings.

Group A: India, USA, Namibia, Netherlands, Pakistan
Group B: Australia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Oman
Group C: England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Italy, Nepal
Group D: South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Canada, UAE
All Group B matches, featuring co-hosts Sri Lanka, will take place exclusively across Sri Lankan venues. All of Pakistan’s matches will also be played in Sri Lanka.

If Pakistan qualifies for the semi-finals, Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium will replace Kolkata as the host of Semi-Final 1. Should Pakistan reach the final, that venue will also shift from Ahmedabad to Colombo.

If India and Pakistan meet in the semi-finals, that match will be staged in Colombo, while Mumbai will host Semi-Final 2 involving India if they face any team other than Pakistan.

Mr. Jay Shah, Mr. Sanjog Gupta and Mr. Rohit Sharma welcomed the announcement of the schedule and looked forward to the tournament.

*Mr Jay Shah, ICC Chairman*, said: “It is wonderful to welcome the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup back to the subcontinent so soon after a groundbreaking Women’s Cricket World Cup. The passion for cricket in this region is unmatched, and fans have been waiting eagerly for another global spectacle. The announcement of the fixtures brings us a step closer, and I have no doubt that the five venues in India and three in Sri Lanka will be alive with energy throughout the tournament.

“The T20 format continues to drive the sport’s global expansion and will be showcased at the LA Olympics in 2028. With that in mind, the 2026 edition will capture the imagination of millions. One can already picture the electric atmosphere at the Narendra Modi Stadium when the champions lift the trophy on 8 March.”

*Mr Sanjog Gupta, ICC CEO*, said: “The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is expected to usher in a new era of global, marquee Cricketing events, both in terms of the athletic spectacle and fan experiences on offer.  We have seen six different champions in less than two decades of the tournament’s history, which demonstrates the competitive nature of the competition. With 20 teams from 5 continents vying for the title in Cricket’s most unpredictable format and the tournament returning after a decade to its biggest market, this promises to be a feast for Cricket fans around the world. The ICC, along with its partners, are committed to delivering unmatched immersive experiences of this extravaganza across multiple touchpoints to widen and deepen fandom for the sport.”

*Mr Rohit Sharma* said: “I have the good fortune of winning this tournament two times and can say from experience that each win in this tournament is a special one. I won the title in 2007 as a youngster and then lifted it as captain in 2024, but it is not just the final that I remember with as much fondness. Many other matches also stand out to me with equal fondness. In a World Cup, every match is big and a lot is at stake.

“Surya’s brilliant catch that won us the match against South Africa in Barbados last time, Virat’s knock against Pakistan in Melbourne in 2022, and Yuvraj’s six sixes against England in Durban in 2007 are some of the most exhilarating moments ever on a cricket field.

“It is great to have the tournament back in India and for me to be associated once again with the tournament, this time in a new capacity as the Brand Ambassador. I wish all the players the very best and hope they have a memorable time and enjoy India’s hospitality while taking back a lot of memories.”

India and Sri Lanka are hosting the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup for the second time. Sri Lanka were the hosts of the 2012 edition while India hosted it in 2016, with West Indies winning both the editions.

India (2007 and 2024) and England (2010 and 2022) are the other teams to win the championship more than once while Pakistan (2009), Sri Lanka (2014) and Australia (2021) are the other past winners.

Share

Related posts

WINNING AN OLYMPIC MEDAL TRANSFORMS NOT ONLY THE LIFE OF THE ATHLETE BUT ALSO THE LIVES OF THEIR FAMILY, SOCIETY, AND VILLAGE: SAKSHI MALIK The Olympic spirit took centre-stage at an event ‘An Olympic Dream: Sport in India,’ a panel discussion, hosted by the JSW Group, Asia Society India Centre, and the Consulate General of France in Mumbai at the Museum of Solutions. The event witnessed the attendance of Mr. Parth Jindal, Founder, JSW Sports along with Indian athletes Sakshi Malik, Dipa Karmakar and Priya Mohan. Mr. Parth Jindal, Founder, JSW Sports, spoke at an event ‘An Olympic Dream: Sport in India,’ a panel discussion hosted by the JSW Group, Asia Society India Centre, and the Consulate General of France in Mumbai, “I believe the way forward for Indian sports is a robust public-private partnership. The reach and funding the government provides are unparalleled, but the private sector adds essential elements like sports science, nutrition, and technology, enhancing the government’s efforts. Over the past decade, this collaboration has flourished. Initiatives like the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), the Mission Olympic Cell, and Khelo India are excellent examples of this synergy, developed in consultation with the private sector. “Despite this progress, the private sector primarily operates within existing government infrastructure, except for a few notable ventures like the Inspire Institute of Sport. To truly elevate Indian sports, we need at least 10 such centres across the country—ideally one in every state. The government is already encouraging private entities to manage these centres, but more involvement is needed. “There are two main challenges in Indian sports: insufficient private sector participation and persistent issues within sports federations, which still suffer from political interference. However, improvements are visible each year. With the Paris Olympics approaching, the collaboration between the government and the private sector is more concentrated and symbiotic than ever, and I am optimistic about the results.” “One crucial aspect of our sports journey has been the emergence of heroes who inspire the next generation. From the three heroes of 2008, we saw six more in 2012, followed by two in 2016. In Tokyo, our hockey team and six other medallists stood out, along with the exceptional Neeraj Chopra in track and field. Each hero, like Vijender Singh in boxing or Sakshi Malik in wrestling, ignites dreams and possibilities in their respective sports. Neeraj Chopra’s achievements in javelin, a sport previously deemed beyond our genetic capabilities, have paved the way for future champions. Now, we have three Indian men’s javelin throwers heading to Paris, a testament to our evolving athletic prowess.” Mr. Parth Jindal, Founder, JSW Sports, further elaborated about Neeraj Chopra, “Neeraj Chopra’s story is a remarkable testament to talent identification and resilience. We discovered Neeraj in 2015 through our sports excellence program, and in 2016, he shattered the World Junior Championship record and won a gold medal in Poland with an 86.48-meter throw. Had he achieved that throw at the Rio Olympics, he would have secured a bronze medal. His journey only became more compelling from there. “The Sports Authority of India (SAI) brought in Uwe Hohn, the only man to throw over 100 meters, as Neeraj’s coach, leading to a significant change in his technique. Unfortunately, this change resulted in a dislocated elbow in 2019, after Neeraj had won gold at the 2018 Asian Games. Many feared this injury would end his career, especially with the Tokyo Olympics looming in 2020. However, the postponement of the Olympics due to COVID-19 gave Neeraj a crucial year to recover. “During the pandemic, with Indian athletes struggling to obtain visas for overseas training, we reached out to the External Affairs Minister, Mr. S. Jaishankar, advocating for urgent visa approvals for Neeraj and wrestler Bajrang Punia. The government swiftly responded, granting them visas—Neeraj received a Schengen visa for France, and Bajrang went to Russia. This enabled them to participate in key tournaments leading up to Tokyo. “When asked why we prioritized these two athletes, my response was rooted in our experience: after nine years in sports development, we believed they were India’s best bets to win medals. As it turned out, both Neeraj and Bajrang proved us right by winning medals at the Tokyo Olympics.” Sakshi Malik, an Olympics bronze medallist, spoke at an event ‘An Olympic Dream: Sport in India,’ a panel discussion hosted by the JSW Group, Asia Society India Centre, and the Consulate General of France in Mumbai, “An Olympic dream is not just an athlete’s dream; it’s the dream of an entire family. Winning an Olympic medal transforms not only the life of the athlete but also the lives of their family, society, and village. After my medal, significant changes occurred. The Chhotu Ram Stadium in Rohtak, where I trained, went from having a tin roof to becoming an AC hall. A stadium was even built in my village and named after me. An Olympic medal creates numerous opportunities, especially for children, allowing them to train in better facilities. “The craze for wrestling in Haryana has surged. Everywhere you go, there’s a stadium every ten minutes, and you’ll find girls training in each one. The old mindset that girls couldn’t wrestle has changed dramatically. The misconceptions that girls are impure and shouldn’t participate in wrestling have been debunked. Now, girls are proving that they too can excel in wrestling. “There was a time when people believed that girls couldn’t wrestle, but today, this has changed. For the first time, five girls are going to the Olympics for wrestling while only one boy is going. Girls, who were once suppressed, are now boldly stepping forward and excelling in wrestling. “After my medal win, no one enters wrestling merely thinking about securing a job or a benefit. They now start with the goal of winning an Olympic medal. This shift in mindset is incredibly inspiring.”

asianprimenews

1800 runners expected for JITTHON

cradmin

INDIA QUALIFY FOR SUPER 8 IN ICC TOURNAMENT. BEATING PAKISTAN BY 61 RUNS

asianprimenews