The ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8, promises a thrilling showcase of cricket. Twenty teams will compete in 55 matches across five venues in India and three in Sri Lanka.
Tournament Format
The tournament will consist of three phases: the group stage, the Super Eight stage, and the knockout stage.
- Group Stage: The 20 teams are divided into four groups of five. Each team plays the other four teams in its group once in a round-robin format. A total of 40 matches will be played in this stage. Two points are awarded for a win and one for a no-result. In case of a tie, a Super Over will decide the winner.
- Super Eight Stage: The top two teams from each group advance to the Super Eight stage, forming two groups of four. Each team plays the other three members of their group once.
- Knockout Stage: The top two teams from each Super Eight group progress to the knockout stage. The winners of each group face the runners-up from the opposite group in the semi-finals, and the semi-final winners meet in the final.
Number of Matches per Team
In the group stage, each team is guaranteed to play four matches. The teams that advance to the Super Eight stage will play an additional three matches. The two teams that reach the final will play a total of eight matches each.
Qualification
The co-hosts India and Sri Lanka, along with Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, United States and West Indies, automatically qualified for the tournament. Ireland, New Zealand, and Pakistan secured direct qualification based on their ICC Men's T20I ranking. Scotland replaced Bangladesh after the latter refused to play its matches in India. Namibia, Zimbabwe, Canada, Nepal, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Italy and Netherlands advanced through regional qualification tournaments.
Prize Money
While the ICC has not officially announced the prize money for the 2026 T20 World Cup, expectations are high for a record-breaking financial windfall. The total prize pool is projected to be around $13.5 million, with the winning team expected to receive $3 million. In comparison, the 2024 tournament had a total prize pool of $11.25 million, with India winning $2.45 million.
Here’s a breakdown of the projected prize money:
- Champions: \$3,000,000
- Runners-up: \$1,600,000
- Losing Semi-finalists: \$790,000 each
- Teams Finishing 5th – 12th: \$380,000 each
- Participation Fee: \$250,000 each
Even teams that exit earlier in the tournament will see significant returns. Super 8 participants could earn between $247,500 and $382,500, while teams finishing in the bottom half (13th to 20th) were guaranteed $225,000 each in the previous tournament.