Edinburgh: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has approved new competition formats for the 2027 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup and the 2028 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup during its Annual Conference in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The ICC said that the revised formats are intended to increase competitiveness from the early stages of both tournaments. The Board meeting also included three representatives from Associate Member nations and finalized the qualification pathway for the 2028 Men’s T20 World Cup.
The 2027 ODI World Cup will continue to feature 14 teams, with the tournament adopting a three-stage league format before the knockout rounds.
Under the new structure, the three lowest-ranked qualified teams will first compete in a round-robin Super Series. The winner of that stage will join the remaining 11 qualified teams in the next phase.
The 12 teams will then be divided into two groups of six, with each team playing every other side in its group. The top three teams from each group, along with the next best-placed team across the two groups, will qualify for the Super 7 stage.
ICC have revamped the format of its marquee men’s events to enhance competitive structure and elevate sporting standards.https://t.co/MbpROsVn4w
— ICC (@ICC) July 15, 2026
The seven teams will play another round-robin phase, after which the top four will advance to the semifinals. The semifinals will be played between the first- and fourth-ranked teams and the second- and third-ranked teams.
The 2028 Men’s T20 World Cup will also follow a revised format. The opening stage will consist of five groups of four teams, replacing the previous format of four groups of five.
The top two teams from each group will progress to the Super 10 stage, where the 10 qualified teams will be split into two groups of five.
The winners of the two Super 10 groups will qualify directly for the semifinals. Teams finishing second in each group will play the third-placed team from the opposite group in two eliminator matches, with the winners securing the remaining semifinal places.
The ICC added that the changes provide a more competitive tournament structure while improving the overall experience for players and spectators.
