Narendra Modi Stadium to host opening match of T20 Men’s World Cup 2026, could also host final

The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will host the opening match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup next year, and could also host the final if Pakistan doesn’t make it to the summit clash.

If Pakistan makes it to the summit clash, the game will be held in Colombo as part of an earlier agreement between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

On the other hand, Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium and Kolkata’s Eden Gardens are in contention to host the semifinals.

It is certain that the second semifinal will be played in Mumbai, while the first semifinal could go to Kolkata, provided Pakistan does not make it to the last-four.

In case Pakistan makes it to the semifinal, the fixture will be held in Colombo.

ALSO READ: Who has qualified for T20 World Cup 2026 so far?

As reported earlier by Sportstar, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has zeroed in on eight venues for the World Cup – Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Ahmedabad and Kolkata – along with three venues in Sri Lanka – the R. Premadasa Stadium and the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo and the Pallekele International Stadium in Kandy.

Though the fixtures are yet to be released, sources have indicated that the tournament is likely to start on February 7 and end on March 8. However, the ICC is yet to take a call on whether to host the warm-up games in Bengaluru.

Even if Karnataka’s capital hosts the warm-up fixtures, it would be interesting to see whether they are held at the Centre of Excellence or at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Hosted jointly by the BCCI and Sri Lanka Cricket, the 20-team tournament will be played in the same format as the 2024 event in the United States and the West Indies, with the teams placed in four different groups of five sides each, according to a recent ICC statement.

The group stage will be followed by a Super-Eight phase that will include the top two finishers from each group. “The Super Eights will feature two groups of four sides, with the top two finishers from each group then progressing to the knockout semifinals,” the ICC said.

All 13 Test-playing countries, Canada, the Netherlands, UAE, Nepal, Oman, Namibia and debutant Italy have all qualified for the month-long event.

Published on Nov 09, 2025