LONDON: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday released a tentative schedule for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, set to take place from February 7 to March 8 next year.

The event will feature 20 international teams and will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Colombo is expected to stage matches at two venues, while five different grounds across India will host games. The final is likely to be played in Sri Lanka, though officials noted this would depend on Pakistan’s progression to the championship match.

This will mark a return of T20 World Cup 2026 hosting for both nations after a considerable gap: India last staged the event in 2016, while Sri Lanka previously hosted in 2012.

Neutral venues for India-Pakistan ties

Due to lingering political and security tensions, India and Pakistan have agreed to play their fixtures at neutral venues for the next three years. The arrangement follows an aerial incident between the two nations earlier in May, which also prompted the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to refuse participation in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan — a tournament that would have been Pakistan’s first major global cricket event since the 1996 World Cup.

Asia Cup clash tonight

Meanwhile, in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025 in the UAE, India will play their opening fixture tonight against hosts UAE in Dubai. The second match of the tournament follows Afghanistan’s emphatic win over Hong Kong on Tuesday, after they defended a total of 189-6.

Pakistan will contest all of their group-stage matches in Dubai, including the much-anticipated clash against India scheduled for September 14.