T20 World Cup 2026: Ahmedabad and Kolkata lead India’s list of venues for knockout games

The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and Eden Gardens in Kolkata are the frontrunners to host the semifinals of the T20 World Cup, scheduled for February–March next year. As reported by Cricbuzz, the ICC has shortlisted eight venues across India and Sri Lanka for the tournament, which will be jointly organised by the BCCI and Sri Lanka Cricket.

Five Indian cities — Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, and Chennai — have made the cut, along with three Sri Lankan venues, including two stadiums in Colombo and one in Kandy. The final venue, however, is yet to be finalised and will depend on which teams make it to the title clash. Ahmedabad is being considered if Pakistan do not qualify, while Colombo is likely to host the final should Pakistan reach the summit clash.

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The semifinals plan also carries conditional flexibility. If either Sri Lanka or Pakistan qualify for the last four, that particular game will be played in Colombo. If neither progresses, both semifinals will take place in India.

As per the ICC’s October 17 announcement, the 2026 T20 World Cup will follow the same format as the 2024 edition held in the USA and West Indies. The 20 teams will be split into four groups of five. Alongside the 13 Test-playing nations, Canada, the Netherlands, UAE, Nepal, Oman, and Namibia have qualified, with Italy set to make their debut at an ICC global event.

The top two sides from each group will move to the Super Eight stage, divided into two groups of four. The best two teams from each group will then advance to the knockout semifinals.

Defending champions India, who lifted the 2024 title by beating South Africa in the final, will enter the tournament as favourites. The ICC is expected to release the official schedule and groupings soon.

India last hosted a T20 World Cup in 2016, where West Indies went on to win the title after defeating India in the semifinals and England in the final.


Get the latest ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 updates, including the full schedule, teams, live scores, points table, and key series stats such as top run-scorers and wicket-takers.