Explained: What changes ICC made to the format of T20 World Cup 2028?
(Courtesy : Getty Images)
ICC T20 World Cup 2028 will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) conducted their Annual General Meeting in Edinburgh from July 8 to July 11. During the meeting, the Governing Body finalised the format for the T20 World Cup 2028.
The next edition of the T20 World Cup will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. Like the previous two editions in 2024 and 2026, the tournament will consist of 20 teams that will battle for the title. However, a few changes have been made to the format.
India are the defending champions of the T20 World Cup. Under Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy, India won 2026 edition in March by crushing New Zealand in the final. Men in Blue also won the prior edition in 2024, defeating South Africa in the summit clash in Barbados.
ICC T20 World Cup 2028 format to witness a Eliminator round ahead of semi-finals
Although a total of 20 teams will be part of next T20 World Cup like the previous edition, ICC has tweaked the format. For the first time, an Eliminator round will take place ahead of the semi-finals. Below is the format of T20 World Cup 2028.
Group Stage (30 matches) – The 20 participating teams be divided into five groups of four teams each, unlike the previous format of four groups of five used in the T20 World Cup 2026. They will play one game against the other teams in their pool. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super 10 stage
Super 10 (20 matches) – In this round, all 10 qualified teams will be divided into two groups. They will play a round-robin format. The winners of each Super 10 group will directly book a berth in the semi-finals.
Eliminators (2 matches) – The remaining two semi-final spots will be decided through a new Eliminators round. The second and third-placed teams of the Super 10 round will clash with the opposite teams of the other group. The winners of these two games will be the other two semi-finalists.
Semi-finals and final: The winners of the both the semi-finals will lock horns in the final.
T20 World Cup 2028 format explained
| Stage | Format & Qualification |
|---|---|
| Group Stage (30 matches) | 20 teams divided into five groups of four. Each team plays the others once. The top two teams from each group qualify for the Super 10. |
| Super 10 (20 matches) | The 10 qualified teams are split into two groups of five. Teams play in a round-robin format. The group winners advance directly to the semi-finals. |
| Eliminators (2 matches) | The 2nd and 3rd-placed teams from each Super 10 group face teams from the opposite group. The two winners qualify for the semi-finals. |
| Semi-finals & Final | The four semi-finalists compete in the knockouts, with the two winners meeting in the final. |
Meanwhile, 12 teams have already booked their spots for the T20 World Cup 2028 based on their performance in the 2026 edition and ICC team rankings.
Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, and Zimbabwe are qualified for the campaign. The remaining 8 teams will be qualified through global qualifiers.
Who are the hosts of ICC T20 World Cup 2028?
Australia and New Zealand are the hosts of ICC T20 World Cup 2028.
Who are the defending champions of ICC T20 World Cup?
India are the defending champions of ICC T20 World Cup.
For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.
Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.