A Major Shake-Up for the Men’s T20 World Cup Starting in 2028

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-07-16

The International Cricket Council just approved a major overhaul of the Men’s T20 World Cup. Starting with the 2028 edition, the tournament’s format and qualification pathway are getting a serious refresh. Australia and New Zealand will co-host that event, and while the team count stays at 20, the way they move through the competition is completely different. ### What’s Changing in the Group Stage? The 2026 tournament split 20 teams into four groups of five. From 2028, organizers are switching to five groups of four teams each. That means 30 group-stage matches instead of the previous setup. The top two teams from each group still advance, keeping the door open for smaller cricket nations. ICC officials point to strong performances from emerging teams at the 2026 event as one reason for keeping that access intact. ### The New Super 10 Stage and Eliminators Ten teams move into a fresh Super 10 stage, arranged in two groups of five that play round-robin matches — 20 games total. Here’s where it gets interesting: only the winner of each group gets a direct spot in the semifinals. The second- and third-placed teams don’t go home just yet. Instead, they enter a newly created Eliminators round. The second-placed team from one Super 10 group plays the third-placed team from the other group. Two such matches decide the remaining semifinal berths. This adds real pressure and consequence to matches that, under the old format, carried less weight once the top two spots were locked in. Semifinals and the final continue under the existing structure. ### Qualification Pathway for 2028 Twelve teams have already secured their places for 2028 based on 2026 results and current rankings: - Afghanistan - Australia - Bangladesh - England - India - Ireland - New Zealand - Pakistan - South Africa - Sri Lanka - West Indies - Zimbabwe Scotland gets a direct entry into the Europe Regional Final. The ICC attributes this to the unusual circumstances of their 2026 qualification, which came after Bangladesh withdrew from the tournament. Eight other teams that competed in 2026 without securing automatic 2028 qualification move straight into the Global Qualifier: Canada, Italy, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Oman, United Arab Emirates, and the United States. The remaining eight Global Qualifier places will be filled through regional events — two spots each from Africa, Asia, and Europe, and one spot each from the Americas and East Asia-Pacific. Once the Global Qualifier concludes, the highest-ranked team from each region qualifies automatically, joined by the next three highest-placed teams overall, provided they meet minimum performance requirements. ### What This Means for Fans and Teams This format change is a big deal for fans. More group-stage matches mean more cricket to watch, and the Eliminators round adds a layer of drama that was missing before. For smaller nations, the path to the World Cup stays open, but they’ll need to navigate a more competitive qualification process. The ICC Development Committee and the ICC Chief Executives’ Committee recommended these changes, and the ICC Board has since endorsed them. The format still needs final sign-off from the ICC Finance & Commercial Affairs Committee, which meets in November. ### A Separate Revamp for the ODI World Cup These changes come alongside a separate revamp of the Men’s Cricket World Cup format, also approved during the ICC’s annual meetings in Edinburgh this month. It’s clear the ICC is thinking hard about how to keep cricket exciting and accessible for everyone. For those tracking the sport, the 2028 T20 World Cup is shaping up to be a turning point. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or a casual viewer, this new format promises more tension, more surprises, and more opportunities for teams to prove themselves on the global stage.