The tenth ICC Men’s T20 World Cup returns with India and Sri Lanka as joint hosts. The tournament starts on February 7, 2026, and runs until March 8. Twenty teams will compete in 55 matches across eight stadiums. There are five stadiums in India and three in Sri Lanka.
The format stays the same as the 2024 edition, when India won the trophy in Barbados. Teams play in the group stage first. The top teams move to the Super Eights, then the semi-finals, and finally the title decider.
Here is a look at all the teams and their squads for this major tournament.
ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Teams and Groups
Twenty teams have qualified for this tournament. The ICC placed them into four groups of five teams each.
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | Sri Lanka | England | South Africa |
| Pakistan | Australia | West Indies | New Zealand |
| Netherlands | Ireland | Scotland | Afghanistan |
| Namibia | Zimbabwe | Nepal | Canada |
| USA | Oman | Italy | UAE |
India enters as defending champions after their 2024 triumph. They announced their 15-member squad in December 2025. Suryakumar Yadav leads the team after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from T20Is. Italy makes its T20 World Cup debut this year.
India
India enters the T20 World Cup 2026 as defending champions. Suryakumar Yadav leads the team after Rohit Sharma retired from T20Is. The batting lineup features big hitters like Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, and Sanju Samson. Hardik Pandya returns as the main all-rounder along with Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh.
Jasprit Bumrah leads the pace attack. Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana give strong support with the new ball. The spin department looks strong with Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel. Washington Sundar adds balance with his all-round skills. This squad mixes experience with young talent to defend the title on home soil.
Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh
Pakistan
Pakistan enters the tournament with a mix of youth and experience. The 2009 champions want to win their second T20 World Cup title. Babar Azam brings his batting skills to the lineup. The team will play all its matches in Sri Lanka as per the ICC agreement. The squad blends aggressive batting with a varied bowling attack suited for subcontinental conditions.
Squad: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq
Australia
Australia enters the tournament as the 2021 champions, led by Mitchell Marsh. The squad has a strong mix of power hitters and quality bowlers. Travis Head and Matthew Short give explosive starts at the top. Glenn Maxwell brings his match-winning skills in the middle order. Tim David offers finishing ability in the death overs.
Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood lead the pace attack. Xavier Bartlett and Nathan Ellis add variety to the bowling. Adam Zampa anchors the spin department with his leg-spin. Cameron Green provides all-round value. The Australians bring plenty of experience from their successful campaigns.
Squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Renshaw, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
England
England arrives as two-time champions with Harry Brook as captain. The 2022 champions kept key players from their title-winning side. Jos Buttler and Phil Salt provide explosive batting at the top. Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell add depth to the batting. Jofra Archer returns to lead the pace attack with Josh Tongue and Luke Wood.
Sam Curran offers all-round skills with bat and ball. Adil Rashid brings his experience as the main spinner along with Rehan Ahmed. Liam Dawson adds variety to the spin department. The squad has match-winners ready to fight for their third title.
Squad (Provisional): Harry Brook (c), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Josh Tongue, Luke Wood
South Africa
South Africa enters as the 2024 runners-up, hungry for their first T20 World Cup title. Aiden Markram leads a squad full of match-winners. Quinton de Kock and Tony de Zorzi provide explosive starts at the top. Dewald Brevis and David Miller offer power in the middle order. Donovan Ferreira adds finishing ability.
Kagiso Rabada leads the pace attack. Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, and Marco Jansen give strong support. Young speedster Kwena Maphaka adds raw pace to the lineup. Keshav Maharaj and George Linde handle the spin duties. Several members from their 2024 final squad return with unfinished business.
Squad: Aiden Markram (c), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Jason Smith, Tristan Stubbs
New Zealand
New Zealand enters with Mitchell Santner as captain. The squad has a good balance of aggressive batters and skilled bowlers. Finn Allen and Devon Conway provide solid starts at the top. Rachin Ravindra offers his left-hand batting in the middle. Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips bring power-hitting. James Neesham adds all-round value with bat and ball.
Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, and Adam Milne form the pace department. Ish Sodhi supports Santner in spin bowling. Michael Bracewell provides extra spin options. Tim Seifert adds wicket-keeping depth. The Black Caps want to improve on their past World Cup results with this balanced squad.
Squad: Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi
West Indies
West Indies enters as two-time champions. The Caribbean side offers explosive batting and quality bowling. Brandon King and Johnson Charles provide aggressive starts at the top. Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell offer power in the middle order. Sherfane Rutherford adds finishing skills in the death overs. Jason Holder and Roston Chase bring all-round value.
The pace attack features quality seamers. Akeal Hosein and Gudakesh Motie handle the spin duties. The Windies combine Caribbean flair with match-winning abilities.
Squad: Shai Hope (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd
Afghanistan
Afghanistan enters with Rashid Khan as captain. The squad has exciting young talent mixed with experienced players. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran provide aggressive batting at the top. Mohammad Nabi brings valuable experience in the middle order. Gulbadin Naib and Azmatullah Omarzai add all-round depth.
Rashid Khan leads the spin department. Noor Ahmad and Mujeeb Ur Rahman provide excellent support. Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen Ul Haq lead the pace attack. Afghanistan has shown its ability in recent tournaments and looks ready to cause upsets.
Squad: Rashid Khan (c), Noor Ahmad, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Sediqullah Atal, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Naveen Ul Haq, Mohammad Ishaq, Shahidullah Kamal, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Darwish Rasooli, Ibrahim Zadran. Reserves: AM Ghazanfar, Ijaz Ahmadzai, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka co-hosts the tournament with Dasun Shanaka as captain. The 2014 champions want another title on home soil. Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis provide solid starts at the top. Charith Asalanka and Kamindu Mendis add depth to the batting. Wanindu Hasaranga brings world-class leg-spin to the attack.
Maheesh Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage support the spin department. Matheesha Pathirana leads the pace attack with his unique action. Dushmantha Chameera and Nuwan Thushara add variety to pace bowling. Playing at home gives Sri Lanka a big advantage in familiar conditions.
Squad: Dasun Shanaka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Janith Perera, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Pavan Rathnayake, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Matheesha Pathirana, Eshan Malinga
Ireland
Ireland enters as a growing force in world cricket. Paul Stirling provides explosive batting at the top. Lorcan Tucker and Harry Tector strengthen the batting middle order. Curtis Campher offers all-round skills.
Josh Little leads the pace attack with his left-arm swing. George Dockrell handles spin bowling duties. Ireland aims to upset bigger teams and move beyond the group stage.
Squad: Paul Stirling (c), Mark Adair, Ross Adair, Ben Calitz, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Matthew Humphreys, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, Harry Tector, Tim Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe enters with Sikandar Raza as captain. The squad has a mix of experienced players and young talent. Raza provides middle-order batting and off-spin bowling. Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani offer aggressive batting. Brendan Taylor returns to add experience.
Ryan Burl gives left-arm spin and handy batting. Blessing Muzarabani leads the pace attack with his bounce and pace. Richard Ngarava provides left-arm pace variety. Graeme Cremer brings leg-spin expertise. Zimbabwe wants to make an impact in its group.
Squad: Sikandar Raza (c), Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Graeme Cremer, Bradley Evans, Clive Madande, Tinotenda Maposa, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava, Brendan Taylor
Netherlands
The Netherlands has become a competitive associate nation. The team provides strong batting at the top and good all-round abilities. Solid spin bowling options help the side. The pace attack offers variety, with both right- and left-arm options.
The Netherlands opens the tournament against Pakistan and aims to surprise bigger teams.
Squad: Scott Edwards (c), Colin Ackermann, Noah Croes, Bas de Leede, Aryan Dutt, Fred Klaassen, Kyle Klein, Michael Levitt, Zach Lion-Cachet, Max O’Dowd, Logan van Beek, Timm van der Gugten, Roelof van der Merwe, Paul van Meekeren, Saqib Zulfiqar
Namibia
Namibia enters with Gerhard Erasmus as captain for their fourth straight T20 World Cup. The Eagles have become a regular fixture in world cricket events. Erasmus leads from the front with his batting and medium-pace bowling. JJ Smit offers explosive batting and seam-bowling. Nicol Loftie-Eaton brings hard-hitting at the top.
Jan Frylinck offers all-round value with bat and ball. Ruben Trumpelmann leads the pace attack with a left-arm swing. Bernard Scholtz handles spin bowling. The African nation aims to move beyond the group stage for the first time.
Squad: Gerhard Erasmus (c), Zane Green, Bernard Scholtz, Ruben Trumpelmann, JJ Smit, Jan Frylinck, Louren Steenkamp, Malan Kruger, Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Jack Brassell, Ben Shikongo, JC Balt, Dylan Leicher, WP Myburgh, Max Heingo. Reserve: Alexander Volschenk
Canada
Canada enters after their breakthrough in 2024. The Canadians qualified through the Americas qualifier. Navneet Dhaliwal and Nicholas Kirton provide batting power at the top. Shreyas Movva adds wicket-keeping and batting skills.
Kaleem Sana leads the pace attack with seam bowling. Saad Bin Zafar brings experience with left-arm spin. The squad has several players with league experience. Canada aims to build on their 2024 performance and upset higher-ranked teams.
Squad: Dilpreet Bajwa (c), Ajayveer Hundal, Ansh Patel, Dilon Heyliger, Harsh Thaker, Jaskarandeep Buttar, Kaleem Sana, Kanwarpal Tathgur, Navneet Dhaliwal, Nicholas Kirton, Ravinderpal Singh, Saad Bin Zafar, Shivam Sharma, Shreyas Movva, Yuvraj Samra
Nepal
Nepal enters with Rohit Paudel as captain. The team qualified through the Asia-EAP qualifier. Kushal Bhurtel provides explosive batting at the top. Dipendra Singh Airee offers power hitting in the middle order.
Sandeep Lamichhane returns as the lead spinner with his leg-breaks. Sompal Kami brings experience with seam bowling. Nepal aims to show its growing cricket talent on the world stage.
Squad: Rohit Paudel (c), Dipendra Singh Airee, Sandeep Lamichhane, Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh, Sundeep Jora, Aarif Sheikh, Basir Ahamad, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Nandan Yadav, Gulshan Jha, Lalit Rajbanshi, Sher Malla, Lokesh Bam
Scotland
Scotland steps in for Bangladesh in Group C, led by Richie Berrington. This is their seventh appearance at the T20 World Cup, dating back to 2007. At the top of the order, George Munsey and Brandon McMullen add real firepower with the bat. Tom Bruce joins them, bringing plenty of experience from his 17 T20Is with New Zealand.
Squad: Richie Berrington (c), Tom Bruce, Matthew Cross, Bradley Currie, Oliver Davidson, Chris Greaves, Zainullah Ihsan, Michael Jones, Michael Leask, Finlay McCreath, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Safyaan Sharif, Mark Watt, Bradley Wheal. Travelling reserves: Jasper Davidson, Jack Jarvis, Non-travelling reserves: Mackenzie Jones, Chris McBride, Charlie Tear
Oman
Oman enters with Jatinder Singh as captain. The team qualified through the Asia-EAP qualifier. Jatinder Singh provides solid batting at the top. The squad has a good mix of local talent and players from the subcontinent.
Mohammad Nadeem brings experience with left-arm spin. Strong spin options suit the subcontinental conditions. Oman aims to upset bigger teams in their group.
Squad: Jatinder Singh (c), Vinayak Shukla, Mohammad Nadeem, Shakeel Ahmad, Hammad Mirza, Wasim Ali, Karan Sonavale, Shah Faisal, Nadeem Khan, Sufyan Mehmood, Jay Odedra, Shafiq Jan, Ashish Odedara, Jiten Ramanandi, Hasnain Ali Shah
Italy
Italy makes its T20 World Cup debut. The European nation qualified through the European qualifier in July 2025. The squad has players from various backgrounds united under the Italian flag.
Italy faces a tough group but aims to make history in its first World Cup appearance.
Squad: Wayne Madsen (c), Marcus Campopiano, Gian Piero Meade, Zain Ali, Ali Hasan, Crishan Jorge, Harry Manenti, Anthony Mosca, Justin Mosca, Syed Naqvi, Benjamin Manenti, Jaspreet Singh, JJ Smuts, Grant Stewart, Thomas Draca
United Arab Emirates
The UAE qualified through the Asia-EAP qualifier. The squad has a good mix of local talent and expatriate players. Strong spin options suit the subcontinental conditions. Balanced all-rounders add flexibility to the team.
The UAE faces tough opponents in Group D, but brings fearless cricket to every match. They aim to cause upsets against more established teams.
Squad: Muhammad Waseem (c), Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma, Dhruv Parashar, Haider Ali, Harshit Kaushik, Junaid Siddique, Mayank Kumar, Muhammad Arfan, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Zohaib, Rohid Khan, Sohaib Khan, Simranjeet Singh.
United States of America
The USA enters after its breakthrough 2024 campaign that included a historic win over Pakistan. The squad has players with diverse backgrounds and league experience from around the world.
The USA aims to build on its 2024 Super Eight appearance and become a rising force in world cricket.
Squad: Monank Patel (c), Jessy Singh, Andries Gous, Shehan Jayasuriya, Milind Kumar, Shayan Jahangir, Saiteja Mukkamala, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Harmeet Singh, Nosthush Kenjige, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Saurabh Netravalkar, Ali Khan, Mohammad Mohsin, Shubham Ranjane
ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule
The tournament runs from February 7 to March 8, 2026. The group stage spans February 7 to 20. The Super Eights take place from February 21 to March 1. The semi-finals are on March 4 and 5. The final takes place on March 8.
| Date | Match | Venue | Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 7 | Netherlands vs Pakistan | Colombo (SSC) | Group A |
| Feb 7 | Bangladesh vs West Indies | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | Group C |
| Feb 7 | India vs USA | Wankhede, Mumbai | Group A |
| Feb 8 | Afghanistan vs New Zealand | Chennai | Group D |
| Feb 8 | England vs Nepal | Wankhede, Mumbai | Group C |
| Feb 8 | Sri Lanka vs Ireland | Colombo (RPS) | Group B |
| Feb 9 | Bangladesh vs Italy | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | Group C |
| Feb 9 | Oman vs Zimbabwe | Colombo (SSC) | Group B |
| Feb 9 | Canada vs South Africa | Ahmedabad | Group D |
| Feb 10 | Namibia vs Netherlands | Delhi | Group A |
| Feb 10 | New Zealand vs UAE | Chennai | Group D |
| Feb 10 | Pakistan vs USA | Colombo (SSC) | Group A |
| Feb 11 | Afghanistan vs South Africa | Ahmedabad | Group D |
| Feb 11 | Australia vs Ireland | Colombo (RPS) | Group B |
| Feb 11 | England vs West Indies | Wankhede, Mumbai | Group C |
| Feb 12 | Sri Lanka vs Oman | Pallekele | Group B |
| Feb 12 | Italy vs Nepal | Wankhede, Mumbai | Group C |
| Feb 12 | India vs Namibia | Delhi | Group A |
| Feb 13 | Australia vs Zimbabwe | Colombo (RPS) | Group B |
| Feb 13 | Canada vs UAE | Delhi | Group D |
| Feb 13 | Netherlands vs USA | Chennai | Group A |
| Feb 14 | Ireland vs Oman | Colombo (SSC) | Group B |
| Feb 14 | Bangladesh vs England | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | Group C |
| Feb 14 | New Zealand vs South Africa | Ahmedabad | Group D |
| Feb 15 | Nepal vs West Indies | Wankhede, Mumbai | Group C |
| Feb 15 | Namibia vs USA | Chennai | Group A |
| Feb 15 | India vs Pakistan | Colombo (RPS) | Group A |
| Feb 16 | Afghanistan vs UAE | Delhi | Group D |
| Feb 16 | England vs Italy | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | Group C |
| Feb 16 | Australia vs Sri Lanka | Pallekele | Group B |
| Feb 17 | Canada vs New Zealand | Chennai | Group D |
| Feb 17 | Ireland vs Zimbabwe | Pallekele | Group B |
| Feb 17 | Bangladesh vs Nepal | Wankhede, Mumbai | Group C |
| Feb 18 | South Africa vs UAE | Delhi | Group D |
| Feb 18 | Namibia vs Pakistan | Colombo (SSC) | Group A |
| Feb 18 | India vs Netherlands | Ahmedabad | Group A |
| Feb 19 | Italy vs West Indies | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | Group C |
| Feb 19 | Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe | Colombo (RPS) | Group B |
| Feb 19 | Afghanistan vs Canada | Chennai | Group D |
| Feb 20 | Australia vs Oman | Pallekele | Group B |
| Feb 21 | Super Eight Match 1 | Colombo (RPS) | Super Eight |
| Feb 22 | Super Eight Match 2 | Pallekele | Super Eight |
| Feb 22 | Super Eight Match 3 | Ahmedabad | Super Eight |
| Feb 23 | Super Eight Match 4 | Wankhede, Mumbai | Super Eight |
| Feb 24 | Super Eight Match 5 | Pallekele | Super Eight |
| Feb 25 | Super Eight Match 6 | Colombo (RPS) | Super Eight |
| Feb 26 | Super Eight Match 7 | Ahmedabad | Super Eight |
| Feb 26 | Super Eight Match 8 | Chennai | Super Eight |
| Feb 27 | Super Eight Match 9 | Colombo (RPS) | Super Eight |
| Feb 28 | Super Eight Match 10 | Pallekele | Super Eight |
| Mar 1 | Super Eight Match 11 | Delhi | Super Eight |
| Mar 1 | Super Eight Match 12 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | Super Eight |
| Mar 4 | Semi-Final 1 | TBA | Knockout |
| Mar 5 | Semi-Final 2 | Wankhede, Mumbai | Knockout |
| Mar 8 | Final | TBA | Final |
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The Road Ahead
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 brings cricket action to India and Sri Lanka. Twenty teams, each with their own story, arrive hungry for glory. India wants to keep the trophy at home. South Africa chases their first title after falling short in 2024.
England and Australia bring big-match experience. Pakistan eyes a second title after 16 years. Italy, making its debut, wants to create history. The determined associate teams, such as Nepal, Bangladesh, and Namibia, are ready to spring surprises. With eight top stadiums and 55 matches packed into one month, the schedule is packed with drama. Who will lift the trophy on March 8? Fans around the world cannot wait to find out.
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