Five-group structure, Super 10 stage, and new Eliminator round introduced to boost competition and opportunities for emerging cricket nations.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has approved significant changes to the format and qualification pathway of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, with the new structure set to debut in the 2028 edition jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
The decision follows the success of emerging cricket nations at the recently concluded ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The governing body aims to maintain the tournament’s role as a global platform for developing teams while enhancing the competitiveness of the knockout race and later stages of the competition.
Although the tournament will continue to feature 20 teams, the competition format will undergo notable modifications. Under the revised structure, the opening round will consist of five groups of four teams each, replacing the previous setup of four groups containing five teams.
A total of 30 matches will be played during the group stage, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the next phase.
The second stage, known as the Super 10, will feature two groups of five teams competing in a round-robin format. Twenty matches will be played in this round. The team finishing first in each Super 10 group will secure a direct place in the semi-finals.
A new Eliminators round has also been introduced to determine the remaining semi-finalists. In this phase, the second-placed team from each Super 10 group will face the third-placed side from the opposite group.
The winners of these two matches will complete the semi-final lineup, while the semi-finals and final will continue under the existing knockout format.
Twelve teams have already earned automatic qualification for the 2028 tournament based on their performances at the 2026 T20 World Cup and ICC rankings. These teams are Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, and Zimbabwe.
The ICC has also revised the qualification pathway for the remaining teams. Scotland will advance directly to the Europe Regional Final due to special circumstances surrounding its participation in the 2026 tournament.
Meanwhile, Canada, Italy, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States will progress directly to the Global Qualifier.
The remaining Global Qualifier spots will be filled through regional tournaments across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas, and East Asia-Pacific.
From the Global Qualifier, the top-performing team from each region, along with the next three highest-ranked teams overall meeting minimum performance standards, will secure places at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2028.
The revamped tournament format was endorsed by the ICC Board following recommendations from the ICC Development Committee and the ICC Chief Executives’ Committee, with final approval expected after a review by the ICC Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee later this year.