The wait for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 schedule is finally over. The tournament will have a new format, with 14 teams, three stages before the knockouts, and a new seven-team Super 7 stage.
South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia will host the tournament together. The World Cup will run from October 2 to November 21, 2027. A total of 57 matches will be played across 12 venues in the three countries.
The tournament will start with a three-team Super Series in Windhoek. The main Group Stage will then begin on October 7.
For Indian cricket fans, the schedule has already created a big talking point. India will start their World Cup campaign against defending champions Australia in Cape Town on October 7. Just three days later, India will face Pakistan in Johannesburg.
How will the 2027 Cricket World Cup format work?
The 2027 World Cup will have 14 teams. However, all 14 teams will not start in the main Group Stage.
The tournament will have three stages before the semi-finals:
- Super Series
- Group Stage
- Super 7
The first stage will have the three lowest-placed teams from the 2027 Cricket World Cup Qualifier. These three teams will play each other once.
The team that finishes first will get the last place in the main Group Stage.
The next stage will have 12 teams split into two groups of six. Each team will play five matches in its group.
The top three teams from each group will move into the Super 7. The better fourth-placed team from the two groups will also join them.
This will give the Super 7 a total of seven teams.
The Super 7 will then have another round-robin stage. Every team will play the other six teams once.
This will create 21 matches in the Super 7.
The top four teams from the Super 7 will reach the semi-finals. The team that finishes first will face the team in fourth place. The second-placed team will play the third-placed team.
The two semi-final winners will then meet in the World Cup final.
In simple terms:
14 teams → 3-team Super Series → 12-team Group Stage → 7-team Super 7 → Top 4 → Semi-finals → Final
The full tournament will have 57 matches:
- 3 Super Series matches
- 30 Group Stage matches
- 21 Super 7 matches
- 2 semi-finals
- 1 final
Which teams are in the two World Cup groups?
The #CWC27 groups are locked ⚡🔐
A cricketing extravaganza awaits! How to watch the schedule launch ➡️ https://t.co/Eod5GoN7zW pic.twitter.com/oVg7zVHLNF
— ICC (@ICC) October 1, 2026
The 10 directly qualified teams were decided using the September 30, 2026 cut-off.
South Africa and Zimbabwe qualified as hosts. India, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, England, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh qualified through the ODI rankings.
The final four places will come from the World Cup Qualifier.
The two groups are:
| Group A | Group B |
| India | New Zealand |
| Australia | South Africa |
| Pakistan | Sri Lanka |
| Afghanistan | England |
| Zimbabwe | Bangladesh |
| Qualifier A | Qualifier B |
The winner of the World Cup Qualifier will become Qualifier A in Group A.
The team that wins the Super Series will take the remaining place in the Group Stage as Qualifier B.
The other three teams from the Qualifier will first play in the Super Series.
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Who will play in the Super Series?
The exact teams are not known yet.
The 2027 Cricket World Cup Qualifier will decide four World Cup places.
The Qualifier winner will go straight into the Group Stage. The teams that finish second, third, and fourth will enter the Super Series in Windhoek.
These three teams will play each other once.
| Date | Match | Venue |
| October 2 | QF1 vs QF3 | Windhoek |
| October 4 | QF1 vs QF2 | Windhoek |
| October 6 | QF2 vs QF3 | Windhoek |
The team that finishes first will move into the Group Stage.
So, for now, QF1, QF2 and QF3 are only placeholders. We do not know the exact team names yet.
India begin against Australia before the Pakistan clash
Team India are in Group A and will play five matches in the first stage.
India will start their campaign against Australia on October 7 in Cape Town.
The match will bring back memories of the 2023 World Cup final. Australia beat India in that final. However, this time the two teams will meet at the start of the tournament instead of the final.
India’s Group Stage schedule is:
| Date | Match | Venue |
| October 7 | India vs Australia | Cape Town |
| October 10 | India vs Pakistan | Johannesburg |
| October 14 | India vs Afghanistan | Tshwane |
| October 17 | India vs Qualifier A | Bloemfontein |
| October 24 | Zimbabwe vs India | Victoria Falls |
India will also play on four double-header days during the Group Stage: October 10, 14, 17 and 24.
India’s final Group Stage game will also be part of World Cup history.
India will face Zimbabwe at the new Mosi-oa-Tunya Stadium in Victoria Falls. It will be the first World Cup match at the venue.
It will also be the final match of the Group Stage.
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India vs Pakistan could happen three times
The arch-rivals India and Pakistan will meet on October 10 at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.
India and Pakistan have played in every men’s ODI World Cup since their first World Cup meeting in 1992.
India have won all eight of their ODI World Cup meetings against Pakistan so far.
The 2027 format could now create the chance for India and Pakistan to play three times in one World Cup.
Their first meeting is already confirmed because both teams are in Group A.
The second meeting could happen in the Super 7.
India are pre-seeded as A1, while Pakistan are A3. If both teams reach the Super 7, they will meet again on November 7 in Cape Town.
This happens because every Super 7 team will play every other team once.
There could also be a third meeting.
If India and Pakistan both reach the semi-finals, the two teams could meet again depending on their positions in the Super 7 and the knockout bracket.
They could also meet in the final if they reach that stage through the correct path.
So, the possible meetings are:
Group Stage: India vs Pakistan — confirmed
Super 7: India vs Pakistan — possible if both qualify
Knockout stage: another India vs Pakistan — possible depending on the Super 7 standings and bracket
The new format has therefore created the possibility of three India-Pakistan matches in one World Cup.
India could face Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Pakistan again
The ICC has already given seven teams fixed positions for the Super 7. This will help set the schedule for that stage.
India are A1, Australia are A2, Pakistan are A3, England are AB4, New Zealand are B1, South Africa are B2 and Sri Lanka are B3.
If another team reaches the Super 7 and one of these pre-seeded teams does not qualify, the new team will take that team’s position.
Based on the current pre-seeded schedule, India’s Super 7 matches are:
India could therefore play 11 matches from the Group Stage through the Super 7 if they follow this path.
They would play five Group Stage matches and then six Super 7 matches.
Complete Group A schedule
| Date | Match | Venue |
| Oct 7 | India vs Australia | Cape Town |
| Oct 8 | Pakistan vs Afghanistan | Tshwane |
| Oct 9 | Zimbabwe vs Qualifier A | Bulawayo |
| Oct 10 | India vs Pakistan | Johannesburg |
| Oct 11 | Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan | Bulawayo |
| Oct 12 | Australia vs Qualifier A | Paarl |
| Oct 14 | India vs Afghanistan | Tshwane |
| Oct 15 | Pakistan vs Qualifier A | Bloemfontein |
| Oct 15 | Zimbabwe vs Australia | Harare |
| Oct 17 | India vs Qualifier A | Bloemfontein |
| Oct 18 | Australia vs Afghanistan | KuGompo City |
| Oct 19 | Zimbabwe vs Pakistan | Harare |
| Oct 21 | Afghanistan vs Qualifier A | KuGompo City |
| Oct 22 | Australia vs Pakistan | Paarl |
| Oct 24 | Zimbabwe vs India | Victoria Falls |
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Complete Group B schedule
| Date | Match | Venue |
| October 8 | England vs Bangladesh | Windhoek |
| October 9 | South Africa vs New Zealand | Cape Town |
| October 10 | Sri Lanka vs Qualifier B | Windhoek |
| October 12 | New Zealand vs Bangladesh | KuGompo City |
| October 13 | England vs Sri Lanka | Windhoek |
| Oct 13 | South Africa vs Qualifier B | Paarl |
| Oct 16 | Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh | Durban |
| Oct 16 | South Africa vs England | Gqeberha |
| Oct 17 | New Zealand vs Qualifier B | Harare |
| Oct 19 | South Africa vs Bangladesh | Durban |
| Oct 20 | New Zealand vs Sri Lanka | Johannesburg |
| Oct 20 | England vs Qualifier B | Harare |
| Oct 22 | South Africa vs Sri Lanka | Johannesburg |
| Oct 23 | England vs New Zealand | Gqeberha |
| Oct 23 | Bangladesh vs Qualifier B | Tshwane |
The Group Stage will finish on October 24. The Super 7 will then start on October 25.
Complete Super 7 schedule
The Super 7 will have 21 matches. Each team will play six matches.
| Date | Match | Venue |
| October 25 | Australia vs Sri Lanka | Johannesburg |
| October 26 | New Zealand vs Pakistan | Gqeberha |
| October 27 | South Africa vs England | Tshwane |
| October 28 | India vs Australia | Victoria Falls |
| October 29 | New Zealand vs Sri Lanka | KuGompo City |
| Oct 30 | Pakistan vs England | Victoria Falls |
| Oct 31 | South Africa vs India | Johannesburg |
| Nov 1 | Australia vs New Zealand | Victoria Falls |
| Nov 2 | Sri Lanka vs England | Cape Town |
| Nov 3 | South Africa vs Pakistan | Durban |
| Nov 4 | India vs New Zealand | Paarl |
| Nov 5 | Australia vs England | Durban |
| Nov 6 | South Africa vs Sri Lanka | Bloemfontein |
| Nov 7 | India vs Pakistan | Cape Town |
| Nov 8 | New Zealand vs England | Durban |
| Nov 9 | South Africa vs Australia | Gqeberha |
| Nov 10 | Pakistan vs Sri Lanka | Bloemfontein |
| Nov 11 | India vs England | Gqeberha |
| Nov 12 | South Africa vs New Zealand | Cape Town |
| Nov 13 | Australia vs Pakistan | Bloemfontein |
| Nov 14 | India vs Sri Lanka | Durban |
The Super 7 will give the top teams another chance to play each other.
The teams will not carry their Group Stage points into the Super 7. Every team will start this stage from zero.
Each team will then play six matches.
When are the semi-finals and final?
The top four teams from the Super 7 will reach the knockouts.
The semi-finals will follow this format:
1st vs 4th
2nd vs 3rd
The semi-finals will take place on November 17 and 18. The final will be played on November 21.
| Date | Match | Venue | Time |
| November 17 | Semi-final 1 | Cape Town | 10:00 AM local |
| November 18 | Semi-final 2 | Tshwane | 10:00 AM local |
| November 21 | Final | Johannesburg | 10:00 AM local |
All three knockout matches are scheduled as day games. They will also have reserve days.
For Indian viewers, a 10:00 AM start in South Africa means 1:30 PM IST.
Which venues will host the 2027 World Cup?
The World Cup will take place across 12 venues in three countries.
South Africa — 8 venues
- Cape Town
- Johannesburg
- Tshwane
- Durban
- Gqeberha
- Bloemfontein
- Paarl
- KuGompo City
Zimbabwe — 3 venues
- Harare
- Bulawayo
- Victoria Falls
Namibia — 1 venue
- Windhoek
Namibia will host the opening Super Series in Windhoek.
The Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek will also host three Group Stage matches.
Zimbabwe will host matches in Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls. The new Mosi-oa-Tunya Stadium in Victoria Falls will host India’s final Group Stage match against Zimbabwe.
South Africa will have the most venues, with eight.
Durban and Windhoek will host six matches each.
Cape Town, Johannesburg, Bloemfontein and Gqeberha will host five matches each.
Tshwane, Paarl, KuGompo City, Harare and Victoria Falls will host four matches each.
Bulawayo will host two matches.
When does the 2027 World Cup start and finish?
The tournament will officially start on October 2, 2027, with the Super Series in Windhoek.
The main Group Stage will start on October 7 with India vs Australia in Cape Town.
The Super 7 will run from October 25 to November 14.
The semi-finals will take place on November 17 and 18.
The World Cup final will be played on November 21 in Johannesburg.
The 2027 World Cup will look very different from the 2023 edition.
In 2023, the teams played in one league stage before the semi-finals. In 2027, teams will have to go through more stages. The Super 7 will also give the top teams another chance to play each other before the knockouts.
For India, the World Cup journey will begin with Australia and then move quickly to Pakistan. India could meet Pakistan again in the Super 7, and the new format also leaves the door open for another meeting in the knockout stage.
The full schedule is now clear. The next big question is which seven teams will reach the Super 7 and compete for a place in the semi-finals? What do you think? Let us know in the comments.
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