ICC announces schedule for Men’s ODI World Cup 2027; check date, venues, groups, format and more | Cricket News

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the schedule for the ICC ODI World Cup 2027, which will be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. The tournament begins on 2 October with the commencement of the three-team Super Series in Windhoek, which will decide the final Group Stage team.

The 12 remaining teams at the ICC ODI World Cup 2027 will be split into two groups of six.

CWC 2027 Groups
 
Group A                      Group B

India                            New Zealand

Australia                      South Africa

Pakistan                      Sri Lanka

Afghanistan               England

Zimbabwe                 Bangladesh

Qualifier A                Qualifier B

Group stage action begins on October 7 in Cape Town with a repeat of the 2023 Final as defending champions Australia take on India.

Co-hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe begin their campaigns on 9 October and 11 October respectively. South Africa take on New Zealand in Cape Town, with Zimbabwe meeting Afghanistan in Bulawayo.

Of the 14 teams at the tournament, South Africa and Zimbabwe qualified directly as hosts, alongside the best eight teams on the ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings at the 30 September 2026 cut-off.

The remaining four spots will be decided at the Cricket World Cup Qualifier. The top-placed finisher goes directly to the Group Stage, while the other three teams compete in the Super Series for a Group Stage spot.

The top three teams of each group will move into the Super 7 phase, with the better fourth-place finisher across the two groups taking the seventh spot.

There will be a lot of eyes looking to Namibia, with three high-stakes Super Series fixtures on October 2, 4 and 6 played by the second, third and fourth-placed finishers of Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2027.

Through a single round robin format, the team finishing top of the Super Series will claim the final group stage spot.

A rematch of the 2023 is pencilled in to begin Group Stage action, with India and Australia set to meet in Cape Town. The city will also play host to South Africa’s opener on 9 October against historic sporting rivals New Zealand, while co-host Zimbabwe’s tournament opener comes on the same day, when they take on Qualifier B.

The much-anticipated India-Pakistan match will be played on October 10 in Johannesburg, while the Namibia Cricket Ground’s final fixture at the tournament is one of intrigue, when England play Sri Lanka on 13 October.

India take on Zimbabwe in the first Cricket World Cup match at the new ground at Victoria Falls, the last fixture of the group stage.

The top three teams in each group and the fourth-placed team with more points than the fourth-place finisher in the other Group Stage group go on to the Super 7 phase.

The remaining seven teams enter the Super 7 phase with no points carried over from the group stage, meaning that each team will play six more matches from October 25 to November 14.

To provide clarity for fans, teams and stakeholders, a number of teams have been pre-seeded into designated Super 7 positions. This allows fans to better understand potential venue allocations and fixture pathways in advance, helping them plan travel, attendance and ticket purchases with greater confidence. The pre seeded allocations are listed below:

A1: India
A2: Australia
A3: Pakistan
AB4: England
B1: New Zealand
B2: South Africa
B3: Sri Lanka

So for example, the Super 7 stage begins on Monday, October 25, 2027 with A2 taking B3 in Johannesburg. This match will be Australia against Sri Lanka if both Australia and Sri Lanka qualify for the Super 7 stage.

Should a non-seeded team finish in a qualifying position and a pre-seeded team do not, that team will assume the Super 7 position allocated to the pre-seeded team it has displaced.

In the same example, if Bangladesh qualify for the Super 7 stage and Sri Lanka do not, Bangladesh would take the B3 spot, and play Australia on October 25.

This seeding is done to ensure the integrity of the qualification process is maintained while preserving fixture certainty for fans.

The top four teams after the Super 7 phase progress to the semi-finals. The team finishing top of the Super 7 standings will face fourth, with the second and third-placed teams going head-to-head.

The first Semi-final will be held on November 17 in Cape Town and November 18 in Tshwane. Both semi-finals will have a reserve day.

The Final will take place on November 21 in Johannesburg, with a reserve day on November 22 if necessary.

Saturday, October 2, 2027 – QF1 v QF3 – Windhoek

Monday, October 4, 2027 – QF1 v QF2 – Windhoek

Wednesday, October 6, 2027 – QF2 v QF3 – Windhoek

Thursday, October 7, 2027 – India v Australia – Cape Town

Friday, 8 October 2027 – Pakistan v Afghanistan – Tshwane

Friday, 8 October 2027 – England v Bangladesh – Windhoek

Saturday, October 9, 2027 – Zimbabwe v Qualifier A – Bulawayo

Saturday, October 9, 2027 – South Africa v New Zealand – Cape Town

Sunday, October 10, 2027 – India v Pakistan – Johannesburg

Sunday, October 10, 2027 – Sri Lanka v Qualifier B – Windhoek

Monday, October  11, 2027 – Zimbabwe v Afghanistan – Bulawayo

Tuesday, October 12, 2027 – Australia v Qualifier A – Paarl

Tuesday, October 12, 2027 – New Zealand v Bangladesh – KuGompo City

Wednesday, October 13, 2027 – England v Sri Lanka – Windhoek

Wednesday, October 13, 2027 – South Africa v Qualifier B – Paarl

Thursday, October 14, 2027 – India v Afghanistan – Tshwane

Friday, October 15, 2027 – Pakistan v Qualifier A – Bloemfontein

Friday, October 15, 2027 – Zimbabwe v Australia – Harare

Saturday, October 16, 2027 – Sri Lanka v Bangladesh – Durban

Saturday, October 16, 2027 – South Africa v England – Gqeberha

Sunday, October 17, 2027 – India v Qualifier A – Bloemfontein

Sunday, October 17, 2027 – New Zealand v Qualifier B – Harare

Monday, October 18, 2027 – Australia v Afghanistan – KuGompo City

 Tuesday, October 19, 2027 – Zimbabwe v Pakistan – Harare

 Tuesday, October 19, 2027 – South Africa v Bangladesh – Durban

 Wednesday, October 20, 2027 – New Zealand v Sri Lanka – Johannesburg

 Wednesday, October 20, 2027 – England v Qualifier B – Harare

 Thursday, October 21, 2027 – Afghanistan v Qualifier A – KuGompo City

 Friday, October 22, 2027 – Australia v Pakistan – Paarl

 Friday, October 22, 2027 – South Africa v Sri Lanka – Johannesburg

 Saturday, October 23, 2027 – England v New Zealand – Gqeberha

 Saturday, October 23, 2027 – Bangladesh v Qualifier B – Tshwane

 Sunday, October 24, 2027 – Zimbabwe v India – Victoria Falls

Super 7 Stage (current seeded team in brackets)

 Monday, October 25, 2027 – A2 (Australia) v B3 (Sri Lanka)  – Johannesburg

 Tuesday, October 26, 2027 – B1 (New Zealand) v A3 (Pakistan) – Gqeberha

 Wednesday, October 27, 2027 – B2 (South Africa) v AB4 (England) – Tshwane

 Thursday, October 28, 2027 – A1 (India) v A2 (Australia) – Victoria Falls

 Friday, October 29, 2027 – B1 (New Zealand) v B3 (Sri Lanka) – KuGompo City

 Saturday, October 30, 2027 – A3 (Pakistan) v AB4 (England) – Victoria Falls

 Sunday, October 31, 2027 – B2 (South Africa) v A1 (India) – Johannesburg

 Monday, November 1, 2027 – A2 (Australia) v B1 (New Zealand) – Victoria Falls

 Tuesday, November 2, 2027 – B3 (Sri Lanka) v AB4 (England) – Cape Town

 Wednesday, November 3, 2027 – B2 (South Africa) v A3 (Pakistan) – Durban

 Thursday, November  4, 2027 – A1 (India)  v B1 (New Zealand) – Paarl

 Friday, November 5, 2027 – A2 (Australia) v AB4 (England) – Durban

 Saturday, November 6, 2027 – B2 (South Africa) v B3 (Sri Lanka) – Bloemfontein

 Sunday, November 7, 2027 – A1 (India) v A3 (Pakistan) – Cape Town

 Monday, November 8, 2027 – B1 (New Zealand) v AB4 (England) – Durban

 Tuesday, November 9, 2027 – B2 (South Africa) v A2 (Australia) – Gqeberha

 Wednesday, November 10, 2027 – A3 (Pakistan) v B3 (Sri Lanka) – Bloemfontein

 Thursday, November 11, 2027 – A1 (India) v AB4 (England) – Gqeberha

 Friday, November 12, 2027 – B2 (South Africa) v B1 (New Zealand) – Cape Town

 Saturday, November 13, 2027 – A2 (Australia) v A3 (Pakistan) – Bloemfontein

 Sunday, November 14, 2027 – A1 (India) v B3 (Sri Lanka) – Durban

Wednesday, November 17, 2027 – Semi-Final 1 – Cape Town

Thursday, November 18, 2027 – Semi-Final 2 – Tshwane

Sunday, November 21, 2027 – Final – Johannesburg

ICC Chairman Jay Shah is excited by the prospect of long-lasting memories in next year’s competition.

“The announcement of the schedule and opening of the ticket ballot are major milestones on the road to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, bringing fans one step closer to a spectacular celebration of cricket across the three nations,” said Shah.

“The ICC remains committed to making its World Cup events accessible to as many fans as possible, with affordable ticket prices and options that bring families, young people and local communities closer to the action.

South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia will provide an unforgettable stage for the world’s best teams, combining a deep passion for cricket, extraordinary destinations and a renowned warmth of welcome. We look forward to welcoming fans from across the world and creating memories that will last long beyond the final,” he added.

Adding to the excitement ahead of the tournament, the ICC has opened the ticket ballot, giving fans around the world the chance to register for an opportunity to secure their place at the event.

Fans are encouraged to enter the ballot and take their first step towards being part of the action, with ticket prices ranging from USD $9.62 (R158) for entry-level tickets to USD $31.31 (R514) for the highest-tier matches.

Special consideration has also been given to family bundles, student and pensioner pricing, early-bird local allocations, and community club and school group pricing.

A total of 12 venues will play host to the tournament.

The Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek plays host to the three Super Series matches and three group games, with three venues in Zimbabwe and eight in South Africa.

The Mosi-oa-Tunya Stadium in Victoria Falls joins Harare and Bulawayo, while in South Africa, matches will be held in Cape Town, Paarl, Johannesburg, Tshwane, Bloemfontein, Durban, KuGompo City and Gqeberha.