The Board of the International Cricket Council (ICC) has given the green light to the qualification process for the Men’s T20 World Cup, slated to be co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India in 2026. The approval was granted during the recent meeting of the Board held in Dubai.
At the forefront of the meeting’s agenda was the discussion surrounding the future structure and context of international bilateral cricket.
The 10th edition of the tournament will feature 12 automatic qualifiers, including the host nations and the top 8 teams from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. Both India and Sri Lanka, as hosts, will secure direct qualification, while the top 8 teams from the 2024 edition will also earn berths for the 2026 tournament.
In the scenario where India and Sri Lanka finish within the top 8 teams in 2024, six additional teams will qualify for the T20 World Cup 2026. Conversely, if either of the hosts finishes outside the top 8, they will still qualify alongside the top 8 teams from the previous edition.
Furthermore, four teams will qualify based on the ICC T20I team rankings as of June 30, 2024, while the remaining eight slots will be filled through Regional Qualifiers.
The tournament will comprise 20 teams, mirroring the format of the 9th edition hosted by the West Indies and the United States of America (USA) from June 2 to June 29, 2024.
The ICC also confirmed that the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024 will include reserve days for the semi-finals and finals. Additionally, a minimum of five overs will be required to constitute a result in group and Super Eight stages, while knockout matches will necessitate a minimum of 10 overs in the second innings for a valid outcome.
