T20 World Cup 20 26 Schedule Announcement Live Updates: The countdown to the T20 World Cup 2026 schedule announcement brought several key elements into focus, led by India’s rare return as defending champions – a scenario last witnessed at a home World Cup since 1987. The ODI campaign ended prematurely in the semi-finals, a reminder of how tricky a title defense can be. With Sri Lanka sharing the hosting duties this time around, India are looking to avoid the familiar pitfalls associated with the so-called curse of champions across global sports.
The event features 20 teams and retains the expanded format introduced in 2024: four groups of five teams, with the top two advancing to the Super Eight, followed by knockout stages. The qualification pool reflects a combination of direct entries, assessments and global routes. Apart from hosts India and Sri Lanka, the top finishers from the 2024 edition will qualify automatically, joined in the rankings by Pakistan, New Zealand and Ireland, while eight nations have booked their way through the global qualifiers – including Italy, who will be making their first appearance at an ICC world event.
Fans can watch the unveiling program live from 6:30 PM IST on Star Sports channels and via streaming on the JioStar app.
Teams Qualified for T20 World Cup 2026:
India (hosts), Sri Lanka (hosts), Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, United States of America, West Indies, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Canada, Netherlands, Italy, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Nepal, Oman and United Arab Emirates.
