Will India and Pakistan meet three times? Explaining the new ICC World Cup format

India’s Hardik Pandya, right, celebrates with teammate Ishan Kishan (AP Photo) The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) revamped format for the 2027 ODI World Cup has not only raised the possibility of India and Pakistan meeting three times during the tournament, but has also reignited criticism over how inclusive cricket’s biggest event actually is. At a time when major global sporting events are expanding opportunities for more nations, the ICC has opted for a format that, despite officially increasing the ODI World Cup from 10 to 14 teams, effectively limits meaningful participation for lower-ranked players. The new structure requires the three lowest-ranked qualified teams to fight for a single spot in the main event, meaning only one of them advances while the other two are eliminated before the tournament reaches its main stage. The governing body said the new format is designed to make each match more meaningful from day one and strengthen the competitive narrative throughout the event. But it also paves the way for multiple encounters between cricket’s biggest rivals.

First meeting in the group stage

The tournament will start with a “Super Series” involving teams 12, 13 and 14. Only the winner of this round advances to the next stage. The remaining 12 teams are then divided into two groups of six. Each side will play the others in their group once, with the top three teams from each group and the next best team overall qualifying for the Super 7s. The ICC does not use a completely random draw for its global events and India and Pakistan have regularly found themselves in the same group in recent tournaments. If it continues in 2027, the rivals could face each other in the group stage for the first time.

Super 7 opens the door for a second encounter

The seven qualifying teams will then compete in a single Super 7 stage. With each team playing each other once, India and Pakistan would be guaranteed another meeting if they both reach this stage, taking their tally to two matches in the same tournament. The top four teams from the Super 7 qualify for the semi-finals.

The knockout stage could bring a third blockbuster

The format also leaves room for a third India-Pakistan contest. If both teams qualify for the last four, they could meet in the semi-finals if they finish first and fourth or second and third in the Super 7 standings. If they finish on opposite sides of the draw, they could meet in the final instead. This means that the modified format allows for up to three India-Pakistan matches in a single ODI World Cup: one in the group stage, one in the Super 7 and another in either the semi-final or final. While the ICC presented the changes as a way to increase the importance of each game, the format also highlighted the effective reduction of opportunities for emerging nations while increasing the chances of repeat meetings between the sport’s biggest commercial rivals.