T20 World Cup 2026: India Shortlists Five Host Cities, Ahmedabad Favoured for Final

India will co-host the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with Sri Lanka, marking the first time the two countries have jointly staged a global cricket championship of this scale. According to information shared with NDTV and other Indian media outlets, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has submitted a proposed match schedule to the International Cricket Council (ICC), with the event expected to take place between March and April.

Sources indicated that the BCCI intends for all matches in India to be played in major metropolitan centres. The five shortlisted venues are Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. A senior board official quoted by The Indian Express said the 2026 tournament would be “more streamlined” than the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup, during which matches were spread across a wider range of cities. Under the new proposal, each of the five Indian venues is expected to host at least six fixtures.

The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, currently the world’s largest cricket ground, is widely viewed as the preferred choice for the final. The venue recently staged the 2023 Men’s World Cup final as well as several Indian Premier League deciders. Sportstar reported that Colombo may be named as an alternative neutral venue should Pakistan reach the final, reflecting ongoing political sensitivities between India and Pakistan.

Sri Lanka is expected to host all of Pakistan’s matches, continuing an arrangement used during the Women’s 2025 One-Day International World Cup, when Pakistan played their fixtures outside India due to strained bilateral relations. The ICC is currently assessing three Sri Lankan venues, though these have not been publicly confirmed.

The Indian and Pakistani cricket boards have maintained an agreement, originally formalised ahead of the Champions Trophy, stating that neither national team will tour the other’s country for major tournaments. This policy is rooted in long-standing political tensions, and both teams have competed only on neutral grounds for several years. Under the terms of this agreement, India and Pakistan’s group-stage match in the 2026 tournament will be held in Colombo.

Venue selection for India has excluded several stadiums that hosted matches during the Women’s ODI World Cup, including Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, Indore and Navi Mumbai. Officials said these centres were not considered for the men’s tournament due to capacity limitations and the requirement to host a larger number of fixtures in cities with stronger transport links and hotel infrastructure.

Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, one of India’s most iconic cricket grounds, was also omitted. According to Sportstar, the decision followed a fatal stampede during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s domestic league victory celebrations in June, which raised concerns over crowd safety and emergency response capabilities for a major global event.

The ICC is expected to formally announce the tournament schedule once venue inspections and security reviews are completed. The final list of Sri Lankan stadiums will also be confirmed at that stage.

Context

The 2026 T20 World Cup will feature 20 teams, making it one of the largest editions of the tournament held to date. Global cricket authorities have increasingly emphasised the need for high-capacity venues and enhanced security arrangements for events involving large multi-national audiences. India’s decision to concentrate matches in major cities reflects this broader trend and highlights the logistical challenges associated with hosting major sporting tournaments across multiple countries.