Cape Town, October 1, 2026: Traditional rivals Pakistan and India have been drawn in the same group alongside defending champions Australia for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, which will be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
The 14-team tournament will feature a new three-stage format aimed at producing more competitive matches and increasing the significance of results throughout the competition.
The opening stage will see Teams 12, 13 and 14 compete in a round-robin Super Series, with only the top team advancing to the second round.
The second round will comprise two groups of six teams each. The top three teams from each group, along with the highest-ranked remaining team across the two groups, will advance to the Super Seven stage.
The top four teams from the Super Seven stage will qualify for the semi-finals, with the winners progressing to the final.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) and Cricket South Africa (CSA) confirmed the groups at a star-studded event in Cape Town marking the one-year countdown to the tournament.
Pakistan, India and six-time world champions Australia have been placed in Group A, alongside Afghanistan, co-hosts Zimbabwe and Qualifier A, which will emerge from the Super Series.
Group B comprises Bangladesh, England, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, co-hosts South Africa and Qualifier B.
The ICC has confirmed that the World Cup will be played from October 2 to November 21, 2027, although the complete match schedule has yet to be announced.
The tournament will be staged across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, with the three co-hosts receiving direct qualification.
