By Shah Khalid Khan Hamdani, Resident Editor, USA
Johannesburg, October 3,2026: The ICC has released the full schedule for the 2027 men’s ODI World Cup, and the defending champions begin their title defence on the first day of the group stage against the side they beat in the last final. Australia meet India at Newlands in Cape Town on 7 October 2027, with the first ball at 10am local time, 6pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time. Australia won a sixth crown in 2023 by beating India in the final. Four years on, the same two finalists meet again, this time on African soil, in the match that starts Australia’s defence.
Australia have been placed in Group A with India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Qualifier A. They play Qualifier A at Boland Park in Paarl on 12 October, Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club on 15 October, Afghanistan at Buffalo Park in KuGompo City on 18 October, and Pakistan back at Boland Park on 22 October. India face Pakistan in Johannesburg on 10 October. Group B is New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, England, Bangladesh and Qualifier B. Ten teams are already through. The remaining four places will be decided at an ICC qualifier in February and March 2027.
The format has changed. The full round-robin used in 2019 and 2023 has been dropped. The tournament opens on 2 October with a three-team Super Series in Windhoek, Namibia, and the winner of that series joins the main draw. Twelve teams are then split into two groups of six. The top three from each group, plus the better of the two fourth-placed sides, advance to a Super Seven. Fifty-seven matches will be played at 12 venues across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. The semi-finals are in Cape Town on 17 November and Tshwane on 18 November, with the final at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on 21 November. The knockout games have reserve days.
If Australia reach the Super Seven they are pre-seeded as A2, whatever their group finish. On that seeding they would play Sri Lanka at the Wanderers on 25 October, India at Victoria Falls on 28 October, New Zealand at Victoria Falls on 1 November, England at Kingsmead in Durban on 5 November, South Africa at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on 9 November, and Pakistan at Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein on 13 November, provided those sides qualify in their seeded places. The new Mosi-oa-Tunya ground sits in the national park beside Victoria Falls, and Australia could play two matches in a row there. The top four from the Super Seven go into the semi-finals, first against fourth and second against third.
A run all the way to the final would mean 13 matches for Australia, two more than the 11 they played in 2023. The tournament lasts seven weeks, and the group stage alone takes them through Cape Town, Paarl, Harare and KuGompo City.
