India and Sri Lanka, the joint hosts of the T20 World Cup 2026, appear to have landed on opposite ends of the draw based on early reports ahead of the ICC’s official announcement on November 25. While India find themselves in what can be described as a comfortable cluster, Sri Lanka may feel considerably less fortunate.
According to provisional groupings, top-ranked India feature in a bracket with Pakistan, the Netherlands, Namibia and the USA — with only two Test-playing nations among the five. For both India and Pakistan, the path to the Super Eight looks straightforward, regardless of the result in their much-anticipated clash scheduled for the second weekend of the tournament — February 15. A reminder, of course, that Pakistan fell to the USA in 2024, a defeat that still lingers in discussion.
Sri Lanka, meanwhile, face a much harder route. Ranked No. 8, they are reportedly grouped with Australia (No. 2), Zimbabwe (No. 11), Ireland (No. 12) and Oman (No. 20). Three full-member opponents in one pool make this, arguably, the group of death, especially for a Sri Lankan side still striving for consistency.
Across the 20-team field, four groups of five have thrown up multiple heavyweight combinations. England (No. 3) and the West Indies (No. 6), both former champions, join Bangladesh (No. 9) — a formidable subcontinental outfit — alongside Nepal (No. 17) and Italy, the world’s 28th-ranked side.
Runners-up South Africa (No. 5) also find themselves in a challenging cluster, potentially needing to overcome at least one of New Zealand (No. 4) or Afghanistan (No. 10) to reach the next phase. UAE (No. 16) and Canada (No. 18) round out that group for the February 7–March 8 event.
India are expected to open their World Cup campaign against the USA, followed by fixtures against Namibia, Pakistan and the Netherlands. As previously reported, the India–Pakistan match will take place in Colombo under a pre-tournament agreement. In India, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi and Ahmedabad are set to host matches, while Colombo and Kandy will be the venues in Sri Lanka.
Ahmedabad is likely to host the final — unless Pakistan qualify for the title match, in which case Colombo becomes the preferred location. Mumbai and Kolkata are under consideration for the semifinals, depending on qualification scenarios. Colombo is shortlisted to host one semifinal and potentially the final if Pakistan advance that far.
The top two teams from each group will progress to the Super Eight, from where the best four sides will qualify for the semifinals, followed by the final. The ICC will officially unveil the draw in Mumbai on November 25.
