ICC unveils new formats for Men's ODI and T20 World Cups

FE Team | Published: July 15, 2026 23:05:02

ICC ODI World Cup trophy. — AFP

The ICC has revamped the formats of its marquee men's events - the ODI World Cup and the T20 World Cup - adding more rounds to both competitions, reports Cricbuzz.
Following its annual meetings in Edinburgh, the ICC announced the format changes with the purpose of "creating more meaningful contests, elevating competitive standards, strengthening the competitive structure of both events, and enhancing the tournament experience for athletes and fans".
Men's ODI World Cup - what's changed?
A total of 14 teams will participate: the last two editions (2019, 2023) featured ten teams, with 14 teams last featuring in the 2015 edition.
The tournament will now feature four rounds, with the addition of a round-robin Super Series round that will precede the (group stage) Round 2.
Round 1 will be played between teams 12, 13 and 14.
The top team will progress to Round 2, along with the other 11.
Round 2 will feature two groups of six, with the top three teams from each group and the next highest-placed team (one across both groups) qualifying for a round-robin Super 7.
Instead of Super 6 in the previous format, the Super 7 will now serve as the conduit for teams to qualify for the semi-finals. As per the ICC, the idea is to attach more consequence and competitiveness to each game. This round will see all 7 teams facing each other even though some of them would have already clashed in the previous round. For instance, if India and Pakistan are placed in the same group in Round 2 and manage to qualify for the Super 7, they will clash again.
The top four teams from Super 7 will qualify for the semis, scheduled as follows: Teams 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3.
In total, the 2027 edition will now witness 57 matches - 9 more than the previous edition.
Men's T20 World Cup - what's changed?
One of the big changes in the Men's T20 World Cup format is the increase in the number of teams from 8 to 10 in the second stage of the competition. This could see more "emerging" teams making it to the second stage.
To start with, the 20 teams will be put in five groups of four each, rather than four groups of five as per the previous format. Two teams from each group will progress to the next round. The Super 8 will be replaced by a Super 10, with two groups of five each.
Secondly, after the top team from each group directly qualifies for the semi-finals, two IPL-like Eliminator matches will be played between teams placed second versus team's placed third in the opposite group.
Following the two Eliminator matches, the two semi-finals will be held, followed by the final.