ICC announces 2027 World Cup schedule; India open vs Australia on Oct 7, face Pakistan on Oct 10
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday, October 1, announced the schedule for the 2027 Men's Cricket World Cup, with India set to begin their campaign against defending champions Australia in Cape Town on October 7 and taking on Pakistan in Johannesburg on October 10.
The 14-team tournament will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia and begins on October 2 with a three-team Super Series in Windhoek that will determine the final entrant to the Group Stage. South Africa and Zimbabwe qualified directly as co-hosts; eight other teams secured places through the ICC Men's ODI Team Rankings as of the September 30, 2026 cut-off, while the remaining four slots will be decided through the Cricket World Cup Qualifier. The top-placed team in the Qualifier will progress directly to the Group Stage and the other three teams will compete in the Super Series.
Group Stage action starts on October 7 in Cape Town with Australia meeting India, a repeat of the 2023 final. South Africa open against New Zealand in Cape Town on October 9, Zimbabwe face Afghanistan in Bulawayo on October 11, and Zimbabwe will play their final Group Stage match against India at the new venue in Victoria Falls. Namibia Cricket Ground will host its final tournament fixture on October 13, when England face Sri Lanka, and India’s clash with Pakistan is scheduled for Johannesburg on October 10.
The 12 teams that reach the Group Stage will be split into two groups of six, with the top three from each group advancing to the Super 7 phase alongside the fourth-placed team with more points than the fourth-placed side in the other group. Teams entering the Super 7 will start with no points carried over from the Group Stage and each will play six matches between October 25 and November 14. The top four teams after the Super 7 phase will advance to the semi-finals, with first facing fourth and second facing third.
Seven teams have been pre-seeded into designated positions to provide greater clarity around potential fixtures, venues and travel plans for fans, teams and stakeholders. The Super 7 phase will begin on October 25, with A2 facing B3 in Johannesburg; if Australia and Sri Lanka both qualify for the Super 7 phase, that fixture will be Australia vs Sri Lanka. If a non-seeded team qualifies for the Super 7 phase while a pre-seeded team fails to advance, the qualifying team will assume the position allocated to the pre-seeded side it has displaced—for example, if Bangladesh qualify for the Super 7 phase and Sri Lanka do not, Bangladesh will take the B3 position and face Australia on October 25.
The first semi-final is scheduled for Cape Town on November 17 and the second for Tshwane on November 18, with reserve days for both fixtures, and the final is set for Johannesburg on November 21 with November 22 reserved as a backup day. The schedule was unveiled in Cape Town on the one-year countdown to the tournament and the ICC opened the ticket ballot for fans. ICC Chairman Jay Shah said the announcement marked an important milestone ahead of the tournament and expressed his excitement about the competition being staged across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. "The announcement of the schedule and opening of the ticket ballot are major milestones on the road to the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027, bringing fans one step closer to a spectacular celebration of cricket across the three nations." "The ICC remains committed to making its World Cup events accessible to as many fans as possible, with affordable ticket prices and options that bring families, young people and local communities closer to the action." "South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia will provide an unforgettable stage for the world's best teams, combining a deep passion for cricket, extraordinary destinations and a renowned warmth of welcome. We look forward to welcoming fans from across the world and creating memories that will last long beyond the final." — ICC Chairman Jay Shah
The immediate next phase is the three Super Series matches in Windhoek on October 2, 4 and 6, with each team playing the others once and the team finishing top claiming the final Group Stage spot.