ICC reportedly aiming for October 2, 2027 start to Cricket World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia
The International Cricket Council is reportedly working toward starting the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 on October 2, 2027, with the tournament to be staged across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, a Cricbuzz report said.
The 2027 edition will be a 50-over World Cup played in Africa and is set to return to a 14-team format after the last two ODI World Cups featured only 10 teams. Eight major sides — India, Australia, England, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan — have already secured places for the tournament. The ICC has announced 12 venues across the three host countries, with South Africa scheduled to host the majority of matches while Zimbabwe and Namibia will also stage games.
The reported October 2 start coincides with Gandhi Jayanti, which the Cricbuzz report said would "give the tournament a special connection between India and South Africa." The report added that the ICC wants to use the occasion "to commemorate Gandhi ji’s life and his message of peace and non-violence."
A direct quote in the Cricbuzz piece states: "The ICC intends to mark the commencement of the World Cup by coinciding it with the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi." The original report also noted Gandhi’s 21-year connection with South Africa in its explanation of the proposed timing.
Organisers expect the tournament final to be played on November 21, which would produce a tournament length of around 50 days. The ICC had earlier considered starting the main tournament later in October with warm-up matches beforehand; the reported plan would bring the main event forward to October 2 with warm-up games likely at the end of September.
The three host nations are slated to play World Cup matches on home soil under the planned schedule. The move back to a 14-team field will expand opportunities for additional sides compared with the previous two editions that used a 10-team format.
The ICC has not officially confirmed the October 2 start date; South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia remain the joint hosts for the 2027 ODI World Cup while the schedule awaits formal announcement.