Reports: MCG to host 2028 T20 World Cup final, Perth likely to stage a semi if India qualify

According to a report by 9News, the Melbourne Cricket Ground is set to host the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2028 and Optus Stadium in Perth is likely to stage one semi-final, with the tournament scheduled to run from October 12 to November 12, 2028.

The event will be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand and is expected to feature 20 teams. Organisers anticipate 55 matches to be played across the two countries, with hosting duties spread among eight cities. The International Cricket Council has not yet released an official, complete list of venues.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground has previously staged the 2022 T20 World Cup final, in which England defeated Pakistan. The venue also hosted the finals of the 1992 and 2015 ODI World Cups and the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup. The MCG has a seating capacity of around 100,000 spectators.

Reports indicate one semi-final will take place at Optus Stadium in Perth while the other will be held in New Zealand. Perth’s time zone is described in the reports as more suitable for Indian television audiences compared to some other Australian venues. The reports add that, if India qualify for the semi-finals, they could play their knockout match in Perth depending on the final fixture allocation.

Adelaide Oval is reported to miss out on hosting both the final and a semi-final in the proposed plan. The venue previously hosted a semi-final between India and England during the 2022 T20 World Cup. That omission would contrast with its role in the last tournament.

The 9News report has circulated widely online, drawing attention ahead of formal confirmation. Despite the coverage, the ICC is yet to officially announce the complete list of host venues. The governing body has also not confirmed semifinal venues and the final match allocation.

An official announcement from the ICC confirming the venue list and match allocations remains outstanding; until that statement is released the reported plan for the MCG final and Perth semi-final cannot be regarded as final.