T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule Announcement Live Updates: India vs Pakistan – will the arch-rivals clash in the group stage?

T20 World Cup 20 26 Schedule Announcement Live Updates: The countdown to the T20 World Cup 2026 schedule announcement has brought several key elements into focus, led by India’s rare return as defending champions — a scenario last witnessed in a home World Cup since 1987. That ODI campaign ended prematurely in the semi-finals, a reminder of how tricky title defences can be. With Sri Lanka sharing hosting responsibilities this time, India aim to avoid the familiar pitfalls associated with the so-called champions’ curse across global sport.

The event features 20 teams and retains the expanded format introduced in 2024: four groups of five teams, top two progressing to the Super Eight, followed by knockouts. The qualification pool reflects a mix of direct entries, rankings, and global pathways. Apart from hosts India and Sri Lanka, the top performers from the 2024 edition qualify automatically, joined by Pakistan, New Zealand, and Ireland through the rankings, while eight nations booked passage through the global qualifiers — including Italy, who will make their first appearance at an ICC world event.

Fans can follow the schedule reveal live from 6:30 PM IST on Star Sports channels and via streaming on the JioStar app.

Teams qualified for T20 World Cup 2026:

India (hosts), Sri Lanka (hosts), Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, United States, West Indies, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Canada, Netherlands, Italy, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Nepal, Oman and UAE.