India to open campaign vs Australia on October 7, face Pakistan on October 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 before taking on arch-rivals Pakistan in Johannesburg on October 10.
The 14-team tournament will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia and will begin on October 2 with the Super Series in Windhoek. The three-team competition will determine the final team to enter the Group Stage.
South Africa and Zimbabwe have qualified directly as co-hosts, while eight other teams secured their places through the ICC Men's ODI Team Rankings as of the September 30, 2026 cut-off. The remaining four spots will be decided through the Cricket World Cup Qualifier.
The top-placed team in the Qualifier will progress directly to the Group Stage, while the other three teams will compete in the Super Series. The three Super Series matches will be played on October 2, 4 and 6, with each team facing the others once. The team finishing top will claim the final Group Stage spot.
The 12 teams in the Group Stage will be divided into two groups of six. Group A comprises India, Australia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Zimbabwe and one qualifying team, while Group B features South Africa, England, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the second qualifying team.
Australia and India, the finalists from the 2023 World Cup, will meet in Cape Town on October 7 in the opening Group Stage match. England and Bangladesh will face off in Windhoek on October 8, while co-hosts South Africa will begin their campaign against New Zealand in Cape Town on October 10.
Zimbabwe will face Afghanistan in Bulawayo on October 11 and will also play their final Group Stage match against India at the new venue in Victoria Falls.
India and Pakistan will renew their rivalry in Johannesburg on October 10. The 12 teams at the ODI World Cup to be split into two groups of six (ICC Photo)
Namibia Cricket Ground will host its final tournament fixture on October 13, when England face Sri Lanka. India's clash against Pakistan will be played in Johannesburg on October 10.
The top three teams from each group will advance to the Super 7 phase, along with the fourth-placed team with more points than the fourth-placed side in the other group.SUPER 7 PHASE
The seven teams entering the Super 7 phase will start with no points carried over from the Group Stage. Each team will play six matches between October 25 and November 14.
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.A1: IndiaA2: AustraliaA3: PakistanA4: EnglandB1: New ZealandB2: South AfricaB3: Sri Lanka
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 ICC said the seeding system has been introduced to provide fixture certainty for fans while ensuring the integrity of the qualification process is maintained.SEMI-FINALS AND FINAL
The top four teams after the Super 7 phase will advance to the semi-finals. The team finishing first will face the fourth-placed team, while the second- and third-placed sides will meet in the other semi-final.
The first semi-final will be played in Cape Town on November 17, while the second will take place in Tshwane on November 18. Both semi-finals will have reserve days.
The final is scheduled for Johannesburg on November 21, with November 22 set aside as the reserve day if required.
The schedule was unveiled in Cape Town on the one-year countdown to the tournament. The ICC also 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.
