ICC Announce Fixture Schedule for 2027 Men’s Cricket World Cup
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
2027 Men’s Cricket World Cup: Schedule and Key Details
The dates are in - the format is set - the International Cricket Council (ICC) has now announced the official schedule for the 2027 Men’s Cricket World Cup.
The first ball of the tournament will be bowled on October 2 in Windhoek, where a three-team Super Series will decide which team claims the final place in the Group Stage. The 12 qualified nations will then be split into two groups of six, and we will be covering every match in our 2027 ODI Cricket World Cup predictions.
Cricket World Cup 2027 Groups
| Group A | Group B |
|---|---|
| India | New Zealand |
| Australia | South Africa |
| Pakistan | Sri Lanka |
| Afghanistan | England |
| Zimbabwe | Bangladesh |
| Qualifier A | Qualifier B |
The Group Stage of the competition kicks off in Cape Town on October 7 with an absolute blockbuster as defending champions Australia take on India in a repeat of the 2023 final. Co-hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe get their campaigns underway on October 9 and 11, respectively.
The top three teams from each group will secure direct entry to the Super 7 Phase, while the final slot will be allocated to the best-performing fourth-placed finisher. The Super 7 will begin on October 25 at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.
Semi-finals will be staged on November 17 and 18 at Newlands Cricket Ground and Centurion Park, respectively. The Final is set for November 21 at Wanderers Stadium.
India Faces Massive Test in Opening Fixtures
India are among the favourites to win the 14th edition of the Men’s Cricket World Cup, but they face a tough start to their tournament, starting with a blockbuster matchup against the reigning kings Australia in Cape Town on October 7.
The Men in Blue’s second match is arguably the biggest of the group stage, as they will lock horns with arch-rivals Pakistan at the Wanderers on October 10. These fierce foes have not played a bilateral series against each other since December 2012, with their meetings since being restricted to ICC events.
Indian star batsman Virat Kohli said that the upcoming World Cup would be his last, adding that the intensity of the global competition was unlike anything else in cricket. Speaking to the media after the schedule announcement in Cape Town last week, Kohli said:
“To maintain that intensity for 10 games takes a lot out of you in foreign conditions. It’s the last World Cup I am going to play for India, and my motivation is to leave everything out there. It’s going to be great. I still get called up all the time about that 2023 final, and they’ll be up for revenge.”
Few rivalries in international cricket can match the sheer intensity of India versus Pakistan. The Men in Blue have dominated their World Cup encounters with the Shaheens, winning all eight meetings as well as eight of their nine clashes at the T20 World Cup.
