BOARD OF CONTROL FOR CRICKET IN INDIA (BCCI) has shortlisted Ahmedabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, and Mumbai as the host cities for next year’s T20 World Cup, with the final scheduled to take place in Ahmedabad.
The city, home to the world’s largest cricket stadium with a capacity of over 100,000, also hosted the 2023 ODI World Cup final between India and Australia. That tournament was held across ten venues in total.
Notably, Bengaluru has not been included in the final list. The Karnataka State Cricket Association failed to obtain the required clearances following the tragic stampede during RCB’s IPL victory celebrations in June, which claimed 11 lives at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. No international fixture has been staged there since.
The International Cricket Council is expected to release the full schedule of the February–March 2026 tournament next week.
The event will be co-hosted by Sri Lanka, which will serve as a neutral venue for Pakistan under an arrangement agreed upon with India. Three venues in Sri Lanka, including Colombo, are set to stage matches.
India, the defending champions after their title win in Barbados in June 2025, will aim to retain the crown on home soil. As per the ICC agreement, India and Pakistan will play all their fixtures at neutral venues until 2027. If Pakistan reach the final, the championship match will be held in Sri Lanka.
