The group stage of the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is in full swing. It has already given us some thrillers and even a double Super Over!
The excitement might just double up as teams fight for a spot in the Super Eight stage.
But what exactly is the Super Eight stage? And how does it work?
Here’s our explainer on the Super Eight stage for the T20 World Cup 2026.
What is the Super Eight round?
Simply put, it’s the second round of the tournament. Eight of the 20 teams will advance to this stage. They will play for the semi-final qualification.
The Super Eight round features two groups of four teams each. The teams will face their group opponents once. Each team will play three matches. The top two teams from each group will then qualify for the semi-finals.
Which teams will qualify for the Super Eight round?
So, we have four groups of five teams each in the group stage. Once the group stage concludes, the top two teams from each of the four groups will move into the Super Eight round.
The eight teams will then be put into two groups – Group 1 and Group 2. Each group will, obviously, comprise four teams.
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How does the grouping work?
The grouping is actually pre-decided. The ICC has formed two groups based on pre-decided seedings.
Group 1 is made up of X1, X2, X3, and X4, while Group 2 consists of Y1, Y2, Y3, and Y4.
The ICC has allotted these seedings to the top eight-ranked teams on the ICC team rankings. For instance, India are X1, Australia X2, the West Indies X3, and South Africa X4 in Group 1. In Group 2, England are Y1, New Zealand Y2, Pakistan Y3, and Sri Lanka Y4.
If these eight teams finish in the top two in their respective groups, they will assume these seedings. And this is irrespective of whether they are No. 1 or No. 2 in their group.
But in case any of these teams miss out, the team that finishes in the top two will replace them in the Super Eight stage.
Let’s understand this with an example:
So, Australia and Sri Lanka have been assigned pre-decided seedings from Group B. In case one of them doesn’t finish in the top two, the other team will assume their seeding in the Super Eights.
Say, Zimbabwe finish second in Group B, with Australia as the toppers. Then, Zimbabwe will be seeded Y4 and play all the matches assigned to Sri Lanka.
In case Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe qualify, then Zimbabwe will replace Australia and play all matches assigned to X2.
If Zimbabwe and Ireland qualify instead of Australia and Zimbabwe, their seeding will be based on where they finish. If Zimbabwe top the group, they will be X2, while Ireland will be Y4 and vice versa.
Will teams carry forward points?
No. Since teams from the same group are not placed together, teams won’t carry forward points. Teams will start from scratch in the Super Eights.
The two teams with the most points will then advance to the semi-finals, with the winners further qualifying for the final.
When does the Super Eights start?
The Super Eight stage of the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 starts on February 21. There will be 12 matches in this round.
After that, there will be two semi-finals on March 4 and 5, with the final on March 8.
Here’s the schedule for the Super Eight stage:
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Feb | Super 8 – Y2 vs Y3 | Colombo (RPS) | 7:00 PM |
| 22 Feb | Super 8 – Y1 vs Y4 | Kandy | 3:00 PM |
| 22 Feb | Super 8 – X1 vs X4 | Ahmedabad | 7:00 PM |
| 23 Feb | Super 8 – X2 vs X3 | Mumbai | 7:00 PM |
| 24 Feb | Super 8 – Y1 vs Y3 | Kandy | 7:00 PM |
| 25 Feb | Super 8 – Y2 vs Y4 | Colombo (RPS) | 7:00 PM |
| 26 Feb | Super 8 – X3 vs X4 | Ahmedabad | 3:00 PM |
| 26 Feb | Super 8 – X1 vs X2 | Chennai | 7:00 PM |
| 27 Feb | Super 8 – Y1 vs Y2 | Colombo (RPS) | 7:00 PM |
| 28 Feb | Super 8 – Y3 vs Y4 | Kandy | 7:00 PM |
| 1 Mar | Super 8 – X2 vs X4 | Delhi | 3:00 PM |
| 1 Mar | Super 8 – X1 vs X3 | Kolkata | 7:00 PM |
| 4 Mar | 1st Semi-Final | Kolkata/Colombo | 7:00 PM |
| 5 Mar | 2nd Semi-Final | Mumbai | 7:00 PM |
| 8 Mar | Final | Ahmedabad/Colombo | 7:00 PM |
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