The 2026 T20 World Cup is set to run from the first week of February to the first week of March. India and Sri Lanka will co-host the 10th edition of the 20-over event.
India will start as favourites to defend their title in front of the home crowd. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, will look to reclaim the trophy they won back in 2014. And 18 other teams will also have a go at the prestigious title, playing at different venues across both countries.
So which venues will host the 2026 T20 World Cup matches?
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has shortlisted eight stadiums across India and Sri Lanka for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Five of those venues are in India, while the other three are in Sri Lanka.
Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad (India)
The largest cricket stadium in the world will, of course, host the 2026 T20 World Cup matches.
Ahmedabad will host the curtain raiser on February 7, 2026, with India set to kick off their campaign. The venue had also staged the opening match in the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Similar to the 2023 WC, the Narendra Modi Stadium will most likely host the final if Pakistan don’t qualify for it. The venue will, obviously, host a few group stage and super eight matches.
The venue will offer balanced conditions for batters and bowlers. You can still expect big scores here.
Eden Gardens, Kolkata (India)
One of India’s iconic cricket venues, Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, will host the ICC T20 tournament.
In the 2016 T20 World Cup, the venue hosted four group stage games and the final, which the West Indies won. While Kolkata won’t stage the final this time around, it will host one of the two semi-finals.
Eden Gardens generally assists spinners, though batters have enjoyed batting here of late.
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai (India)
The other semi-final of the 2026 edition will likely take place at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
It has previously hosted the semi-finals in the 2016 T20 World Cup and the 2023 ODI World Cup. Before that, the final of the 2011 World Cup also took place at the Wankhede Stadium, which India won against Sri Lanka.
The Wankhede Stadium is a paradise for batters in T20 cricket. It often records high scores, thanks to short boundaries and the quick outfield.
Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi (India)
India’s capital city, Delhi, will host group stage and super eight round matches in this edition.
It has previously hosted many ICC tournaments, with the most recent being the 2023 ODI World Cup. Back in 2016, when India hosted the T20 World Cup, one of the semi-finals happened here.
Delhi offers slow tracks, which bring spinners into focus. But the smaller dimensions allow batters to find boundaries easily.
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai (India)
Chennai will host the T20 World Cup matches for the first time in 2026. While the T20 event will be the first, the venue has hosted four ODI World Cup editions in the past.
The MA Chidambaram Stadium will stage the group stage and super eight matches. Expect spinners to dominate in all matches on the dry surface.
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R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo (Sri Lanka)
Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium (RPS) is a prominent Sri Lankan venue on the roster. It will likely host one semi-final if one of Sri Lanka or Pakistan qualifies.
The venue may as well host the final if Pakistan make the cut. Colombo had hosted the final of the 2012 T20 World Cup.
RPS generally offers dry and slow surfaces, helping spinners a lot. Batters may struggle to score with boundary dimensions slightly longer.
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy (Sri Lanka)
Kandy was also one of the host venues in the 2012 T20 World Cup. It will again stage the group stage matches.
The Pallekele International Cricket Stadium offers balanced surfaces, making for competitive matches. Batters will use the pace and bounce to execute strokes, while spinners will come into the frame later on.
Third Sri Lankan Venue
The third Sri Lankan venue hasn’t yet been confirmed. But it’s most likely that one of Dambulla or Hambantota will share the hosting duties.
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