The 2026 ICC Under-19 World Cup began on January 15 in Zimbabwe and Namibia.
India and the West Indies kicked off the campaign with wins straightaway, beating the USA and Tanzania, respectively. Now the race to reach the Super Six stage has started.
Twelve of the 16 teams will get the opportunity to move one step closer to the semi-finals and eventually play the final.
But how do the group stage and the Super Six round work in the under-19 World Cup 2026?
Group Stage in the ICC U19 World Cup 2026
The group stage is straightforward, actually. Sixteen teams have been put into four groups of four sides each.
These teams will face their group opponents once each. So each team plays three matches in the group stage.
The top three teams from each group will advance to the next round – the Super Six stage.
And what about the bottom-ranked teams?
The four bottom-ranked teams from each group will play in the 13th- to 16th-place play-off. The No. 4 teams from Groups A and D will face each other, while the last-ranked teams from the other two groups will take on each other once.
Super Six in the ICC U19 World Cup 2026
The 12 teams that will advance to the Super Six round will be further divided into two groups.
One group comprises three teams each from Groups A and D. And the other group consists of three teams each from Groups B and D.
So teams play each other in Super Six? Nope.
Teams actually play two matches in the Super Six round. They will face the differently ranked teams from the other group in the first round, while they will carry forward the points earned against the fellow group stage teams.
For instance, the toppers of Group A will face the second- and third-placed teams from Group D. They won’t face the topper of Group D and the No. 2 and 3 teams from Group A.
But they will carry the wins, losses, points, and net run rate earned against the other two Group A members.
What happens after the Super Six round? The top two teams from each Super Six group will move into the semi-finals.
Semi-Final and Final in the U19 World Cup 2026
The topper of the first group will take on the second-ranked team of the other group in the first semi-final on February 3.
The second semi-final will pit the topper of the second group against the runner-up of the first group on February 4.
The semi-final winners will then square off in the tournament final on February 6 in Harare.
Read Next | Under-19 Cricket World Cup Winners List
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