The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the schedule for the Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027.
The tournament begins on 2 October with the commencement of the three-team Super Series in Windhoek, which will decide the final Group Stage team.
The 12 remaining teams at the tournament will be split into two groups of six.
CWC 2027 Groups
Group A Group B
India New Zealand
Australia South Africa
Pakistan Sri Lanka
Afghanistan England
Zimbabwe Bangladesh
Qualifier A Qualifier B
Group stage action begins on 7 October in Cape Town with a repeat of the 2023 Final as defending champions Australia take on India.
Co-hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe begin their campaigns on 9 October and 11 October respectively. South Africa take on New Zealand in Cape Town, with Zimbabwe meeting Afghanistan in Bulawayo.
Of the 14 teams at the tournament, South Africa and Zimbabwe qualified directly as hosts, alongside the best eight teams on the ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings at the 30 September 2026 cut-off.
The remaining four spots will be decided at the Cricket World Cup Qualifier. The top-placed finisher goes directly to the Group Stage***,*** while the other three teams compete in the Super Series for a Group Stage spot.
The top three teams of each group will move into the Super 7 phase, with the better fourth-place finisher across the two groups taking the seventh spot.
The top three teams of each group will move into the Super 7 phase, with the better fourth-place finisher across the two groups taking the seventh spot.
Key Fixtures
There will be a lot of eyes looking to Namibia, with three high-stakes Super Series fixtures on October 2, 4 and 6 played by the second, third and fourth-placed finishers of Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2027.
Through a single round robin format, the team finishing top of the Super Series will claim the final group stage spot.
A rematch of the 2023 is pencilled in to begin Group Stage action, with India and Australia set to meet in Cape Town. The city will also play host to South Africa’s opener on 9 October against historic sporting rivals New Zealand, while co-host Zimbabwe’s tournament opener comes on the same day, when they take on Qualifier B.
The much-anticipated India-Pakistan match will be played on October 10 in Johannesburg, while the Namibia Cricket Ground’s final fixture at the tournament is one of intrigue, when England play Sri Lanka on 13 October.
India take on Zimbabwe in the first Cricket World Cup match at the new ground at Victoria Falls, the last fixture of the group stage.
The top three teams in each group and the fourth-placed team with more points than the fourth-place finisher in the other Group Stage group go on to the Super 7 phase.
Super 7 Phase
The remaining seven teams enter the Super 7 phase with no points carried over from the group stage, meaning that each team will play six more matches from October 25 to November 14.
To provide clarity for fans, teams and stakeholders, a number of teams have been pre-seeded into designated Super 7 positions. This allows fans to better understand potential venue allocations and fixture pathways in advance, helping them plan travel, attendance and ticket purchases with greater confidence. The pre seeded allocations are listed below:
A1: India
A2: Australia
A3: Pakistan
AB4: England
B1: New Zealand
B2: South Africa
B3: Sri Lanka
So for example, the Super 7 stage begins on Monday, 25 October 2027 with A2 taking B3 in Johannesburg. This match will be Australia against Sri Lanka if both Australia and Sri Lanka qualify for the Super 7 stage.
Should a non-seeded team finish in a qualifying position and a pre-seeded team do not, that team will assume the Super 7 position allocated to the pre-seeded team it has displaced.
In the same example, if Bangladesh qualify for the Super 7 stage and Sri Lanka do not, Bangladesh would take the B3 spot, and play Australia on 25 October.
This seeding is done to ensure the integrity of the qualification process is maintained while preserving fixture certainty for fans.
Semi-Finals and Final
The top four teams after the Super 7 phase progress to the semi-finals. The team finishing top of the Super 7 standings will face fourth, with the second and third-placed teams going head-to-head.
The first Semi-final will be held on 17 November in Cape Town and 18 November in Tshwane. Both semi-finals will have a reserve day.
The Final will take place on 21 November in Johannesburg, with a reserve day on 22 November if necessary.
ICC Chairman Jay Shah is excited by the prospect of long-lasting memories in next year’s competition.
“The announcement of the schedule and opening of the ticket ballot are major milestones on the road to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, bringing fans one step closer to a spectacular celebration of cricket across the three nations.
“The ICC remains committed to making its World Cup events accessible to as many fans as possible, with affordable ticket prices and options that bring families, young people and local communities closer to the action.
“South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia will provide an unforgettable stage for the world’s best teams, combining a deep passion for cricket, extraordinary destinations and a renowned warmth of welcome. We look forward to welcoming fans from across the world and creating memories that will last long beyond the final.”
Adding to the excitement ahead of the tournament, the ICC has opened the ticket ballot, giving fans around the world the chance to register for an opportunity to secure their place at the event.
Fans are encouraged to enter the ballot and take their first step towards being part of the action, with ticket prices ranging from USD $9.62 (R158) for entry-level tickets to USD $31.31 (R514) for the highest-tier matches.
Special consideration has also been given to family bundles, student and pensioner pricing, early-bird local allocations, and community club and school group pricing.
Venues
A total of 12 venues will play host to the tournament.
The Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek plays host to the three Super Series matches and three group games, with three venues in Zimbabwe and eight in South Africa.
The Mosi-oa-Tunya Stadium in Victoria Falls joins Harare and Bulawayo, while in South Africa, matches will be held in Cape Town, Paarl, Johannesburg, Tshwane, Bloemfontein, Durban, KuGompo City and Gqeberha.
Full Cricket World Cup Schedule
Super Series
Saturday, 2 October 2027 - QF1 v QF3 - Windhoek
Monday, 4 October 2027 - QF1 v QF2 - Windhoek
Wednesday, 6 October 2027 - QF2 v QF3 - Windhoek
Group Stage
Thursday, 7 October 2027 - India v Australia - Cape Town
Friday, 8 October 2027 - Pakistan v Afghanistan - Tshwane
Friday, 8 October 2027 - England v Bangladesh - Windhoek
Saturday, 9 October 2027 - Zimbabwe v Qualifier A - Bulawayo
Saturday, 9 October 2027 - South Africa v New Zealand - Cape Town
Sunday, 10 October 2027 - India v Pakistan - Johannesburg
Sunday, 10 October 2027 - Sri Lanka v Qualifier B - Windhoek
Monday, 11 October 2027 - Zimbabwe v Afghanistan - Bulawayo
Tuesday, 12 October 2027 - Australia v Qualifier A - Paarl
Tuesday, 12 October 2027 - New Zealand v Bangladesh - KuGompo City
Wednesday, 13 October 2027 - England v Sri Lanka - Windhoek
Wednesday, 13 October 2027 - South Africa v Qualifier B - Paarl
Thursday, 14 October 2027 - India v Afghanistan - Tshwane
Friday, 15 October 2027 - Pakistan v Qualifier A - Bloemfontein
Friday, 15 October 2027 - Zimbabwe v Australia - Harare
Saturday, 16 October 2027 - Sri Lanka v Bangladesh - Durban
Saturday, 16 October 2027 - South Africa v England - Gqeberha
Sunday, 17 October 2027 - India v Qualifier A - Bloemfontein
Sunday, 17 October 2027 - New Zealand v Qualifier B - Harare
Monday, 18 October 2027 - Australia v Afghanistan - KuGompo City
Tuesday, 19 October 2027 - Zimbabwe v Pakistan - Harare
Tuesday, 19 October 2027 - South Africa v Bangladesh - Durban
Wednesday, 20 October 2027 - New Zealand v Sri Lanka - Johannesburg
Wednesday, 20 October 2027 - England v Qualifier B - Harare
Thursday, 21 October 2027 - Afghanistan v Qualifier A - KuGompo City
Friday, 22 October 2027 - Australia v Pakistan - Paarl
Friday, 22 October 2027 - South Africa v Sri Lanka - Johannesburg
Saturday, 23 October 2027 - England v New Zealand - Gqeberha
Saturday, 23 October 2027 - Bangladesh v Qualifier B - Tshwane
Sunday, 24 October 2027 - Zimbabwe v India - Victoria Falls
Super 7 Stage (current seeded team in brackets)
Monday, 25 October 2027 - A2 (Australia) v B3 (Sri Lanka) - Johannesburg
Tuesday, 26 October 2027 - B1 (New Zealand) v A3 (Pakistan) - Gqeberha
Wednesday, 27 October 2027 - B2 (South Africa) v AB4 (England) - Tshwane
Thursday, 28 October 2027 - A1 (India) v A2 (Australia) - Victoria Falls
Friday, 29 October 2027 - B1 (New Zealand) v B3 (Sri Lanka) - KuGompo City
Saturday, 30 October 2027 - A3 (Pakistan) v AB4 (England) - Victoria Falls
Sunday, 31 October 2027 - B2 (South Africa) v A1 (India) - Johannesburg
Monday, 1 November 2027 - A2 (Australia) v B1 (New Zealand) - Victoria Falls
Tuesday, 2 November 2027 - B3 (Sri Lanka) v AB4 (England) - Cape Town
Wednesday, 3 November 2027 - B2 (South Africa) v A3 (Pakistan) - Durban
Thursday, 4 November 2027 - A1 (India) v B1 (New Zealand) - Paarl
Friday, 5 November 2027 - A2 (Australia) v AB4 (England) - Durban
Saturday, 6 November 2027 - B2 (South Africa) v B3 (Sri Lanka) - Bloemfontein
Sunday, 7 November 2027 - A1 (India) v A3 (Pakistan) - Cape Town
Monday, 8 November 2027 - B1 (New Zealand) v AB4 (England) - Durban
Tuesday, 9 November 2027 - B2 (South Africa) v A2 (Australia) - Gqeberha
Wednesday, 10 November 2027 - A3 (Pakistan) v B3 (Sri Lanka) - Bloemfontein
Thursday, 11 November 2027 - A1 (India) v AB4 (England) - Gqeberha
Friday, 12 November 2027 - B2 (South Africa) v B1 (New Zealand) - Cape Town
Saturday, 13 November 2027 - A2 (Australia) v A3 (Pakistan) - Bloemfontein
Sunday, 14 November 2027 - A1 (India) v B3 (Sri Lanka) - Durban
Semi Finals
Wednesday, 17 November 2027 - Semi-Final 1 - Cape Town
Thursday, 18 November 2027 - Semi-Final 2 - Tshwane
Final
Sunday, 21 November 2027 - Final - Johannesburg
