The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially approved sweeping changes to the structure of its marquee men’s tournaments, introducing revamped formats for both the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The decisions, finalized during the ICC Board’s annual meetings in Edinburgh, are aimed at making every fixture carry greater significance while improving the overall experience for players, broadcasters, and cricket fans worldwide.
The governing body has also approved significant changes to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup while retaining its 20-team lineup. The opening phase will now feature five groups of four teams, replacing the earlier four groups of five. This adjustment reduces the total number of group-stage matches from 40 to 30, making every fixture considerably more important.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the newly created Super 10 stage, where the 10 qualified teams will be split into two groups of five. Unlike the previous Super Eights format, only the winners of each Super 10 group will secure direct qualification for the semifinals.
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To further increase the stakes, the ICC has introduced a new eliminator round. The second-placed team in each Super 10 group will face the third-placed team from the opposite group, with the winners earning the remaining two semifinal spots. The move is expected to keep qualification scenarios alive until the final stages of the tournament and reward teams that perform consistently under pressure.
Beyond tournament formats, the ICC also confirmed a revised qualification pathway for the 2028 Men’s T20 World Cup. Scotland has received direct entry into the Europe Regional Final due to exceptional circumstances related to the 2026 qualification process.
🚨 NEW T20 WORLD CUP FORMAT 🚨
The Men’s T20 World Cup gets a new look: five groups of four, a 10-team second stage replacing the Super Eights, and Eliminators before the semifinals. pic.twitter.com/UU53aaf3jn
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) July 15, 2026
Meanwhile, every team that competed in the 2026 T20 World Cup but failed to qualify automatically for the 2028 edition will receive direct entry into the Global Qualifier. The remaining eight places will be determined through regional qualification events, with Africa, Asia, and Europe each sending two teams, while the Americas and East Asia-Pacific regions will contribute one team apiece.
From the Global Qualifier, the highest-ranked team from each region, along with the next three best-performing teams overall, will secure places at the 2028 T20 World Cup, provided they meet the ICC’s minimum performance requirements.
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In another landmark decision, the ICC Board endorsed the proposal for a new 16-team global tournament exclusively for Associate Member nations. Designed as a precursor to the T20 World Cup, the competition aims to provide emerging cricket nations with regular high-quality international exposure and create a prestigious global event outside the traditional ICC cycle.
However, the proposal is yet to receive final approval. It will next be reviewed by the ICC’s Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee before returning to the ICC Board for a final decision during its November meetings. If approved, the tournament could become a major boost for the growth and development of international cricket beyond the sport’s established powerhouses.
