Colombo, February 7: The T20 World Cup 2026 begins today, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. The tournament will kick off with a match between Pakistan and the Netherlands. Following this, fans can look forward to matches featuring West Indies against Scotland and India facing the USA.
On the opening day, three matches will be held. The Pakistan vs. Netherlands match is set to start at 11 AM IST at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo.
The West Indies vs. Scotland match will commence at 3 PM IST at the historic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
India will start their campaign against the USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, with the match scheduled for 7 PM IST.
However, the Indian team faced a setback just before the World Cup. Pace-bowling all-rounder Harshit has been ruled out due to a knee injury sustained during a warm-up match against South Africa on February 4. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Event Technical Committee has approved experienced pacer Mohammad Siraj to replace Harshit Rana in the squad. Siraj was part of the team that won the T20 World Cup in 2024.
Bangladesh has withdrawn from the T20 World Cup for security reasons, leading to Scotland being granted a spot in the tournament.
Additionally, the Pakistan cricket team has expressed solidarity with Bangladesh by stating they will boycott their group stage match against India.
This year’s T20 World Cup features 20 teams. Defending champions India are placed in Group A alongside the USA, Pakistan, Namibia, and the Netherlands. Each group consists of five teams, creating a total of four groups. After the league stage, the Super-8 matches will take place.
Regarding knockout matches, the first semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2026 will be held on March 4, followed by the second semi-final on March 5. The final match is scheduled for March 8.