The ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 Schedule has been officially announced by the International Cricket Council, setting out the fixtures for the 14-team men’s ODI World Cup to be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. The tournament will begin on October 2, 2027, with the final scheduled for November 21 in Johannesburg. The 2027 edition will feature 57 matches across 12 venues and will introduce a new three-stage competition format.
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 Schedule confirms that the opening three matches will form a Super Series in Windhoek, Namibia. The second-, third- and fourth-placed teams from the 2027 Cricket World Cup Qualifier will compete in this round-robin stage on October 2, 4 and 6. The team finishing first will earn the final available place in the main Group Stage.
The main Group Stage of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 Schedule will begin on October 7, with defending champions Australia facing India in Cape Town. This match will repeat the 2023 World Cup final, when Australia defeated India in Ahmedabad. The new schedule therefore begins the main tournament with one of the most prominent fixtures in the ODI calendar.
India have been placed in Group A alongside Australia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and one qualifier. Group B consists of New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, England, Bangladesh and another qualifier. The final identities of the qualifier teams will be determined through the qualification process.
A major feature of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 Schedule is the early India-Pakistan fixture. India and Pakistan will meet on October 10 at Johannesburg, only three days after India’s opening match against Australia. The fixture is expected to attract significant international attention because India-Pakistan matches have traditionally been among the most followed games in ICC tournaments.
India’s Group A campaign will continue with a match against Afghanistan on October 14 in Tshwane. India will then play the first qualifier on October 17 at Bloemfontein before completing the Group Stage against co-hosts Zimbabwe on October 24 at Victoria Falls. The Zimbabwe match will be the first World Cup fixture at the new Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium.
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 Schedule includes several other notable Group Stage fixtures. South Africa will begin its campaign against New Zealand in Cape Town on October 9, while Zimbabwe will meet Qualifier A in Bulawayo on the same day. England will face Bangladesh on October 8 in Windhoek, and Pakistan will play Afghanistan in Tshwane.
The tournament’s Group Stage will feature 12 teams divided into two groups of six. Each team will play the other sides in its group in a round-robin format. The top three teams from each group will qualify for the Super 7 stage, while the seventh place will be awarded to the better-performing fourth-placed team across the two groups.
The new format is one of the biggest changes highlighted by the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 Schedule. Unlike the 10-team format used in the 2023 World Cup, the 2027 tournament has expanded to 14 teams. The three-stage structure consists of the Super Series, the 30-match Group Stage and the 21-match Super 7 phase before the semi-finals and final.
The Super 7 phase will begin on October 25 and run until November 14. Seven teams will participate, with each team playing six matches. Importantly, teams will start the Super 7 phase without carrying points from the Group Stage. The top four teams at the end of the Super 7 standings will advance to the semi-finals.
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 Schedule also uses pre-seeding for several teams in the Super 7 phase. India is designated A1, Australia A2 and Pakistan A3, while New Zealand is B1, South Africa B2 and Sri Lanka B3. England has been allocated the AB4 position. The seeding is intended to provide fixture and venue certainty while still allowing qualification to be decided through results on the field.
Based on the announced Super 7 schedule, India could face Australia again on October 28 at Victoria Falls if both teams qualify. India is also scheduled against South Africa on October 31 in Johannesburg and New Zealand on November 4 in Paarl, subject to qualification and the operation of the pre-seeding system.
Another potential high-profile fixture appears in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 Schedule on November 7, when India and Pakistan are scheduled to meet again in Cape Town if both qualify for the Super 7 stage and occupy their designated positions. India would then face England on November 11 in Gqeberha and Sri Lanka on November 14 in Durban under the published Super 7 pathway.
The semi-finals are scheduled for November 17 and 18. The first semi-final will take place in Cape Town on November 17, while the second semi-final is scheduled for Tshwane on November 18. Both semi-finals have reserve days in case weather or other circumstances prevent completion on the scheduled day.
The final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 Schedule is set for November 21 at Johannesburg’s Wanderers Stadium. November 22 has been designated as the reserve day. The final will determine the next men’s ODI world champion after the tournament returns to Africa for the first time since the 2003 edition.
The 2027 World Cup will be spread across 12 venues in three countries. South Africa will host matches in eight venues, Zimbabwe will use three venues and Namibia will host matches at the Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek. The South African venues include Cape Town, Paarl, Johannesburg, Tshwane, Bloemfontein, Durban, KuGompo City and Gqeberha.
Zimbabwe’s venues for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 Schedule include Harare Sports Club, Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo and the Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium in Victoria Falls. Namibia’s Windhoek venue will host the three Super Series matches as well as three Group Stage fixtures. This distribution gives all three host nations a role in the tournament’s match programme.
The 2027 World Cup will also mark the return of the men’s ODI World Cup to Africa after 24 years. South Africa and Zimbabwe previously co-hosted the 2003 edition alongside Kenya, while Namibia will host matches in a senior men’s ICC tournament for the first time. The ICC has promoted the tournament under the “Three Nations, One Heartbeat” identity.
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 Schedule has also opened the next phase of ticket planning. The ICC announced a ticket ballot alongside the schedule release, allowing fans from around the world to register for an opportunity to purchase tickets. The ballot is not first-come, first-served, and valid entries received during the announced registration period will be considered equally.
According to the ICC, fans can apply for multiple matches, with each match treated as a separate ballot entry. Applicants can request up to four tickets per match and select a preferred ticket category. Where demand exceeds available inventory, a randomised ballot process will determine which successful entrants receive an opportunity to purchase tickets. Entry into the ballot itself does not guarantee tickets.
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 Schedule also establishes an important travel element for international fans because matches will take place across three countries. The ICC has released the fixture locations well in advance, allowing supporters to plan potential trips around the Group Stage, Super 7 matches and knockout fixtures. The use of 12 venues also spreads the tournament across several major cricket centres in southern Africa.
For Indian cricket supporters, the schedule creates an especially significant opening phase. India will face Australia in Cape Town on October 7 and Pakistan in Johannesburg on October 10, followed by Afghanistan, a qualifier and Zimbabwe. The Group Stage therefore provides a defined sequence of matches across South Africa and Zimbabwe before the Super 7 qualification stage.
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 Schedule is subject to the qualification outcomes for the four teams whose places were not yet determined at the schedule announcement. South Africa and Zimbabwe qualify automatically as hosts, while eight teams qualified directly based on the ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings at the September 30, 2026 cut-off. The remaining four positions will come through the Cricket World Cup Qualifier and subsequent Super Series process.
The schedule therefore combines fixed fixtures involving the already determined teams with conditional matchups involving qualifiers and the Super 7 stage. The ICC has used pre-seeding in the Super 7 phase so that potential fixtures and venues can be communicated in advance while ensuring that qualification remains based on tournament results.
With the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 Schedule now confirmed, the tournament will officially begin on October 2, 2027, with the Super Series in Windhoek. The main Group Stage starts on October 7, the Super 7 phase runs from October 25 to November 14, the semi-finals are scheduled for November 17 and 18, and the final is set for November 21 in Johannesburg. The three-host tournament will conclude a major return of the men’s ODI World Cup to Africa and provide 57 matches across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
