India beat South Africa in Barbados to win the 2024 T20 World Cup, and now they’re the defending champions walking into the 2026 edition.
A total of 20 teams are coming together across India and Sri Lanka, which is quite something considering India hasn’t hosted since way back in 2016.
Getting there hasn’t been simple either. Teams have qualified through different routes, some by finishing at the top in 2024, others through ICC rankings, and plenty more battling through regional tournaments.
This piece looks at each nation that’s made it through, how they’ve been playing lately, and what they’re doing to get ready. Stick around to see where everyone stands before things kick off.
When Is The ICC T20 World Cup 2026?
You’re looking at February 7 to March 8, 2026, for the whole thing. The ICC has sorted out venues, and there are five Indian grounds plus three in Sri Lanka that’ll be hosting.
On the Indian side, you’ve got Ahmedabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, and Mumbai staging matches, while Colombo and Kandy are the Sri Lankan spots.
March 8 in Ahmedabad is when the final happens, though there’s a chance it moves to Sri Lanka if Pakistan gets that far.
All ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Participating Groups
Twenty teams get divided into four groups of five, and the top two from each group move on to the Super Eight stage.
| Qualification Category | Teams |
|---|---|
| Hosts | India, Sri Lanka |
| Top 7 Finishers – T20 World Cup 2024 | Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, USA, West Indies |
| Rankings-Based Qualification | Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan |
| Regional Qualifiers – Americas | Canada |
| Regional Qualifiers – Europe | Italy, Netherlands |
| Regional Qualifiers – Africa | Namibia, Zimbabwe |
| Regional Qualifiers – Asia/EAP | Nepal, Oman, UAE |
Here is how the 20 teams are divided into the groups –
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | Sri Lanka | England | South Africa |
| Pakistan | Australia | West Indies | New Zealand |
| Netherlands | Zimbabwe | Bangladesh | Afghanistan |
| Namibia | Ireland | Nepal | UAE |
| USA | Oman | Italy | Canada |
Italy’s never been to a major ICC tournament before, so getting through Europe is a pretty big deal for them. Having 20 teams means the associate nations actually get a shot at competing on the big stage.
ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Teams & Squads
Nobody’s announced official squads yet for 2026. Right now, teams are preparing through bilateral series and domestic competitions. Here’s where each team is at based on how they’ve been playing and what they’re up to.
1. India
India won the 2024 T20 World Cup after beating South Africa in the final. They’ve just taken a series off England in January 2025, with Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube both making fifties in the fourth match that wrapped things up.
Pandya smashed 53 off 30 balls, and Dube got 53 off 34 in an 87-run partnership for the sixth wicket that really mattered. They’re still trying out different combinations to see what works best before the tournament rolls around.
2. Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is co-hosting the 2026 World Cup and just played a three-match T20I series against Bangladesh. Maheesh Theekshana was running the spin attack because Wanindu Hasaranga picked up a hamstring injury and couldn’t play.
Theekshana ended up as Rajasthan Royals’ joint-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2025, grabbing 11 wickets along with Hasaranga and Jofra Archer.
3. Afghanistan
Afghanistan is hosting the West Indies for a three-match T20I series in the UAE this January 2026, all happening between January 19 and 22 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. They got to the semifinals of the T20 World Cup 2024, which shows how far they’ve come.
Their bowling attack is getting stronger, and the batting is getting deeper because they’re playing more international cricket.
4. Australia
Australia managed their first-ever T20I series win in the West Indies after they swept the hosts 5-0 back in July 2025. Tim David smacked Australia’s fastest T20I century off just 37 balls in the third match, absolutely belting 11 sixes.
Cameron Green picked up Player of the Series, and Mitchell Owen looked good on debut with a half-century and some important wickets. The pieces are falling into place for a really strong T20 team.
5. Bangladesh
Bangladesh actually won their first-ever T20I series against Sri Lanka, taking it 2-1 after falling behind early. In that deciding third match, Mahedi Hasan grabbed 4 for 11 while Tanzid Hasan stayed unbeaten on 73 from 47 balls.
Tanzid hammered six sixes in his knock, looking calm and classy right through the chase. This was Bangladesh’s first series win in Sri Lanka in T20Is, which matters quite a bit.
6. Pakistan
Pakistan put together a 17-member squad for the Asia Cup 2025 in August, bringing back Fakhar Zaman after he’d recovered from a hamstring injury.
Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan got left out of recent T20I squads because they’re trying to blood fresh talent instead. Babar has been picked up in the squad in the recent tri-series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
Salman Ali Agha is leading the T20 side now, and Pakistan are going for an aggressive approach at the top, which is what coach Mike Hesson wants.
7. South Africa
South Africa got through by finishing in the top seven at the 2024 World Cup, where they made it all the way to the final. They’ve been in good form through 2025, beating both Australia and Pakistan in T20I series.
Players like Kagiso Rabada and Temba Bavuma are still playing well, and the Proteas are getting ready properly for what’s coming.
8. New Zealand
New Zealand qualified because of their ICC T20I rankings. Glenn Phillips, who does a bit of everything for them, has had some injury worries that’ll keep him out for a while before he can come back.
The Black Caps are preparing through a bilateral series at home, and they’re still one of the more experienced teams in the tournament.
9. West Indies
West Indies got absolutely hammered 5-0 by Australia in their home T20I series last July 2025. Captain Shai Hope said the team never really put a decent batting performance together, always starting well and falling apart, or starting badly and finishing worse.
They’re playing Afghanistan in January 2026 in the UAE as both teams prepare for the World Cup. They want to rebuild by mixing young players with the experienced ones.
10. USA
The USA qualified by finishing in the top 7 at the 2024 World Cup after they made that historic Super Eight run. People are starting to notice them for T20 success after they co-hosted the 2024 edition with the West Indies.
The United States is putting proper cricket infrastructure in place and working hard on its talent pool to stay competitive against everyone else.
11. Ireland
Ireland got in because of where they sit in the ICC T20I rankings. They’ve been bringing through domestic talent and getting ready for the big tournament environment.
Ireland lost a recent series to West Indies in 2025, but they’re still figuring out their combinations and tactics before the tournament starts.
12. Netherlands
The Netherlands came through the European regional qualifier to get here. They’ve been playing tough T20 matches to build up their experience.
The Dutch are working on their tactics and trying to make their bowling attack stronger as they prepare to play in subcontinental conditions at the World Cup.
13. Italy
Italy qualified for the men’s T20 World Cup for the first time ever, making their debut at a major ICC tournament. Their recent qualification fight had some good performances from Ben Manenti and Grant Stewart.
Italy wants to be competitive on the world stage after it managed to get through that European pathway successfully.
14. England
England reached 2026 by finishing inside the top seven at the 2024 World Cup and has spent 2025 testing new combinations.
Phil Salt and Will Jacks have been central to their aggressive batting approach, while Reece Topley and Adil Rashid continue leading the attack. They’re focusing on consistency after mixed results in recent bilateral T20Is.
15. Oman
Oman qualified through the Asia-EAP region along with Nepal and the UAE. They’ve been playing pretty well in the Asia qualifiers with a decent middle order and good spin bowling.
This is another step up for cricket in Oman as they get ready for their second World Cup appearance.
16. Nepal
Nepal qualified by doing better than the UAE and Qatar in the Asia qualifiers. They beat West Indies in 2025, which was historic and shows T20 cricket is really taking off in the country.
Nepal has a strong bowling unit that’s going to matter a lot when they’re playing in subcontinental conditions at the tournament.
17. United Arab Emirates
UAE grabbed the final spot for the 2026 T20 World Cup through Asia-EAP qualification. They’ve had some strong performances lately, including important wins over Japan.
The UAE is coming up as a cricket nation with players who are getting better, helped by hosting loads of international tournaments at home.
18. Namibia
Namibia came through the Africa regional qualifiers to be here. They’ve been putting up consistent T20 performances in competitive games against other African teams.
There are some injury worries in the squad, but Namibia has a solid bowling unit that’s caused problems for opponents in previous World Cups.
19. Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe qualified through the Africa qualifiers, with captain Sikandar Raza doing a good job leading the side. They just lost pacer Blessing Muzarabani to injury, but they’ve been playing tri-series matches to prepare.
Zimbabwe wants to get back to being competitive after struggling in the past and make use of its experience.
20. Canada
Canada qualified as the only team from the Americas region. They’ve been competitive in regional tournaments, and they’re developing young talent while getting more international experience.
Canada wants to make an impression at the World Cup after it managed to qualify.
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Conclusion: The Playing Squads Of The ICC T20 World Cup Are Yet To Be Officially Announced
A total of 20 teams are going to fight it out for T20 World Cup supremacy in India and Sri Lanka. The 2026 edition should have competitive cricket right across all the groups, with defending champions India hosting along with Sri Lanka.
Traditional powerhouses are up against emerging nations that’ve earned their spots through playing well. Teams are using bilateral series and domestic competitions to figure out their best combinations before things start on February 7.
The way the tournament is set up means there’ll be plenty of chances for upsets.
FAQs
Five Indian venues are Ahmedabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, and Mumbai, while Sri Lanka will use stadiums in Colombo and Kandy. The ICC sorted out these eight venues in November 2025.
Italy qualified through the five-team Europe qualifier tournament along with the Netherlands. This is Italy’s debut at any major ICC tournament. They got through a competitive European pathway that had matches against traditional associate cricket nations.
The format has 20 teams split into four groups of five, with every team playing the others once. The top two teams from each group go through to the Super Eight stage, getting put into two groups of four. The top two from each Super Eight group qualify for the semifinals.
The ICC was sorting out venue details and telling participating countries about the groupings before putting out the complete schedule. With just three months before the tournament, teams were waiting for official confirmation.
Several qualified teams, like Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Oman, and the USA, have never won the tournament. Traditional powerhouses like South Africa, New Zealand, and Afghanistan got to the semifinals or finals but haven’t claimed the title.
