DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) and Cricket South Africa will officially announce the schedule for the 2027 World Cup on October 1 in Cape Town. Ticket registration for the tournament will also launch during the event.
According to Cricbuzz, the 2027 Cricket World Cup will kick off next year on October 2, with the final scheduled for November 21. A total of 14 teams will compete in the mega event, and the identity of 10 teams will be finalized by September 30.
The qualification deadline is set for September 30. Hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe have secured direct entry, while the remaining eight teams will be selected based on the ICC ODI Rankings.
Under the current ODI rankings, India sits in 1st place, followed by New Zealand (2nd), Pakistan (4th), Australia (5th), England (6th), Sri Lanka (7th), Afghanistan (8th), and Bangladesh (9th). These eight teams are currently positioned to qualify via rankings. Despite being ranked 9th, Bangladesh will qualify directly because South Africa (ranked 3rd) has already qualified automatically as a host nation.
West Indies Must Go Through the Qualifiers
On the other hand, the West Indies cricket team will have to play in the qualifiers, while Namibia’s direct participation is not yet confirmed.
The ICC will also open a ballot system for World Cup tickets starting October 1. Rather than making immediate purchases, fans can register for the draw first.
Tournament Divided into Three Stages Before the Semi-Finals and Final
According to the ICC, the 2027 World Cup will feature three distinct stages prior to the semi-finals and final:
- Stage 1 (Super Series): The 3 lowest-ranked teams among the 14 qualified sides will clash in a round-robin “Super Series.” The top-ranked team from this stage will advance to the next round.
- Stage 2 (Group Stage – 30 Matches): The remaining 12 teams will be split into two groups of six. Each team will play every other team in its group once under a round-robin format. The top 3 teams from each group, along with the next best overall side across both groups, will advance.
Tournament to Feature a Super 7 Stage
The Super 7 stage will consist of 21 round-robin matches. The top four teams from this stage will advance to the semi-finals. In the semi-finals, the 1st-placed team in the Super 7 will face the 4th-placed side, while the 2nd-placed team will battle the 3rd-placed side. The winners of both semi-finals will meet in the final to compete for the World Cup trophy.
