New Men’s T20 World Cup format and qualification explained
The International Cricket Council has approved changes to the format of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and its qualification pathway, with the updates set to come into effect for the 2028 edition of the tournament.
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will continue to provide a platform for cricket’s emerging nations to compete on the global stage, following encouraging performances from developing teams at the recently-concluded 2026 tournament.
The revised format is designed to expand opportunities for emerging nations while increasing the competitiveness of the tournament’s latter stages.
While the tournament continues to be a 20-team event in the 2028 edition, there are changes in its format.
Group Stage (30 matches) - The 20 participating teams will now be divided into five groups of four, replacing the previous format of four groups of five used at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super 10 stage
Super 10 (20 matches) - This round will have two groups of five, playing a round-robin format. The winners of each Super 10 group will qualify directly for the semi-finals.
Eliminators (2 matches) - The remaining two semi-final spots will be decided through a new Eliminators round, with the second-placed teams from each Super 10 group facing the third-placed teams from the opposite group.
The winners of those Eliminators will complete the semi-final line-up, while the semi-finals and final will continue to follow the existing format.
12 teams have already secured their spots for the 2028 tournament based on their performance in the 2026 T20 World Cup and team rankings: Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, and Zimbabwe.
The remaining eight spots at the 2028 T20 World Cup will be filled through a 16-team Global Qualifier competition. Eight teams that competed in the 2026 edition but did not earn automatic qualification will advance directly to a 16-team Global Qualifier. These are: Canada, Italy, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Oman, United Arab Emirates and United States
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Qualification pathway revised for 2028
The ICC has also confirmed an updated qualification pathway for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2028.
Scotland will progress directly to the Europe Regional Final, recognising the exceptional circumstances surrounding its participation in the 2026 tournament. Scotland made their way to the 2026 event after Bangladesh pulled out from the competition just weeks before it began.
The remaining teams that featured at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 but did not secure automatic qualification for 2028 will advance directly to the Global Qualifier.
The remaining eight places in the Global Qualifier will be decided through regional qualification, with:
* Two teams qualifying from Africa
* Two teams qualifying from Asia
* Two teams qualifying from Europe
* One team qualifying from the Americas
* One team qualifying from the East Asia-Pacific region
From the Global Qualifier, the highest-placed team from each region will qualify for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2028, alongside the next three highest-placed teams overall, subject to minimum performance criteria.
The new marquee tournament format has been endorsed by the ICC Board following recommendations from the ICC Development Committee and the ICC Chief Executives’ Committee. Final approval will be sought following a review by the ICC Finance & Commercial Affairs Committee at its November meetings.