ICC Introduces Fresh Tournament Formats for Men’s ODI and T20 World Cups
ICC announces new ODI and T20 World Cup formats, expanding the ODI event to 14 teams and introducing new qualification stages.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced major changes to the formats of the men’s ODI and T20 World Cups. The new structure is aimed at creating more meaningful matches, improving competition, and giving emerging teams a better chance to progress.
The biggest change is in the ODI World Cup, which will expand from 10 to 14 teams. The tournament returns to a larger field after the 2019 and 2023 editions were limited to 10 teams.
Under the new format, teams ranked 12th to 14th will first play a Round 1 stage. The winner of that round will join the remaining 11 teams in the main event, creating two groups of six teams each.
The top three teams from each group, along with the best fourth-placed side, will move into a new Super 7 stage. From there, the top four teams will qualify for the semifinals, with the winners advancing to the final.
The men’s T20 World Cup will continue to feature 20 teams, but its format has also been updated. The teams will be divided into five groups of four in the opening stage.
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super 10 stage. Those 10 teams will then be split into two groups of five.
The winners of the two Super 10 groups will qualify directly for the semifinals. The remaining two semifinal spots will be decided through new Eliminator matches, adding another knockout stage to the tournament.
The ICC has also revised the qualification pathway for the 2028 men’s T20 World Cup. The governing body believes the new system will make the qualification process more competitive while giving more emerging nations a chance to reach the second stage of the tournament.
According to the ICC, the format changes are designed to improve the tournament structure, increase the number of competitive matches, and provide a better experience for players and fans.
The proposals are yet to receive final approval and will be reviewed by the ICC Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee during its meeting in November.
