Ahmedabad, Kolkata shortlisted to host 2026 T20 World Cup semis

The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and the Eden Gardens in Kolkata have been shortlisted for the semifinals of the T20 World Cup scheduled for February-March next year. The tournament is jointly hosted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). The International Cricket Council (ICC) has selected eight venues for the World Cup.

Five cities in India—Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata—and three venues in Sri Lanka—two stadiums in Colombo and one in Kandy—have been finalized. No decision has been made yet on the venue for the final. This will depend on which teams reach the title clash and, importantly, whether one of them is Pakistan. Ahmedabad remains an option to host the final if Pakistan does not qualify.

For the semifinals, if Sri Lanka or Pakistan reach the last four stage, that match will be played in Colombo. If neither qualifies, both semifinals will be held in India. The final will be played in Colombo if Pakistan advances that far. Final decisions on these aspects remain open-ended.

According to an ICC release from October 17, the 20-team tournament will follow the same format as the 2024 event in the USA and West Indies, with teams divided into four groups of five. All 13 Test-playing nations, along with Canada, the Netherlands, UAE, Nepal, Oman, and Namibia, have qualified for the month-long event. Italy will make its debut in the global championship.

The group stage will be followed by a Super Eights phase, featuring the top two finishers from each group. The ICC stated: "The Super Eights will feature two groups of four sides, with the top two finishers from each group then progressing to the knockout semifinals."

India are the defending champions, having won the World Cup in June 2024 by beating South Africa in the final. The ICC is expected to release the schedule and groupings in the coming days.

Saikia-Naqvi meet held outside of ICC purview

It has been learned that the meeting between Devajit Saikia and Mohsin Naqvi took place independently of recent ICC meetings. Sources indicated that although a couple of ICC officials facilitated the meeting, it was not part of the ICC sessions and the matter was not discussed during informal board interactions. Contrary to some media reports, the issue was never on the ICC meeting agenda.

Officials from the two boards met to resolve the deadlock over the Asia Cup Trophy. There was a shared sense that the issue needed early resolution, and the meeting was conducted in a cordial atmosphere.