The countdown to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 has begun, with the International Cricket Council (ICC) confirming a tournament schedule that will see South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia host cricket’s global one-day international showpiece from 2 October to 21 November 2027.
The tournament will open in Windhoek with a three-team Super Series to determine the final Group Stage qualifier, before the main group competition gets underway on 7 October 2027.
For the three host nations, the tournament represents a major international sporting event with fixtures spread across venues in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, creating opportunities for tourism, hospitality, transport and local event economies.
South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia prepare for World Cup
Fourteen teams will compete at the tournament. South Africa and Zimbabwe qualify automatically as hosts, alongside the eight highest-ranked teams on the ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings at the 30 September 2026 cut-off.
The remaining four places will be determined through the Cricket World Cup Qualifier. The top-ranked team in that competition will advance directly to the Group Stage, while the other three teams will compete in the Super Series in Namibia.
The Super Series will take place on 2, 4 and 6 October 2027, with the team finishing top claiming the final Group Stage place.
The 12 Group Stage teams will be divided into two groups of six.
Group A: India, Australia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Qualifier A
Group B: New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, England, Bangladesh and Qualifier B
India and Australia open Group Stage
The Group Stage begins in Cape Town on 7 October 2027 with a repeat of the 2023 World Cup Final, as defending champions Australia face India.
South Africa begin their campaign in Cape Town on 9 October 2027 against New Zealand, while Zimbabwe's opening fixture will also take place on 9 October, against Qualifier B in Bulawayo.
One of the tournament's biggest fixtures follows on 10 October 2027, when India and Pakistan meet in Johannesburg.
Namibia will host its final tournament fixture on 13 October 2027, when England take on Sri Lanka at the Namibia Cricket Ground.
The Group Stage concludes with India facing Zimbabwe at the new ground in Victoria Falls.
The top three teams from each group will progress to the Super 7 phase, joined by the fourth-placed team with the better points tally across the two groups.
New Super 7 format
The seven teams advancing from the Group Stage will enter the Super 7 phase, with no points carried over from the opening stage.
Each team will play six matches between 25 October and 14 November 2027.
To provide greater certainty for supporters and stakeholders planning travel and attendance, several teams have been pre-seeded into designated Super 7 positions.
The allocations are:
A1: India
A2: Australia
A3: Pakistan
A4: England
B1: New Zealand
B2: South Africa
B3: Sri Lanka
The Super 7 phase begins on 25 October 2027 in Johannesburg, with A2 playing B3. If both Australia and Sri Lanka qualify, for example, the fixture would be Australia v Sri Lanka.
If a non-seeded team qualifies while a pre-seeded team does not, the qualifying team will assume that position in the Super 7 fixture structure.
The system is designed to maintain the integrity of qualification while providing greater fixture certainty for fans, teams and tournament stakeholders.
Semi-finals and final
The top four teams after the Super 7 phase will advance to the semi-finals.
The first-placed team will face the fourth-placed team, while the second-placed team will meet the third-placed team.
The semi-finals are scheduled for 17 November in Cape Town and 18 November in Tshwane, with reserve days available for both matches.
The tournament will culminate in Johannesburg on 21 November, when the World Cup final will be played. A reserve day is scheduled for 22 November if required.
With fixtures across three countries and major matches in cities including Cape Town, Johannesburg, Tshwane, Bulawayo, Windhoek and Victoria Falls, the 2027 World Cup will bring international cricket to multiple markets while placing the region's sporting, tourism and hospitality infrastructure in the global spotlight.
The full list of fixtures can be found here.
