ICC announces major changes to ODI World Cup 2027 and T20 World Cup 2028 format

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced some major changes to the format of the ODI World Cup 2027 with the introduction of a 'Super Series' and a 'Super Seven' stage. The tournament will remain a 14-team event, as initially planned, but will have a Super Series in place before the group stage. Moreover, the ICC has also announced changes to the format for the T20 World Cup 2028.

The ODI World Cup will take place in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, and while the number of teams remain put, there are several other changes to the format. 14 teams will qualify for the global showpiece, but the last three lowest-ranked teams will play a Super Series round for one spot in the main group stage that will comprise 12 teams. 

These sides will be placed in two groups with six each. The top three teams from each group and the next-best team across the two groups will make it to the Super Seven stage, which makes its debut. The Super Seven will also be a round-robin stage, and the top four teams will progress further to the semifinals. The winners will progress to the final for the title. It was earlier reported that the ICC could reduce the teams from 14 to 12, and that could have happened as early as the 2027 World Cup, but that won't be happening in this tournament. Although it can be said that, as three last-ranked teams will play a Super Series, the meat of the tournament will feature 12 teams only.

The restructuring of



the format comes to ensure more jeopardy in the initial stages of the tournament and to ensure that every stage remains highly competitive for further progression. The foregone conclusions of some matches at the recent T20 World Cup might have forced the ICC to make the move too. 

"The structure has been designed to strengthen the competitive narrative across every stage of the event, with matches from Round 1 and Round 2 carrying higher consequence, with a highly competitive Super 7 stage witnessing 7 qualifying teams going through a round-robin stage to qualify for the semi-finals," the ICC said in a statement.

The ICC has also introduced changes to the T20 World Cup 2028 format. The tournament will continue to be a 20-member event with five groups featuring four teams each. The next stage will be an expansion from the Super Eight, as it will be a Super 10 stage, with 10 teams progressing from the first group round. 

The Super 10 will see 10 teams divided into two groups of five each. The top-ranked teams from both groups at the end of the Super 10 will automatically reach the semifinals. The remaining two teams will be decided through two Eliminator matches.

The second- and third-placed teams from each group in the Super 10 stage will play in Eliminators, with the second-ranked one facing the third-ranked one and vice versa. The winners will qualify for the semifinals to complete the last four line-up.