The schedule for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 is out! In the main event, there will be a total of 12 teams, which have been divided into groups A and B. Each group contains six teams. India, Pakistan, Australia, Zimbabwe and Afghanistan have been placed in the same group. Qualifier A will join the five sides in Group A. While India begin their campaign on October 7 with a match against Australia, the Shubman Gill-led side will face arch-rivals Pakistan on October 10 in Johannesburg.
The #CWC27 groups are locked
A cricketing extravaganza awaits! How to watch the schedule launch https://t.co/Eod5GoN7zW pic.twitter.com/oVg7zVHLNF
— ICC (@ICC) October 1, 2026
Such is the format of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 that India and Pakistan could face each other three times.
The first clash between the sides will be the Group A match that takes place on October 10.
It is worth noting that the top three teams from each group will move into the Super 7 phase. The best fourth-placed team across the two groups will take the final seventh spot.
The ICC Men’s #CWC27 fixtures have been unveiled
Access the ticket ballot https://t.co/MSLEQzcObb pic.twitter.com/dpTE4TEjO7
— ICC (@ICC) October 1, 2026
There will be no points carried over from the group stage to the Super 7, which means that the teams will play in a round-robin format. Each team will get six more matches from October 25 to November 14, which will provide another opportunity for an India vs Pakistan clash.
The top four teams from the Super 7 phase will progress to the semi-finals. This means that if both India and Pakistan finish in the top four, they could have a third opportunity to face each other in the semi-finals or in the final.
Australia are the defending champions of the Cricket World Cup, having registered a six-wicket win over India in 2023 in Ahmedabad. Meanwhile, Pakistan had finished in fifth place with four wins and five losses in nine matches.
The previous tournament had 10 teams.
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