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The International Cricket Council (ICC) has intensified preparations for organizing the T20 World Cup 2026. This World Cup will be played jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, and eight major venues have been shortlisted for it. According to reports, Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and Eden Gardens in Kolkata are considered to be the strongest contenders to host the semi-finals.

According to ICC sources, the tournament is likely to start from 7 February 2026, while the final match can be played on 8 March. This time 20 teams will participate in the tournament and the matches will be played at different venues in India and Sri Lanka.

Five cities have been shortlisted from India — Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai. Whereas from Sri Lanka, two stadiums of Colombo and one stadium of Kandy are included in the list. The final selection for the semi-finals and finals will be made from these eight venues only.

Ahmedabad and Kolkata have the strongest claims for the semi-finals
Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is the largest cricket stadium in the world and has a capacity of more than 1 lakh spectators. Kolkata’s Eden Gardens is historically considered one of the most prestigious cricket grounds in India. The facilities, spectator capacity and preparations as per ICC standards of both these stadiums make them most suitable for the semi-finals.

According to sources, two semi-final matches are likely to be played in India, in which one match may be held in Ahmedabad and the other in Kolkata or Colombo. Sri Lanka Cricket Board also wants at least one knockout match to be organized in its country.

Pakistan’s performance will decide where the final will be held
The most interesting aspect is that the decision of which country will hold the final of T20 World Cup 2026 will depend on the situation in Pakistan. According to reports, if the Pakistan team does not reach the final, the final will be held in Ahmedabad, India. But if Pakistan reaches the final, the final may be shifted to Colombo, Sri Lanka due to security and political reasons.

This decision will depend on the relations between India and Pakistan and the travel of players from both the countries. Although ICC has not yet made an official announcement on this, but according to sources this possibility is being seriously considered.

Preparations are going on in both India and Sri Lanka
Both the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) have started preparations for hosting. Special attention is being paid to the renovation of stadiums, quality of pitches, spectator facilities and safety protocols. Especially in Ahmedabad and Kolkata, the infrastructure is being further upgraded as per international standards.

This tournament is going to be very special for cricket lovers as India is hosting a major ICC tournament for the first time after the 2023 ODI World Cup. At the same time, Sri Lanka is also co-hosting a major ICC event after almost a decade.

Increased curiosity about Pakistan
As always, the face-off between India and Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2026 will be the biggest attraction. If both the teams reach the final, then this match can prove to be the biggest event in the cricketing history of the Asian subcontinent. In such a situation, the discussion regarding the venue of the final has already become heated.

Cricket experts say that T20 World Cup 2026 will not just be a tournament but will also be the next big test of India-Sri Lanka-Pakistan cricket relations.