Top News

ICC World Cup 2027 Qualification Race Explained: Who's In & Who Faces Elimination?
Suyash Sahay | July 21, 2026 11:11 PM CST

If Afghanistan and Bangladesh remain in eighth and ninth place in the ODI rankings by the September 30, 2026 deadline, they will also seal ICC World Cup berths.

That scenario would leave West Indies, two-time ODI World Cup champions, outside the automatic qualification places, forcing them to earn their spot through the qualification tournament.

New World Cup Format Explained

The 2027 edition will introduce a revised competition format featuring 14 teams.

The three lowest-ranked qualified sides will first compete in a Super Series, played in a round-robin format. Only the best-performing team from that stage will progress, while the other two will be eliminated.

The remaining 12 teams will then be split into two groups of six. The leading teams from each group will advance to the Super 7 stage, where the top four sides will qualify for the semi-finals before the tournament concludes with the title clash.

With the rankings cut-off still months away, every ODI between now and September 30, 2026 could have major implications for teams chasing direct qualification.


READ NEXT
Cancel OK