2028 Men's T20 World Cup qualification
| Dates | 8 March 2026 – 2027 |
|---|---|
| Administrators | |
| Cricket format | Twenty20 International |
| Host | Various |
| Participants | 12 (direct qualification) TBC (regional qualification) |
| Matches | 177 |
The 2028 ICC Men's T20 World Cup will be the eleventh edition of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, a biennial world cup for cricket in Twenty20 International (T20I) format, organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC). It will be co-hosted by Cricket Australia and New Zealand Cricket in 2028. It will be the first time for New Zealand to host the event, while Australia had previously hosted the competition in 2022.[1]
The qualification process for the 2028 tournament includes two stages: direct qualification and regional qualification. The regional qualification includes series of sub-regional qualifiers and regional finals held between March 2026 and 2027.
Format
The top eight teams from the previous edition along with the 2028 hosts and the next best two to four teams (depending on the finishing positions of the hosts in the previous edition) from the ICC Men's T20I Team Rankings qualify directly for the tournament. The remaining eight teams were decided by regional qualifiers. Each regional qualifier was held in two stages:
- Sub-regional qualifiers: This stage comprised one or more tournaments depending on the ICC region. Matches were held in either single round-robin or double round-robin format and sometimes included group stage and knockout stage or playoffs formats as well. The stipulated number of teams advanced into the next stage.
- Regional final: Top teams unable to earn direct qualification along with teams advancing from the sub-regional qualifier took part in this stage. Matches were held in either single round-robin or double round-robin format and sometimes included group stage and knockout stage or playoffs formats as well. The stipulated number of teams advanced to the 2026 T20 World Cup.
| ICC region | Slots per region | No. of direct qualified teams | Remaining slots | Regional qualifiers | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of participants | Start date | End date | ||||
| Africa | 3 | 2 | 1 | 24 March 2026 | ||
| Americas | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 March 2026 | ||
| Asia | 8 | 5 | 3 | TBA | ||
| East Asia-Pacific | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 May 2026 | ||
| Europe | 3 | 2 | 1 | 16 May 2026 | ||
| Total | 20 | 12 | 8 | |||
Qualified teams
Australia and New Zealand qualify automatically as hosts, along with the teams that reached the Super 8 stage of the previous T20 World Cup and the next three top-ranked teams in the ICC Rankings after the completion of the tournament.[2] The remaining slots will be filled by regional qualifiers, with the exact details to be announced at a later date.
| Team | Method of qualification | Date of qualification | Venue(s) | Number of teams | Total times qualified | Last time qualified | Previous best performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Hosts | 16 November 2021 | N/a | 2 | 11 | 2026 | Winners (2021) |
| New Zealand | 11 | 2026 | Runners-up (2021, 2026) | ||||
| England | 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup (Top teams from the previous tournament, excluding the hosts) |
20 February 2026 | India Sri Lanka |
7 | 11 | 2026 | Winners (2010, 2022) |
| India | 11 | 2026 | Winners (2007, 2024, 2026) | ||||
| Pakistan | 11 | 2026 | Winners (2009) | ||||
| South Africa | 11 | 2026 | Runners-up (2024) | ||||
| Sri Lanka | 11 | 2026 | Winners (2014) | ||||
| West Indies | 11 | 2026 | Winners (2012, 2016) | ||||
| Zimbabwe | 8 | 2026 | Super 8 (2026) | ||||
| Afghanistan | ICC Men's T20I Team Rankings | 9 March 2026 | N/a | 3 | 10 | 2026 | Semi-finals (2024) |
| Bangladesh | 10 | 2026 | Super 8 (2007, 2024) | ||||
| Ireland | 9 | 2026 | Super 8 (2009) | ||||
| TBA | Africa Qualifier | TBD | |||||
| TBA | Americas Qualifier | TBD | |||||
| TBA | Asia Qualifier | TBD | |||||
| TBA | East Asia-Pacific Qualifier | TBD | |||||
| TBA | Europe Qualifier | TBD | |||||
| Total | 20 |
Africa qualifier
The qualification stages are as follows:
- Qualifier A: Seven teams to play in round-robin format for 21 matches from 22 May to 1 June 2026 in Botswana.[3]
- Qualifier B: Six teams to play in round-robin format for 15 matches from 24 to 29 March 2026 in Ghana.[4]
- Qualifier C: Six teams to play in round-robin format for 15 matches in October 2026 in Nigeria.
- Regional final: TBA
Africa sub-regional qualifiers
The sub-regional qualifiers will be hosted by Botswana Cricket Association, Ghana Cricket Association and Nigeria Cricket Federation.[3][4] The top sides of each sub-regional qualifier will advance to the regional final.
Africa qualifier A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Botswana (H) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | Advance to the regional final |
| 2 | Cameroon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |
| 3 | Ivory Coast | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |
| 4 | Kenya | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |
| 5 | Mali | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |
| 6 | Rwanda | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |
| 7 | Sierra Leone | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
(H) Host
Africa qualifier B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ghana (H) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3.785 | Advance to the regional final |
| 2 | Tanzania | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2.150 | |
| 3 | Eswatini | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1.350 | |
| 4 | Saint Helena | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | −1.350 | |
| 5 | Malawi | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | −2.150 | |
| 6 | Seychelles | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | −3.875 |
Africa qualifier C
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gambia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | Advance to the regional final |
| 2 | Lesotho | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |
| 3 | Mozambique | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |
| 4 | Nigeria (H) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |
| 5 | Uganda | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |
| 6 | Zambia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
(H) Host
Africa regional final
Namibia directly qualify for the regional final after receiving a bye due to their participation in the 2026 T20 World Cup. The winner(s) of the regional final will qualify for the 2028 T20 World Cup.
Americas qualifier
The qualification stages are as follows:
- Qualifier A: Five teams to play in round-robin format for 10 matches from 19 to 28 June 2026 in Bermuda.[6]
- Qualifier B: Four teams played double round-robin format in 12 matches from 8 to 15 March 2026 in Cayman Islands.[7]
- Regional final: TBA
Americas sub-regional qualifiers
The sub-regional qualifiers will be hosted by Bermuda Cricket Board and Cayman Islands Cricket Association.[6][7] The top sides of each sub-regional qualifier will advance to the regional final.
Americas Qualifier A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bahamas | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | Advance to the regional final |
| 2 | Belize | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |
| 3 | Bermuda (H) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |
| 4 | Brazil | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |
| 5 | Panama | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
(H) Host
Americas Qualifier B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cayman Islands (H) | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 3.560 | Advanced to the regional final |
| 2 | Argentina | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0.831 | |
| 3 | Suriname | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | −1.387 | |
| 4 | Mexico | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | −2.413 |
Americas regional final
Canada and United States directly qualify for the regional final after receiving a bye due to their participation in the 2026 T20 World Cup. The winner of the regional final will qualify for the 2028 T20 World Cup.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2 | Cayman Islands | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 3 | United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 4 | Winner of Qualifier A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Asia qualifier
The qualification stages are as follows:
- Qualifier A: TBA
- Qualifier B: TBA
- Regional final: TBA
Regional final
Nepal, Oman and United Arab Emirates directly qualify for the regional final after receiving a bye due to their participation in the 2026 T20 World Cup. The winner(s) of the regional final will qualify for the 2028 T20 World Cup.
East Asia-Pacific qualifier
The qualification stages are as follows:
- Sub-regional qualifier: Nine teams divided into groups of three followed by a six team round-robin for a total of 21 matches from 8 to 18 May 2026 in Japan.[9]
- Regional final: TBA[10]
East Asia-Pacific sub-regional qualifier
The sub-regional qualifier will be hosted by Japan Cricket Association.[9] The top sides of the sub-regional qualifier will advance to the regional final.
- Group stage
First match(es) will be played: 8 May 2026. Source:
(H) Host |
First match(es) will be played: 8 May 2026. Source:
|
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cook Islands | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | Advance to the super six |
| 2 | Papua New Guinea | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |
| 3 | South Korea | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
- Super 6 stage
Europe qualifier
The qualification stages are as follows:
- Qualifier A: Ten teams divided into two groups of five to play in round-robin format followed by playoffs for a total of 24 matches from 16 to 23 May 2026 in Cyprus.[11]
- Qualifier B: Nine teams divided into two groups to play in round-robin format followed by playoffs for a total of 20 matches from 8 to 15 July 2026 in Denmark.[12]
- Qualifier C: Ten teams divided into two groups of five to play in round-robin format followed by playoffs for a total of 24 matches from 14 to 21 August 2026 in Finland.[13]
- Regional final: TBA
Europe sub-regional qualifiers
The sub-regional qualifiers will be hosted by Cyprus Cricket Association, Danish Cricket Federation and Cricket Finland.[11][12][13] The top sides of each sub-regional qualifier will advance to the regional final.
Europe qualifier A
- Group stage
First match(es) will be played: 16 May 2026. Source:
(H) Host |
First match(es) will be played: 16 May 2026. Source:
|
- Playoffs
Europe qualifier B
- Group stage
First match(es) will be played: 8 July 2026. Source:
|
First match(es) will be played: 8 July 2026. Source:
(H) Host
|
- Playoffs
Europe qualifier C
- Group stage
First match(es) will be played: 14 August 2026. Source:
(H) Host |
First match(es) will be played: 14 August 2026. Source:
|
- Playoffs
Europe regional final
Italy, Netherlands and Scotland directly qualify for the regional final after receiving a bye due to their participation in the 2026 T20 World Cup. The winner(s) of the regional final will qualify for the 2028 T20 World Cup.
References
- ^ "USA to stage T20 World Cup: 2024–2031 ICC Men's tournament hosts confirmed". International Cricket Council. 16 November 2021. Archived from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
- ^ "Super Eights teams lock in ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2028 spots as qualification details announced". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
- ^ a b "Botswana Cricket to host 2028 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub-Regional Africa Qualifier A in May/June 2026". Czarsportz. 24 December 2025. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Ghana Cricket to host 2028 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier B in March 2026". Czarsportz. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
- ^ "Men's T20 World Cup Africa Regional Qualifier B - Points Table". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- ^ a b "Bermuda Cricket to host 2028 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Americas Sub-regional Qualifier in June 2026". Czarsportz. 30 September 2025. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Cayman Cricket to host 2028 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Americas Sub-regional Qualifier B in March 2026". Czarsportz. 13 February 2026. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
- ^ "Men's T20 World Cup Americas Qualifier B 2026 - Points Table". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
- ^ a b "Japan Cricket to host 2028 ICC Men's T20 World Cup EAP Qualifier in May 2026". Czarsportz. 26 January 2026. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ^ "East Asia-Pacific Qualifier in Japan confirmed, though T20 World Cup path unclear". Emerging Cricket. 27 January 2026. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
- ^ a b "Cyprus Cricket to host 2028 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Europe Sub-regional Qualifier A in May 2026". Czarsportz. 12 December 2025. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Denmark Cricket to host 2028 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Europe Sub-regional Qualifier B in July 2026". Czarsportz. 12 December 2025. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Cricket Finland to host 2028 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Europe Sub-regional Qualifier C in August 2026". Czarsportz. 13 December 2025. Retrieved 21 January 2026.