Kolkata : International Cricket Council (ICC) has finalized dates for ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2027 , with an expanded 14 teams and return of old format after 24 years.
The World Cup will be hosted by 3 nations – Zimbabwe (8 matches), South Africa (41 matches) and Namibia (3 matches) next year. The finalized dates are from October 4 to November 21. The dates were agreed upon at the ICC Board Meeting in Ahmedabad on the sidelines of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 final between the Gujarat Titans and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
The finer details are now expected to be confirmed at the ICC’s AGM in Edinburgh in July. Eight venues in South Africa are expected to host the bulk of the tournament (41 matches out of 54). Zimbabwe will have three venues, with Victoria Falls joining Harare Sports Club and Queens in Bulawayo.
The Fale Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium is expected to be completed later this year and will host domestic cricket before an official inauguration next May.
The 2027 World Cup will mark the tournament’s return to South Africa for the first time since 2003.
South Africa has since hosted the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2009 Champions Trophy and the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup. Zimbabwe and Namibia recently co-hosted the Under-19 men’s World Cup.
The competition will return to a 14-team format after being played between 10 teams in the previous two editions in the UK and India.
The 14 teams will be divided into two groups of seven, and the top three from each group will advance to the Super Six stage. As Full Members, South Africa and Zimbabwe have automatically qualified for the tournament, and Namibia are part of the qualification process.
It has also been reported that the ODI World Cup will be the first ICC event of the 2027-2031 Future Tours Programme (FTP), which governs bilateral international engagements between participating teams. The calendar is expected to be finalised at the ICC meetings in Hong Kong later this year.
The ICC is set to take a final decision on whether to include all 12 Full Members (currently Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan are not part of the WTC) and if one-off Tests can be played as part of the WTC schedule.
With the ODI World Cup expected to be the swansong tournament for Indian cricket icons Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the duo has about a year and a half before they potentially say goodbye to the Indian jersey forever.
Since Rohit, 39, and Kohli, 37, have retired from Test cricket, the debate around their future in the Indian team has intensified, with many questioning how players who only play one format can keep themselves ready for a tournament as big as the ODI World Cup.
The 2027 ODI World Cup will be Kohli’s fifth appearance in the 50-over competition, while Rohit’s will be the fourth. Recently, Kohli spoke about his desire to play in the competition, saying he is training and playing bilateral matches just because he wants one more shot at glory.
“We’re in mid-2026. I’ve been asked so many times, ‘Do you want to play ‘27?’ Why would | leave my home, get my stuff over, and be like, ‘I don’t know what I want.’ Of course, if I’m playing, I want to play cricket, I want to carry on. Playing in the World Cup for India is amazing. But the value has to be clear. My perspective is that if I can add value to the environment, I am part of, and the environment feels I can add value, I will be seen,” Kohli told Mayant Langer in a RCB podcast.
“But if I am made to feel like I need to constantly prove my worth and value, then I am not in that space, because I am honest about my preparation and my approach to the game. I put my head down. I work hard. I am very thankful to God for everything I have been given in my cricketing career, and I feel blessed and grateful for the opportunities I have had,” he added.
