New Delhi: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday announced the schedule for the Men's ODI Cricket World Cup 2027, with India set to open their Group Stage campaign against defending champions Australia in Cape Town on October 7.
The tournament will begin on October 2 with a three-team Super Series in Windhoek, which will determine the final Group Stage team. The 12 teams already confirmed for the Group Stage have been divided into two groups of six.
India, Australia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Qualifier A form Group A, while New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, England, Bangladesh and Qualifier B make up Group B.
Group Stage action will begin on October 7, with India taking on Australia in a repeat of the 2023 World Cup final in Cape Town. South Africa will begin their campaign against New Zealand in Cape Town on October 9, while Zimbabwe will face Qualifier A in Bulawayo on the same day.
The much-anticipated India-Pakistan clash will be played in Johannesburg on October 10.
Of the 14 teams at the tournament, South Africa and Zimbabwe qualified directly as hosts, alongside the best 8 teams on the ICC Men's ODI Team Rankings at the September 30, 2026 cut-off.
The remaining four spots will be decided at the Cricket World Cup Qualifier. The top-placed finisher will go directly to the Group Stage, while the other three teams will compete in the Super Series for the final Group Stage spot.
The top three teams from each group will advance to the Super 7 phase, with the better fourth-placed team across the two groups taking the seventh spot.
A total of 12 venues will host the tournament.
The Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek will host the three Super Series matches and three Group Stage games, with three venues in Zimbabwe and eight in South Africa.
The Mosi-oa-Tunya Stadium in Victoria Falls joins Harare and Bulawayo as Zimbabwean venues, while in South Africa, matches will be held in Cape Town, Paarl, Johannesburg, Tshwane, Bloemfontein, Durban, KuGompo City and Gqeberha.
ICC Chairman Jay Shah said the announcement of the 2027 World Cup schedule and the opening of the ticket ballot marked major milestones, adding that the ICC aims to make the tournament accessible through affordable ticket options.
He said South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia would provide a memorable stage for the competition and that the ICC looked forward to welcoming fans from around the world.
"The announcement of the schedule and opening of the ticket ballot are major milestones on the road to the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027, bringing fans one step closer to a spectacular celebration of cricket across the three nations. The ICC remains committed to making its World Cup events accessible to as many fans as possible, with affordable ticket prices and options that bring families, young people and local communities closer to the action," he said, as quoted by the ICC website.
"South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia will provide an unforgettable stage for the world's best teams, combining a deep passion for cricket, extraordinary destinations and a renowned warmth of welcome. We look forward to welcoming fans from across the world and creating memories that will last long beyond the final," he added.
ODI World Cup 2027 full schedule
Super Series
October 2 - QF1 vs QF3 - Windhoek
October 4 - QF1 vs QF2 - Windhoek
October 6 - QF2 vs QF3 - Windhoek
Group Stage
October 7 - India vs Australia - Cape Town
October 8 - Pakistan vs Afghanistan - Tshwane
October 8 - England vs Bangladesh - Windhoek
October 9 - Zimbabwe vs Qualifier A - Bulawayo
October 9 - South Africa vs New Zealand - Cape Town
October 10 - India vs Pakistan - Johannesburg
October 10 - Sri Lanka vs Qualifier B - Windhoek
October 11 - Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan - Bulawayo
October 12 - Australia vs Qualifier A - Paarl
October 12 - New Zealand vs Bangladesh - KuGompo City
October 13 - England vs Sri Lanka - Windhoek
October 13 - South Africa vs Qualifier B - Paarl
October 14 - India vs Afghanistan - Tshwane
October 15 - Pakistan vs Qualifier A - Bloemfontein
October 15 - Zimbabwe vs Australia - Harare
October 16 - Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh - Durban
October 16 - South Africa vs England - Gqeberha
October 17 - India vs Qualifier A - Bloemfontein
October 17 - New Zealand vs Qualifier B - Harare
October 18 - Australia vs Afghanistan - KuGompo City
October 19 - Zimbabwe vs Pakistan - Harare
October 19 - South Africa vs Bangladesh - Durban
October 20 - New Zealand vs Sri Lanka - Johannesburg
October 20 - England vs Qualifier B - Harare
October 21 - Afghanistan vs Qualifier A - KuGompo City
October 22 - Australia vs Pakistan - Paarl
October 22 - South Africa vs Sri Lanka - Johannesburg
October 23 - England vs New Zealand - Gqeberha
October 23 - Bangladesh vs Qualifier B - Tshwane
October 24 - Zimbabwe vs India - Victoria Falls
Super 7 Stage (current seeded team in brackets)
October 25 - A2 (Australia) vs B3 (Sri Lanka) - Johannesburg
October 26 - B1 (New Zealand) vs A3 (Pakistan) - Gqeberha
October 27 - B2 (South Africa) vs AB4 (England) - Tshwane
October 28 - A1 (India) vs A2 (Australia) - Victoria Falls
October 29 - B1 (New Zealand) vs B3 (Sri Lanka) - KuGompo City
October 30 - A3 (Pakistan) vs AB4 (England) - Victoria Falls
October 31 - B2 (South Africa) vs A1 (India) - Johannesburg
November 1 - A2 (Australia) vs B1 (New Zealand) - Victoria Falls
November 2 - B3 (Sri Lanka) vs AB4 (England) - Cape Town
November 3 - B2 (South Africa) vs A3 (Pakistan) - Durban
November 4 - A1 (India) vs B1 (New Zealand) - Paarl
November 5 - A2 (Australia) vs AB4 (England) - Durban
November 6 - B2 (South Africa) vs B3 (Sri Lanka) - Bloemfontein
November 7 - A1 (India) vs A3 (Pakistan) - Cape Town
November 8 - B1 (New Zealand) vs AB4 (England) - Durban
November 9 - B2 (South Africa) vs A2 (Australia) - Gqeberha
November 10 - A3 (Pakistan) vs B3 (Sri Lanka) - Bloemfontein
November 11 - A1 (India) vs AB4 (England) - Gqeberha
November 12 - B2 (South Africa) vs B1 (New Zealand) - Cape Town
November 13 - A2 (Australia) vs A3 (Pakistan) - Bloemfontein
November 14 - A1 (India) vs B3 (Sri Lanka) - Durban
Semi-finals
November 17 - Semi-final 1 - Cape Town
November 18 - Semi-final 2 - Tshwane
Final
November 21 - Final - Johannesburg
The top 4 teams after the Super 7 phase will advance to the semi-finals. The top-ranked team will face the fourth-placed team, while the second- and third-placed teams will meet in the other semi-final. The final will be played in Johannesburg on November 21, with a reserve day on November 22.
