The ICC also detailed the qualification process for the 2028 Men's and Women's T20 World Cup
Cricinfo staff
Published: Nov 15, 2026, 6:10 PM (1 hr ago)
The ICC has scrapped the Super Six round from the 2027 ODI World Cup Qualifier, unlike in the previous three editions. The 2027 Qualifier will be played between ten teams in February-March next year.
In previous editions of the Qualifier, the ten teams were split across two groups followed by a Super Six round. They would play a total of 34 matches, with the top two teams making it to the main tournament. However, there will be only 23 matches in the Qualifier next year without the Super Six round. After its meetings in Bali on Sunday, the ICC announced that the ten teams would be split across two groups of five with the top two from each playing the semi-finals and the final.
As had been approved by the ICC Board in July for a revamped structure for the 2027 World Cup, the winner of the Qualifier gains direct entry to the 14-team marquee tournament. The teams finishing second, third and fourth in the Qualifier will contest the first round of the World Cup, called the Super Series, with the top team out of those qualifying for the main event.
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The six teams that have gained entry to the Qualifier are West Indies and Ireland (based on rankings), along with USA, Netherlands, Scotland and Oman qualifying from CWC League 2. The remaining four teams will be determined via the Qualifier Playoff to be played in Nepal next month. This Playoff will be contested by the bottom-four teams from CWC League 2, along with four teams from the Challenge League (essentially cricket's third division).
Men's T20 World Cup 2028 Qualifier
The ICC also detailed the qualification process for the 2028 Men's T20 World Cup. The Qualifier for the main event will see a total of 31 matches with four groups of four teams each. The group stage will be followed by the quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final. Eight of the 16 teams from the Qualifier will qualify directly for the main event later in 2028. This is how the eight teams will progress:
Semi-finalists: All four semi-finalists will qualify for the Men's T20 World Cup automatically.
Regional representation: The highest-placed team from each of the five regions - Africa, Americas, Asia, East-Asia Pacific and Europe - will qualify, subject to the following:
If the top team from a region finishes in the top eight at the Qualifier, they go through to the main event.
If the top team from a region finishes ninth to 12th (third in their group), they take the spot of the lowest-ranked team in the top eight which isn't a regional top team.
Remaining spots: The remaining spots go to the highest-ranked losing quarter-finalists based on group performance, points, wins, and NRR.
The teams that are lowest-ranked in their respective groups are not eligible to qualify for the Men's T20 World Cup.
Women's T20 World Cup 2028 Qualifier
Eight teams - Australia, India, South Africa, Bangladesh, England, West Indies, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland and hosts Pakistan - have qualified automatically for the Women's T20 World Cup 2028.
The remaining two places will be determined through the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier 2028, which will be played between ten teams. Netherlands and Scotland, who participated in the 2026 edition of the Women's T20 World Cup but did not secure automatic qualification for 2028, will progress directly to the Global Qualifier.
They will be joined by eight teams advancing through five regional qualification events scheduled for 2027. The top two teams from the Global Qualifier will secure the final places at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2028.
