The 2028 women's and men's T20 World Cups will arrive almost back-to-back, according to the ICC's updated global calendar. The women's tournament in Pakistan begins on September 7, and the men's event in Australia and New Zealand starts on October 12. Only 11 days separate the two, and the men's format has been restructured.
2028 T20 World Cup Schedule at a Glance
The calendar was shared with member boards after a series of meetings in Dubai earlier this month. Together, the two events cover a continuous window from September 7 to November 12.
| Metric | Women's T20 World Cup 2028 | Men's T20 World Cup 2028 |
|---|
| Host nation(s) | Pakistan | Australia and New Zealand |
| Start date | September 7 | October 12 |
| End date | October 1 | November 12 |
| Teams | 12 | 20 |
| Approximate duration (inclusive) | 25 days | 32 days |
The combined span from the women's opening day to the men's final is about 67 days. The gap between the end of the women's event and the start of the men's is 11 days.
Women's T20 World Cup 2028: Pakistan to Host
Pakistan will host the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2028 from September 7 to October 1. Twelve teams will compete for the title.
The start and end dates have been confirmed. Fixtures, venues and match timings have not yet been officially detailed.
Men's T20 World Cup 2028: Australia and New Zealand
Australia and New Zealand will jointly host the men's tournament from October 12 to November 12. It continues the 20-team format used in recent editions.
The ICC says the revised structure is meant to widen opportunities for emerging nations. It also aims to make the later stages more competitive, and the ICC pointed to encouraging results from developing sides at the 2026 tournament.
New Format: From Four Groups of Five to Five Groups of Four
The 2028 men's event changes the structure used in 2026. The 20 teams will be split into five groups of four, replacing the four groups of five used previously.
The top two teams from each group will advance to a Super 10 stage. The opening phase will produce 30 matches.
| Format Element | 2026 Edition | 2028 Edition |
|---|
| Teams | 20 | 20 |
| Opening groups | 4 groups of 5 | 5 groups of 4 |
| Teams advancing per group | Not specified in report | Top 2 |
| Opening phase matches | Not specified in report | 30 |
| Second stage | Not specified in report | Super 10 (2 groups of 5) |
How the Super 10 Works
The Super 10 round has two groups of five, each played as a round-robin. That adds up to 20 matches.
The winners of the two groups qualify directly for the semi-finals.
The New Eliminators Round
The other two semi-final places will be decided in an Eliminators round of two matches. The second-placed team from each Super 10 group meets the third-placed team from the opposite group.
The winners complete the semi-final line-up. The semi-finals and the final follow the existing format.
| Stage | Matches |
|---|
| Opening group phase | 30 |
| Super 10 | 20 |
| Eliminators | 2 |
| Semi-finals | 2 |
| Final | 1 |
| Total (derived from stage counts) | 55 |
Teams Already Qualified for the 2028 Men's T20 World Cup
Twelve teams have secured places based on their 2026 T20 World Cup results and the team rankings. That leaves eight of the 20 places still to be filled.
| No. | Qualified Team |
|---|
| 1 | Afghanistan |
| 2 | Australia |
| 3 | Bangladesh |
| 4 | England |
| 5 | India |
| 6 | Ireland |
| 7 | New Zealand |
| 8 | Pakistan |
| 9 | South Africa |
| 10 | Sri Lanka |
| 11 | West Indies |
| 12 | Zimbabwe |
2030 Men's T20 World Cup Window Moved
The ICC has also changed the window for the 2030 men's T20 World Cup. It was originally expected in June but has been moved to July and August.
England, Ireland and Scotland remain the co-hosts, having been awarded the rights earlier. The 20-team event keeps its original host structure.
What the Changes Indicate
The 2028 calendar places a 12-team women's event and a 20-team men's event within a 67-day window. The new five-group structure means each team plays a minimum of three group matches, compared with four in a group of five. The Eliminators round adds a further path to the semi-finals, which may keep more Super 10 matches competitive.