The International Cricket Council (ICC) has approved sweeping changes to the structure of its flagship men’s tournaments, introducing a new format for the 14-team ODI World Cup and revamping the second phase of the 20-team T20 World Cup. The decisions were confirmed during the ICC Annual Conference in Edinburgh after recommendations from the Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC).

According to the ICC, the changes are aimed at improving the quality of competition while making every stage of the tournaments more significant. The governing body said the objective is “to create more meaningful contests, elevate competitive standards, and enhance the experience for athletes and fans.”

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New 3-Stage format for the ODI World Cup

The ODI World Cup will continue to feature 14 teams, but the tournament will no longer follow its previous structure. Instead, it will be divided into three stages before the knockout rounds.

The tournament will begin with a preliminary phase called the Super Series, where the teams ranked 12th, 13th and 14th will compete against each other. Only the table-topper from this stage will progress further.

Shubman Gill
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India ODI skipper Shubman Gill celebrates after reaching his half-century against England during the first ODI | [ANI]

The second phase will feature 12 teams divided into two groups of six. Each group will play a total of 30 matches, with the top three teams from each group advancing. They will be joined by the next best-placed team across both groups to form a new seven-team stage known as the Super 7.

All seven teams will play each other once in this round-robin stage, with the top four qualifying for the semifinals.

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Explaining the thinking behind the revised format, the ICC said, “The structure has been designed to strengthen the competitive narrative across every stage of the event, with matches from Round 1 and Round 2 carrying higher consequence with a highly competitive Super 7 stage witnessing 7 qualifying teams going through a round-robin stage to qualify for the semi-finals.”

“The increased consequence and enhanced competitive intensity promises to enhance the overall experience for fans while continuing to provide emerging teams with the opportunity to compete on cricket’s biggest stage,” the ICC added.

T20 World Cup gets Super 10 and Eliminator matches

The ICC has also introduced major changes to the T20 World Cup after being encouraged by the performances of emerging teams during the 2026 edition.

The competition will still feature 20 teams, but the opening phase will now consist of five groups of four teams instead of four groups of five. This stage will include 30 matches. The top two teams from each group will move into a newly expanded Super 10 stage, replacing the previous Super 8 format. The 10 qualified teams will then be split into two groups of five.

The knockout route has also been revised. Only the team finishing first in each Super 10 group will qualify directly for the semifinals. Teams placed second and third will compete in cross-over Eliminator matches, with the winners claiming the remaining semifinal spots.

“This promises to expand the representation of cricket’s emerging nations in the Super 10 stage while also delivering higher competitive standards. The addition of ‘eliminators’ where the 2nd and 3rd ranked teams from groups in the Super 10 stage compete against each other for spots in the semi-finals also then adds significant consequence to the closing matches of the Super 10 stage,” the ICC said in the matter.

ICC confirms qualification route for T20 World Cup 2028

The ICC Board also outlined the qualification process for the 2028 T20 World Cup. Scotland has received direct entry into the Europe Regional Final because of the “exceptional circumstances” surrounding its participation in the 2026 tournament after replacing Bangladesh at short notice.

Teams from the 2026 T20 World Cup that did not qualify automatically will move directly to the Global Qualifier. They will be joined by eight teams progressing through regional qualification events, with two teams each from Africa, Asia and Europe, and one each from the Americas and East Asia-Pacific.

“The highest-placed team from each region at the Global Qualifier, together with the next three highest-placed teams overall, will qualify for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2028, subject to minimum performance criteria,” the ICC added. 

The revised tournament formats have been endorsed by the ICC Board, although the complete roadmap will undergo a final review by the Finance & Commercial Affairs Committee during its November meetings before receiving formal approval.

FAQs

What is the new ODI World Cup format announced by the ICC?

The 14-team ODI World Cup will feature three stages, including a Super Series, a Super 7 round-robin, and knockout semifinals.

What changes has the ICC made to the T20 World Cup format?

The T20 World Cup will introduce a Super 10 stage and Eliminator matches, with only group winners advancing directly to the semifinals.