Massive update on ODI World Cup 2027 schedule, start and final dates revealed with tweaked format

In a big update on Men's ODI World Cup 2027's schedule, the marquee tournament, which set to be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, has been provisionally slated to run from October 4 to November 21, 2027.

ODI World Cup 2027's star and final dates locked in

According to reports from ESPNcricinfo, the timeline was agreed upon during the ICC board meeting in Ahmedabad this past May. The remaining finer details are expected to be finalized and confirmed at the ICC's Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Edinburgh this July.

South Africa is geared up to take the lion's share of the action, with eight designated venues expected to host at least 41 of the tournament's 54 matches. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe will stage between eight and ten games, leaving Namibia to host three matches.

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Zimbabwe has also expanded its venue blueprint from two stadiums to three by adding Victoria Falls to the mix alongside Harare Sports Club and Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. The city's brand-new Fale Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium is on track to be completed later this year, with plans to host domestic cricket before its official inauguration next May. While initial talks had South Africa traveling to Zimbabwe this August to open the venue, that international fixture has been pushed back.

This tournament marks the highly anticipated return of the Men's ODI World Cup to the African continent for the first time since 2003. While South Africa has since hosted the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2009 Champions Trophy, and the 2023 Women's T20 World Cup—and Zimbabwe and Namibia recently successfully co-hosted the Under-19 Men's World Cup—this marks a major milestone for the region.

More teams in 2027 edition

The 2027 edition will also see a shift in the tournament structure, expanding to a 14-team format after featuring just 10 teams in the previous two iterations.

How the Tournament Will Work:
The Group Stage: The 14 teams will be split into two groups of seven.

The Super Sixes: The top three teams from each group will advance to the next round.

Qualification: As ICC Full Members, South Africa and Zimbabwe automatically qualify for the tournament. Namibia, however, will have to navigate the official qualification process to secure their spot.

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The 2027 World Cup will serve as the opening act for the 2027-2031 Future Tours Programme (FTP), the master calendar that dictates all bilateral international cricket schedules. While initial talks are already underway, the full cycle is set to be finalized at the ICC meetings in Hong Kong later this year. However, planners have hit a major sticking point in the negotiations: the future structure and potential expansion of WTC.

Currently, the WTC doesn't include all of cricket's elite, leaving three Full Members—Zimbabwe, Ireland, and Afghanistan—on the sidelines. The ICC is now tasked with making a definitive call on whether to expand the championship to include all 12 Full Members. Additionally, officials are debating a significant rule change: whether one-off Test matches should be allowed to count toward the WTC points table. According to reports from ESPNcricinfo, a final decision on these critical WTC structural changes could come as early as the ICC's Annual General Meeting (AGM) this July.