T20 World Cup set for expansion, 24 teams likely from this edition

In a series of interesting events, it has been reported that the International Cricket Council (ICC) is planning a big expansion of the T20 World Cup by increasing the number of participating teams. Currently, the tournament features 20 countries, a format that was introduced from the 2024 edition, where India emerged victorious.

ICC to amend changes in T20 World Cup

However, the ICC is now considering expanding the tournament to 24 teams, with the proposed change expected to come into effect from the 2032 edition. There is also a possibility that the expanded format could be introduced as early as the 2030 tournament. In the longer run, the ICC looks to increase the number of participating countries to 32, further broadening the global reach of the competition.

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The upcoming edition of the T20 World Cup will be played in 2028 and will be staged across Australia and New Zealand, while the 2030 edition is set to be hosted jointly by England, Ireland and Scotland. The ICC has not yet confirmed the hosts for the 2032 edition, where the proposed expansion could possibly be introduced.

The growing competitiveness from the associate nations has been one of the biggest positives from the recently concluded 2026 T20WC. Zimbabwe produced two biggest upsets by defeating Australia and Sri Lanka, while Nepal and Italy gave tough competition to England. Two years back, Nepal ran South Africa in a thrilling clash, and the United States shocked the cricketing world by recording a big win over Pakistan, underlining the rapid progress of the associate nations.

Big change in 2028 T20 WC format

The 2028 T20 World Cup will be played under a changed structure. The 20 teams will be split into five groups of four, with the top two sides from each group reaching the Super 10 stage. The knockout rounds will continue to decide the champion.

If the ICC expands the competition to 24 teams in future editions, the structure is set to change as per the requirements. One likely model would divide the teams into six groups of four, with the top two from each group advancing to a Super 12 stage before knockout stage. Then the format would also let the ICC to schedule more games while accommodating additional nations.