World Cup 2027 schedule announced: India to open against Australia, face Pakistan three days later

India will begin their 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup campaign against defending champions Australia in Cape Town on October 7 before facing Pakistan in Johannesburg three days later, with the International Cricket Council unveiling the schedule and groups for the 14-team tournament on Thursday.

The World Cup will run from October 2 to November 21 across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, marking the return of the men's 50-over showpiece to Africa after 24 years. A total of 57 matches will be staged across 12 venues, with Johannesburg hosting the final.

India handed heavyweight group

India have been placed in Group A alongside Australia, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe, setting up several high-profile contests during the opening stage. The final place in the group will be determined through the tournament's preliminary Super Series.

The October 7 contest against Australia will immediately test India against the reigning world champions. It will also bring together the two teams that contested the 2023 World Cup final in Ahmedabad, where Australia defeated India to lift their sixth men's ODI world title.

Only three days later, India will travel to Johannesburg for their group-stage encounter against Pakistan on October 10. The fixture will again place the two rivals together at a global ICC tournament, with both having secured direct qualification for the 2027 competition.

India qualified through the ICC ODI rankings, along with Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, England, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. South Africa and Zimbabwe qualified automatically as hosts.

World Cup gets new format

The 2027 tournament will feature a substantially revised format compared with the 10-team round-robin structure used in 2019 and 2023.

Fourteen teams will participate, but the competition will effectively begin with a three-team Super Series in Windhoek on October 2. That stage will determine the final team entering the main group phase.

The other 12 teams will be divided into two groups of six. Once the Super Series qualifier is added, the tournament will move towards a Super 7 phase, with the leading seven sides progressing from the group stage.

The top four teams in the Super 7 will qualify for the semi-finals, followed by the final on November 21.

The structure means teams will have little room for prolonged poor form despite the expanded field, with performances in the first stage determining qualification for the Super 7 before another league phase decides the semi-finalists.

Africa hosts after 24 years

The tournament will be played across 12 venues in the three host nations — eight in South Africa, three in Zimbabwe and one in Namibia.

It will be the first Men's Cricket World Cup staged in Africa since the 2003 edition, which was hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya. South Africa and Zimbabwe return as hosts in 2027, while Namibia will stage matches for the first time at a men's ODI World Cup.

Namibia's role is unusual because being a co-host does not automatically guarantee its national team a place in the main tournament. South Africa and Zimbabwe received automatic qualification, while Namibia must earn its playing berth through the qualification pathway.

India face familiar rivals

India's grouping creates a difficult early sequence, particularly with Australia and Pakistan among their opponents.

Australia enter as defending champions after winning the 2023 edition in India. The October 7 meeting in Cape Town will therefore be a rematch of that final and India's first match of the tournament.

The Pakistan fixture follows in Johannesburg on October 10, giving India only a short turnaround between their first two major group matches.

Afghanistan provide another potentially challenging contest. Their performances at recent ICC tournaments have established them as a competitive white-ball side, while Zimbabwe will have home conditions in their favour.

The identity of the remaining Group A opponent will become clear after the preliminary phase.

57 matches across 12 venues

The expanded World Cup will comprise 57 matches, significantly more than the 48 played during the 2023 edition in India.

The ICC has designed the competition around three stages before the knockout rounds, allowing the expanded 14-team field while retaining a substantial league component.

South Africa will carry the largest share of the tournament, with eight host cities. Zimbabwe will stage games at three venues, while Windhoek will represent Namibia.

The final will be held on November 21, bringing to an end a tournament lasting more than seven weeks.

Ticket ballot opens

The ICC also opened the ticket ballot alongside the schedule announcement. Registration is available from October 1 to November 21, 2026, and the governing body has said the process will not operate on a first-come, first-served basis.

All valid registrations received during the ballot period will be treated equally, allowing supporters to register interest without having to compete for tickets immediately after the schedule announcement.

For India, however, attention will initially centre on the opening week. Facing Australia in Cape Town on October 7 and Pakistan in Johannesburg on October 10 gives their campaign two of its biggest fixtures almost immediately, setting up a demanding start to the 2027 World Cup.