T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule And Venues: India Group Stage Fantasy Brief
Confirmed India fixtures, eight host venues, group-stage timings in IST, and what fantasy managers on Halaplay should plan around for the June-July 2026 window.
T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule Confirmed
The International Cricket Council released the full T20 World Cup 2026 schedule on 9 May 2026, confirming 55 matches across 45 match-days from 7 June to 13 July 2026. India, the defending champions, open their campaign on 7 June at Eden Gardens in Kolkata against Pakistan. The final is scheduled for 13 July at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, with the reserve day on 14 July.
Eight host venues spread across India and Sri Lanka: Eden Gardens (Kolkata), Wankhede (Mumbai), M. Chinnaswamy (Bengaluru), Arun Jaitley (Delhi), Narendra Modi (Ahmedabad), MA Chidambaram (Chennai), R. Premadasa (Colombo), and Pallekele (Kandy). Each venue hosts between 6 and 9 matches in the round-robin and knockout stages.
India Group Stage Fixtures
India play 4 group-stage matches in the June leg, plus a fifth fixture in the Super 8 opener:
- 7 June 2026 — India vs Pakistan, Eden Gardens, Kolkata, 7:00 PM IST
- 11 June 2026 — India vs Bangladesh, M. Chinnaswamy, Bengaluru, 7:00 PM IST
- 15 June 2026 — India vs USA, Wankhede, Mumbai, 7:30 PM IST
- 19 June 2026 — India vs Ireland, Arun Jaitley, Delhi, 7:00 PM IST
Super 8 begins 23 June; India play 3 more round-robin matches before the semi-finals on 8 July (Delhi) and 9 July (Mumbai). The 13 July final is in Ahmedabad.
What Fantasy Managers Should Plan Around
Five India matches fall on a single match-week (7-15 June). Fantasy managers on Halaplay should pre-build rosters for the Pakistan-Bangladesh double-header and treat USA/Ireland as captaincy lock opportunities. Eden Gardens and Wankhede are batting-friendly decks averaging 165+ first-innings scores in 2025-26 domestic T20; Bengaluru and Delhi are spin-dominant with average scores closer to 145.
Two format notes that affect fantasy points on Halaplay: (1) the impact-player rule is NOT in effect for ICC events — managers must pick 11 + 4 substitutes; (2) DRS reviews do not award fantasy points on Halaplay, so captain picks should not weight DRS upside.
Venue Rotation Notes
Matches shift between venues every 2-3 days during the group stage. Captains tracking load management should note Jasprit Bumrah's last group game is 19 June in Delhi (5-day gap before Super 8 opener), while Hardik Pandya plays all 4 group matches with no rest day. For death-over specialist picks, Wankhede and Eden Gardens are the highest-scoring venues.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does India play their first T20 World Cup 2026 match?
India open against Pakistan on 7 June 2026 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, 7:00 PM IST.
Where is the T20 World Cup 2026 final?
The final is at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on 13 July 2026, with 14 July as the reserve day.
How many venues are hosting T20 World Cup 2026?
Eight venues across India and Sri Lanka: Kolkata, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Colombo, and Kandy.
Does the impact-player rule apply in T20 World Cup 2026?
No. ICC events do not use the impact-player rule. Managers pick 11 players and 4 substitutes; substitute roles are restricted to fielding-only.