ICC announces more teams for T20 and ODI World Cups; reintroduces Champions Trophy

Jun 01, 2021

ICC announces more teams for T20 and ODI World Cups; reintroduces Champions Trophy Image

The T20 World Cup for men’s has been expanded to 20 teams from 2024, while the ODI World Cup will feature 14 teams for its 2027 and 2031 editions, as confirmed by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The ODI World Cup from 2027 will follow the same format that was last seen in the 2003 edition. Two groups, each comprising of seven teams, will compete in a round-robin format. The top three teams from each group will qualify for Super Sixes.

In the Super Sixes stage, teams will carry forward a part of their points against the other teams that have qualified. Every team will play three matches each (once against each of the teams from the other group). The top four teams will qualify for the semi-finals.

The T20 World Cup will feature 55 matches, and will be staged in alternative years since 2024. Twenty teams will be divided into five groups, and the top two from each pool will progress for the Super Eights stage, followed by semi-finals and the final.

Further, the Champions trophy has been reintroduced, where the eight top-ranked teams will be spliced into two pools of four each, and the top two from each pool will feature in the semi-final.

The World Test Championship will be held every two years, with the first edition to be played in few days time in Southampton. India and New Zealand will lock horns in the final of the inaugural WTC.