2027 ODI World Cup to begin on 4 October:Final on 21 November, South Africa’s 8 stadiums to host 41 matches – Report

The tentative dates for the ODI World Cup 2027 next year have been discussed among the full-member ICC nations. The final schedule will be announced at a later date, but it has been reported that the World Cup will commence on 4 October, with the final due to be played on 21 November. The 2027 ODI World Cup will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. ESPNcricinfo claimed that 8 venues in South Africa will host atleast 41 of the 54 matches due to be played, with Zimbabwe’s three venues likely to host between eight and 10 games, while Namibia will stage three fixtures. The report claims that the tentative dates were agreed upon during ICC board meeting in Ahmedabad in May. Further discussions on the complete schedule could take place at the ICC’s AGM in Edinburgh in July. South Africa to host bulk of ODI World Cup games South Africa co-hosted the 2003 ODI World Cup, and then they played hosts to the 2007 World Cup, wherein MS Dhoni-led Indian team etched their names in the history books. For the 2027 edition, 8 venues have been identified by the ICC, which will host the majority of the matches. 3 venues from Zimbabwe have been shortlisted, apart from Harare Sports Club and Queens in Bulawayo, Victoria Falls will also host a few games. The Fale Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium will be completed later in 2026 before its inauguration in May next year. 2027 ODI World Cup format The 2027 ODI World Cup will feature 14 teams. This is an expansion from the 10-team format used in the previous two tournaments. All participating teams will be divided into two groups of seven, top three teams from each group progress to the Super Six stage. After the Super Six, the four semifinalists will be decided. South Africa and Zimbabwe have already qualified for next year’s ODI World Cup since they are full-member nations, while Namibia will try to book their berths at next year’s tournament through the qualification rounds. Expansion of WTC also on cards The report also claimed that the ICC meeting in July will have another agenda on cards, that will be the expansion of the World Test Championship. Currently, Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan are not part of the WTC despite being full-member nations, a decision regarding their inclusion could be taken next month. The members of the ICC board will also discuss whether to include one-off Tests as part of the WTC schedule, meaning a lot of big announcements could take place soon after the next AGM.