The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced a significant restructuring of the men's T20 World Cup format, which will debut during the 2028 tournament hosted by Australia and New Zealand in October and November. While the total number of matches will remain at 55, the new structure introduces two additional knockout games, effectively serving as quarter-finals.
Under the revised format, the first-round group stage will now consist of five groups of four teams, a change from the previous configuration of four groups of five. The top two teams from each of these five groups will advance to a new 'Super 10' stage, replacing the former 'Super Eight' format. This second round will feature two groups of five teams each.
The winners of each Super 10 group will earn an automatic spot in the semi-finals. However, the teams finishing second and third in their respective groups will face off in cross-pool 'eliminator' matches. The victors of these two encounters will secure the remaining semi-final berths.
This overhaul results in a shift in the tournament's distribution of matches: the first-round group games will decrease from 40 to 30, while second-round fixtures will increase from 12 to 20. The ICC stated that the decision to expand qualifiers for the second round was influenced by the performance of emerging teams during the 2026 edition held in India and Sri Lanka. According to the governing body, this format change is intended to broaden the representation of emerging nations at the Super 10 level while simultaneously raising the tournament's competitive standards.
The 20-team tournament will still be played across 55 matches, but the new format – announced by the ICC on Wednesday following its recent AGM in Edinburgh – sees a reduction in first-round group games (from 40 to 30), an increase in second-round fixtures (from 12 to 20), and the introduction of two 'eliminator' matches – effectively quarter-finals – before the semi-finals.
