India, Pakistan and defending champions Australia will compete in the same group at the 2027 ICC Men's ODI World Cup, the ICC confirmed on Thursday. The tournament, returning to Africa for the first time since 2003, will feature 14 teams divided into two groups, with this blockbuster trio placed in Group A.
The group also includes Afghanistan, co-host Zimbabwe, and the winner of Qualifier A. Group B consists of South Africa, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Qualifier B. The clash between India and Pakistan is already shaping up as one of the tournament’s most anticipated matches, with the two cricketing giants meeting in Johannesburg on October 10.
India enter the competition as the top-ranked ODI team globally. Shubman Gill will captain the side in his first World Cup appearance as leader. Australia, the defending champions, will face India in Cape Town on October 7 and Pakistan on October 22 in Paarl. Pakistan’s schedule also features matches against Afghanistan in Tshwane on October 8 and Zimbabwe in Harare on October 19.
The 2027 World Cup will kick off on October 2, with the final set for November 21 in Johannesburg. South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia will host the event jointly, with 57 matches staged across 12 venues. South Africa will provide eight venues including Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, Newlands in Cape Town, and Kingsmead in Durban. Zimbabwe will host matches at Harare Sports Club, Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, and a new stadium in Victoria Falls. Namibia’s fixtures will take place at the Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek.
The tournament will introduce a new four-stage format. It begins with a Super Series among the teams ranked 12th to 14th, where the winner secures the final spot in the main event. The 14 teams then split into two groups of six, with the top three from each advancing. These six will join the next best-ranked team overall to form a seven-team Super 7 round-robin stage. The top four after this stage progress to the semifinals, leading into the final.
Ten teams have already qualified. Hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe received automatic entry. India, Australia, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan earned their places based on the ICC ODI rankings. Four remaining slots will be decided through qualification.
The schedule includes notable early fixtures such as South Africa versus New Zealand in Cape Town on October 9, England against Bangladesh in Windhoek on October 8, and Sri Lanka facing Bangladesh in Durban on October 16. Matches will be spread across the three host nations, ensuring a wide geographic spread.
The semifinals are scheduled for November 17 in Cape Town and November 18 in Tshwane, with the final on November 21 back in Johannesburg. This will be the first ODI World Cup held in Africa in 24 years, recalling the 2003 tournament co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya.
The ICC’s announcement also named the venues specifically, confirming the distribution of matches across prominent cricket grounds in the three host countries. The return of the ODI World Cup to Africa, combined with the presence of top teams like India, Pakistan and Australia in the same group, promises a tournament packed with high-profile encounters from the outset.
According to Yahoo Sports.