The 2026 T20 Men's World Cup has been proposed and is likely to start early February. A report from ESPN Cricinfo said that the tournament will be played from February 7 to March 8. even though there is no proposed schedule or venue allocation, the final might be held in Ahmedabad or Colombo depending on the finalist. Notably, the defending champions, India, will be co-hosting the marquee tournaments along with Colombo. The tournament will feature 20 teams playing 55 matches, with India hosting in 5 venues and Sri Lanka giving two. Colombo is likely to get the final match only if Pakistan qualifies; otherwise, Ahmedabad will host the clash. However, ICC has not finalized the schedule. Meanwhile, BCCI has identified the window and has informed the participating nations. Who has qualified for the Tournament? Currently 15 teams have already qualified for the team. It includes elite teams like, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, West Indies, New Zealand and Pakistan. The USA, Ireland, Canada, and the Netherlands have also qualified, with Italy debuting in the tournament. Out of the five remaining spots, two will come from the Africa regional qualifier, while the other three will be decided through the Asia and East Asia-Pacific qualifier. The report further confirmed that the format used in the 2024 T20 World Cup will stay the same. The 20 teams will be split into four groups, with the top two from each advancing to the Super Eight. In the next stage, the eight teams will be divided into two groups, and the top two from each group will progress to the semifinals. Read also: Afghanistan thrash Hong Kong by 95 runs in Asia Cup 2025 opener BCCI's busy 2026 The BCCI is likely to have a busy early half of 2026. Before the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup, India will be witnessing the Women's Premier League (WPL). Simultaneously, India Men will be playing a white ball series comprising 3 ODIs and 5 T20Is against New Zealand across the country. Following the Men's T20 World Cup, India will be prepping for the 19th edition of the Indian Premier League. Even though not finalized, the tentative starting date is March 15, and is likely to continue till May 31.