T20 World Cup 2026: India Won Back-to-Back
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Final result, full recap, and how our T20 World Cup predictions read the 2026 tournament
Last updated: 24 July 2026
India won the T20 World Cup 2026, beating New Zealand by 96 runs in the final at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on 8 March. India made 255/5; New Zealand were bowled out for 159.
That win made India the first team ever to win back-to-back men’s T20 World Cup titles, adding 2026 to their 2024 crown. No side had done it in the previous nine editions.
The 10th edition ran February 7 to March 8, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka: 20 teams, 55 matches, 8 venues. India met Pakistan on 15 February at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium, a neutral venue under the BCCI-PCB agreement. Sahibzada Farhan finished as leading run-scorer with 383 runs. England and South Africa were the losing semi-finalists.
Below: the full tournament recap, results and group tables, plus the T20 World Cup predictions we published as it happened and how they held up.
🏆 Tournament Complete — India Win Back-to-Back!
India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs in the final at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on March 8, 2026. India defended their 2024 title to become back-to-back T20 World Champions.
Tournament Format
The T20 World Cup 2026 was played in a four-stage knockout format:
Group Stage (Feb 7-20): 20 teams in 4 groups of 5. Each team plays 4 matches. Top 2 from each group advance.
Super 8 (Feb 21 - Mar 1): 8 teams split into 2 groups of 4. Pre-seeded based on ICC rankings. Each team plays 3 matches. Top 2 from each advance.
Semi-finals (Mar 4-5): Winner Group 1 vs Runner-up Group 2, and vice versa.
Final (Mar 8): Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. Capacity: 132,000, the world’s largest cricket stadium.
Super 8 Pre-Seeding
Teams are pre-seeded into Super 8 groups based on ICC T20I rankings (as of July 25, 2025). Position is fixed regardless of group stage finish.
| Super 8 Group 1 | Super 8 Group 2 |
|---|---|
| Australia | England |
| India | New Zealand |
| South Africa | Pakistan |
| West Indies | Sri Lanka |
T20 World Cup 2026 Groups
Group A
- 1. India (Defending champions)
- 2. Pakistan (All matches in Sri Lanka)
- 3. USA
- 4. Netherlands
- 5. Namibia
India vs Pakistan: Feb 15, Colombo
Group B
- 1. Sri Lanka (Co-hosts)
- 2. Australia (2021 champions)
- 3. Ireland
- 4. Zimbabwe
- 5. Oman
Group C
- 1. England (2x champions)
- 2. West Indies (2x champions)
- 3. Bangladesh
- 4. Nepal
- 5. Italy (T20 WC debut)
Group D
- 1. South Africa (2024 finalists)
- 2. New Zealand (2021 finalists)
- 3. Afghanistan (Dark horse)
- 4. Canada
- 5. UAE
Pre-Tournament Betting Odds (archived)
Outright winner odds from Oddschecker as they stood on January 9, 2026, before a ball was bowled. These markets settled on 8 March and the prices below are historical. India went off favourite at 2.67 and won.
| Team | Best Odds | bet365 | Betfair | Implied Prob |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 2.67 | 2.38 | 2.67 | 37.5% |
| Australia | 5.50 | 5.00 | 5.41 | 18.2% |
| South Africa | 6.50 | 6.50 | 6.10 | 15.4% |
| England | 7.00 | 5.50 | 7.47 | 14.3% |
| New Zealand | 17.00 | 17.00 | 12.30 | 5.9% |
| Pakistan | 17.70 | 17.00 | 17.70 | 5.6% |
| West Indies | 21.00 | 21.00 | 10.80 | 4.8% |
| Afghanistan | 29.00 | 26.00 | 49.00 | 3.4% |
| Sri Lanka | 51.00 | 41.00 | 29.00 | 2.0% |
| Bangladesh | 201.00 | 101.00 | 98.00 | 0.5% |
Odds from Oddschecker, January 9, 2026, archived. Best odds highlighted. These markets settled on 8 March.
Best T20 World Cup Betting Sites
These are the books that priced the T20 World Cup 2026 outright. That market settled on 8 March; they are where the next tournament will be priced.
Full Betting Analysis
T20 World Cup 2026 Winner Prediction
Want to see how our probability model read this tournament? Our dedicated winner prediction page carries the team-by-team analysis and the calls we made, kept as a record of how they finished.
Read Winner Prediction →India vs Pakistan: The Marquee Clash
The group-stage meeting was played on 15 February 2026 at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. The card below is the preview we published beforehand, kept as a record of how we read the fixture.
Group A — Neutral Venue
India vs Pakistan
February 15, 2026
7:00 PM IST | 1:30 PM GMT
13
India wins
3
Pakistan wins
Venue
R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
35,000 capacity
Why Colombo?
BCCI-PCB neutral venue agreement
December 2024
Historical note: India have won 13 of 16 T20Is vs Pakistan (81% win rate). Same venue hosted their 2012 T20 WC meeting (India won). Pakistan's only T20 WC win vs India was Dubai 2021.
The Neutral Venue Agreement
Following the BCCI-PCB agreement in December 2024:
- All Pakistan matches at ICC events hosted by India or Pakistan (2024-2027 cycle) are played at neutral venues
- Pakistan played all their matches in Sri Lanka during this tournament (Group A matches in Colombo)
- Had Pakistan reached semi-final 1, it would have shifted from Kolkata to Colombo
- Had Pakistan reached the final, it would have shifted from Ahmedabad to Colombo
Neither clause was triggered. Pakistan did not reach the semi-finals, so semi-final 1 stayed in Kolkata and the final was played at Ahmedabad as scheduled. New to cricket betting? See our cricket betting guide for the basics.
Venues: 8 Stadiums Across 2 Countries
India Venues (5)
| Venue | City | Capacity | Hosts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Narendra Modi Stadium | Ahmedabad | 132,000 | FINAL, Super 8 |
| Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai | 33,000 | India opener, Semi-final 2 |
| Eden Gardens | Kolkata | 68,000 | Group stage, Semi-final 1 |
| MA Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai | 50,000 | Group stage |
| Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi | 41,000 | Group stage |
Sri Lanka Venues (3)
| Venue | City | Capacity | Hosts |
|---|---|---|---|
| R. Premadasa Stadium | Colombo | 35,000 | IND vs PAK, PAK matches, Alt. Final |
| Sinhalese Sports Club | Colombo | 12,000 | Opening match (NED vs PAK) |
| Pallekele Stadium | Kandy | 35,000 | Group stage |
Key Dates: T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule
| Date | Match/Event | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 7 | Tournament opened: Netherlands vs Pakistan | SSC, Colombo |
| Feb 7 | India vs USA | Wankhede, Mumbai |
| Feb 15 | India vs Pakistan | Premadasa, Colombo |
| Feb 20 | Group Stage ends | — |
| Feb 21 | Super 8 begins | — |
| Mar 1 | Super 8 ends | — |
| Mar 4 | Semi-final 1 | Kolkata |
| Mar 5 | Semi-final 2 | Mumbai |
| Mar 8 | FINAL | Ahmedabad |
India Squad for T20 World Cup 2026
India
DEFENDING CHAMPIONSCaptain: Suryakumar Yadav | VC: Axar Patel
Batters
- Suryakumar Yadav (c): First ICC event as captain
- Abhishek Sharma: Aggressive opener, SRH
- Sanju Samson: WK-batter, CSK
- Tilak Varma: Young middle-order star
- Ishan Kishan: 517 runs in SMAT
Bowlers
- Jasprit Bumrah: World's best
- Arshdeep Singh: Death specialist
- Harshit Rana: Young pacer
- Varun Chakaravarthy: No.1 T20I bowler
- Kuldeep Yadav: Left-arm wrist spin
All-rounders
- Hardik Pandya: Key finisher
- Axar Patel (vc): Left-arm spin
- Shivam Dube: Power-hitter
- Washington Sundar: Off-spin + batting
- Rinku Singh: Finisher, returns to squad
Notable omissions: Shubman Gill (dropped), Mohammed Shami (not selected), Rohit Sharma (retired T20I), Virat Kohli (retired T20I), Ravindra Jadeja (retired T20I)
T20 World Cup History: Title Winners
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Final Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | India | Pakistan | Johannesburg |
| 2009 | Pakistan | Sri Lanka | Lord's |
| 2010 | England | Australia | Barbados |
| 2012 | West Indies | Sri Lanka | Colombo |
| 2014 | Sri Lanka | India | Dhaka |
| 2016 | West Indies | England | Kolkata |
| 2021 | Australia | New Zealand | Dubai |
| 2022 | England | Pakistan | Melbourne |
| 2024 | India | South Africa | Barbados |
Title Count
| Team | Titles | Years |
|---|---|---|
| India | 3 | 2007, 2024, 2026 |
| England | 2 | 2010, 2022 |
| West Indies | 2 | 2012, 2016 |
| Pakistan | 1 | 2009 |
| Sri Lanka | 1 | 2014 |
| Australia | 1 | 2021 |
India are the only team to have defended the T20 World Cup, winning back-to-back in 2024 and 2026. West Indies took two titles (2012, 2016) but not consecutively. India’s three titles are now the outright record.
T20 World Cup 2026 FAQ
Who won the T20 World Cup 2026?
India won the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, beating New Zealand by 96 runs in the final at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on 8 March 2026. India posted 255/5 and bowled New Zealand out for 159.
Has any team ever defended the T20 World Cup?
Yes, but only once. India became the first team to win back-to-back men's T20 World Cup titles, following their 2024 win with the 2026 trophy. No side had managed it in the previous nine editions. West Indies came closest, winning in 2012 and 2016, but not consecutively.
When was the T20 World Cup 2026 played?
The tournament ran from February 7 to March 8, 2026: 55 matches across 8 venues in India and Sri Lanka over 30 days.
Where was the T20 World Cup 2026 held?
It was co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. India staged 5 venues (Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad) and Sri Lanka 3 (Colombo x2, Kandy). The final was played at Ahmedabad.
Who reached the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-finals?
Four teams reached the semi-finals: India, New Zealand, England and South Africa. India beat England and New Zealand beat South Africa, so England and South Africa were the losing semi-finalists.
Who scored the most runs at the T20 World Cup 2026?
Sahibzada Farhan was the tournament's leading run-scorer with 383 runs.
Where did India play Pakistan at the T20 World Cup 2026?
India met Pakistan on February 15, 2026 at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. It was played at a neutral venue in Sri Lanka under the BCCI-PCB agreement of December 2024, which required Pakistan to play all their matches there.
What was the T20 World Cup 2026 format?
The tournament ran in 4 stages: Group Stage (20 teams in 4 groups of 5), Super 8 (8 teams in 2 groups), Semi-finals, and Final. Teams were pre-seeded into the Super 8 groups on ICC rankings.
Summary
T20 World Cup 2026: What You Need to Know
- ● Dates: February 7 – March 8, 2026
- ● Hosts: India (5 venues) & Sri Lanka (3 venues)
- ● Format: 20 teams → 4 groups → Super 8 → Semi-finals → Final
- ● Champion: India, who went off favourite at 2.67 and delivered
- ● India vs Pakistan: February 15, Colombo (neutral venue)
- ● Final: March 8, Ahmedabad. India 255/5 beat New Zealand 159
- ● Our prediction: How our winner call read the tournament →
Looking for individual match predictions? Visit our cricket betting tips page for today's predictions across every league we cover. You can also view our upcoming matches schedule.
The pre-tournament odds and analysis preserved on this page are archived as they stood on January 9, 2026. The tournament finished on 8 March 2026 and those markets are settled. Betting involves risk. Please gamble responsibly.