New Delhi [India], November 15 (ANI): India will host the 2029 ICC Men’s Champions Trophy, while sharing hosting duties with Bangladesh for the 2031 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, as the International Cricket Council (ICC) Board approved the schedule of marquee men’s events and qualification frameworks for several global tournaments until 2035.
The decisions were taken at the ICC Board meetings in Bali, Indonesia, on Sunday, with the governing body aiming to provide greater opportunities to Full and Associate Members through enhanced qualification pathways and increased competitive exposure, according to a media release from ICC..
The 2029 Champions Trophy will be held from October 9 to 28, while the 2031 ODI World Cup, to be jointly hosted by India and Bangladesh, is scheduled from October 9 to November 23.
The ICC also confirmed the hosting windows for other major men’s events between 2028 and 2035, providing member boards and players with long-term clarity on the international calendar.
Australia and New Zealand will jointly host the 2028 Men’s T20 World Cup from October 12 to November 12, while England will stage the 2029 World Test Championship (WTC) final from June 8 to 12.
England, Ireland and Scotland will jointly host the 2030 Men’s T20 World Cup from July 4 to August 4. England will also host the 2031 WTC final from June 12 to 16.
The hosts for the 2032 Men’s T20 World Cup, 2033 WTC final, 2033 Champions Trophy, 2034 Men’s T20 World Cup, 2035 WTC final and 2035 Men’s ODI World Cup are yet to be announced.
ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta said the approved calendar would provide greater certainty and direction to the international game.
“The ICC events portfolio and schedule are critical components of cricket’s global architecture and deliver elevated context, competitiveness and consequence to the ecosystem. These tournaments serve as pinnacle moments for fans and players alike, with the associated pathways driving aspiration and access for the broader cricketing landscape,” he said, as per ICC.
“We also recognise the importance of providing athletes and member associations long-term visibility of these events to enable development of improved player pathways, focused high-performance programmes and structured calendars,” he added.
The ICC Board also approved qualification formats for the 2027 Men’s ODI World Cup, 2028 Men’s T20 World Cup and 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup.
The 2027 Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier, scheduled for February-March 2027, will feature 10 teams competing in 23 matches. The teams will be divided into two groups of five, followed by semi-finals and a final.
The top four sides will qualify for the 2027 World Cup. The qualifier winner will progress directly to the main tournament’s Group Stage, while the other three successful teams will compete in a Super Series to determine the final Group Stage berth.
The 16-team Global Qualifier for the 2028 Men’s T20 World Cup will be held in the first quarter of 2028 and comprise 31 matches, featuring four groups of four teams, followed by quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final.
Eight teams will earn qualification from the Global Qualifier. The highest-placed team from each region will qualify, subject to minimum performance criteria, with the remaining berths allocated to the next highest-ranked teams overall.
The ICC has also finalised regional allocations for the 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier.
The Netherlands and Scotland, who featured in the 2026 edition but failed to secure automatic qualification for 2028, will be joined by eight teams emerging from regional qualifying competitions in 2027.
Africa, Asia and the East Asia-Pacific region will have two qualifying spots each, while the Americas and Europe will have one apiece. The top two teams from the 10-team Global Qualifier will claim the remaining places in the 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup.
Meanwhile, the ICC confirmed the venues and dates for the final qualification events for cricket’s return to the Olympic programme at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
The men’s Olympic qualifier will be held in the USA from February 5 to 13, 2028, while the women’s event will take place in Bangladesh from February 26 to March 5.
Both qualifiers will feature eight teams divided into two groups of four, with each tournament comprising 13 matches. The group winners will advance to the final, with the winner of each final securing the last available qualification spot for the respective LA28 Olympic cricket competition. (ANI)
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