T20 World Cup Semi-Finals and Final Venue Undecided; India's Hosting Rights in Doubt?

India and Sri Lanka are the joint hosts of this World Cup, but Pakistan does not want to play any matches in India due to political reasons. Therefore, under the 'hybrid model', all of Pakistan's matches are being organised in Sri Lanka.

T20 World Cup 2026: The group stage matches of the T20 World Cup 2026 are in their final phase, and the Super 8 matches will be played soon. However, the venues for the semi-finals and finals of this tournament are still not completely decided, as the decision will depend on Pakistan reaching the knockout stage.

Pakistan Will Not Play Any Matches in India

India and Sri Lanka are the joint hosts of this World Cup, but Pakistan does not want to play any matches in India due to political reasons. Therefore, under the 'hybrid model', all of Pakistan's matches are being held in Sri Lanka. For this reason, India also had to play its group stage match against Pakistan in Colombo. Pakistan will also play its Super 8 matches in Sri Lanka, and if it reaches the knockout stage, the venues for the semi-finals and finals will be decided according to its progress.

India-Pakistan Matches to be Played at Neutral Venues

The main reason for this is an agreement reached last year between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), and the International Cricket Council (ICC) before the Champions Trophy, which stipulated that from 2024 to 2027, India and Pakistan would not play in each other's countries in any ICC tournaments. Such matches will be played at neutral venues under the hybrid model.

This Controversy Started with the Champions Trophy

The impact of this agreement has been seen before. Last year, Pakistan was the host of the Champions Trophy, but all of India's matches were played in Dubai. When the Indian team, led by Rohit Sharma, reached the final, the title clash was also moved from Lahore to Dubai. Similarly, in the 2025 Women's World Cup, India was the sole host, but all of Pakistan's matches were held in Sri Lanka. All of the Pakistan women's team's matches were played at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. This arrangement also benefited Sri Lanka, giving it the opportunity to play five home matches.

If Pakistan Reaches the Final, Sri Lanka Will Host the Title Clash

The situation in the T20 World Cup has been relatively easier, as India and Sri Lanka have been declared joint hosts. All of Pakistan's matches have been scheduled in Sri Lanka, including the encounter against India. If Pakistan reaches the knockout stage, the first semi-final will be shifted from Kolkata to Colombo. Furthermore, if they secure a place in the final, the title clash will also be played in Colombo instead of Ahmedabad.

This hybrid arrangement announced by the ICC will remain in effect until the end of 2027. After the T20 World Cup, neither India nor Pakistan is currently scheduled to host any major ICC tournaments. However, the 2028 Women's T20 World Cup is proposed to be held in Pakistan, while the 2029 Champions Trophy and the 2031 World Cup will be jointly hosted by India and Bangladesh. In such a scenario, it will be interesting to see whether this hybrid arrangement continues in the future or not.