India and Pakistan placed in same group as ICC releases 2027 Men's World Cup schedule

The ICC on Thursday released the full schedule of the 2027 Men's World Cup at an event in Cape Town, South Africa. A total of 14 teams will take part. The schedule has been announced a year before the tournament begins. The event will start on October 2, 2027.

India and Pakistan, the traditional rivals, have been placed in the same group.

Group A has India, Pakistan, Australia, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and the Qualifier-A team. Group B has Bangladesh, England, South Africa, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and the Qualifier-B team.

The ICC had earlier announced the new format for the 2027 edition. The World Cup will be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. The ICC had also said the full match schedule would be launched on October 1, when fans would be able to enter the ticket ballot.

After the group stage, a Super 7 round of 21 matches will be played, with all teams playing one another. Only the top four teams on the points table will then qualify for the semi-finals.

The team finishing first on the points table will play the fourth-placed side, while the second and third-placed teams will meet each other. The winners of the two semi-finals will contest the final on November 21, 2027.

For now, only the schedule and groups have been announced. Which team plays in which match, and who reaches the semi-finals, will be decided only after the tournament begins.