The wait is finally over. The ICC has officially announced the schedule for the 2027 Men’s ODI World Cup, setting the stage for one of the biggest cricket tournaments ever. The World Cup will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, with 14 teams playing 57 matches across 12 venues. The tournament begins with the Super Series on 2 October 2027, while the main Group Stage starts with a blockbuster India vs Australia clash in Cape Town on 7 October.
The Group Stage will feature 12 teams divided into two groups of six. Group A has India, Australia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Qualifier A, while Group B consists of New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, England, Bangladesh and Qualifier B. This immediately sets up one of the biggest matches of the tournament as India and Pakistan will face each other on 10 October in Johannesburg. With India, Pakistan and defending champions Australia all in Group A, the battle for qualification could be intense right from the start.
India vs Australia to Start the Group Stage
The ICC could hardly have picked a bigger contest to begin the Group Stage.
India will face defending champions Australia at Cape Town on 7 October 2027, bringing back memories of the 2023 ODI World Cup final. Australia defeated India in Ahmedabad in that final to lift the trophy after India had gone unbeaten until the title clash.
Four years later, the two teams will meet again at the beginning of another World Cup campaign.
For India, it gives the tournament an explosive start. There will be no time to settle into the competition, with Australia first and Pakistan waiting just three days later.
India vs Pakistan on October 10 in Johannesburg
After facing Australia, India will travel to Johannesburg for the high-voltage clash against Pakistan on 10 October.
India-Pakistan matches remain among the most eagerly followed contests in world cricket, and their placement in the same group guarantees at least one meeting in the 2027 World Cup.
There is also a possibility of the two teams meeting again later in the competition if both progress. India and Pakistan have been pre-seeded as A1 and A3 respectively for the Super 7 fixture planning. That means a potential second India-Pakistan encounter is scheduled for 7 November in Cape Town, provided both teams qualify into those designated slots.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli Eye a Dream World Cup Farewell
For Indian fans, this World Cup could be much more than another attempt to become world champions. It could also mark the end of an extraordinary era featuring Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
Kohli has confirmed that the 2027 World Cup will be his final World Cup for India. Rohit is also expected to bring down the curtain on his international journey around this stage of his career, making the tournament potentially his final World Cup as well.
That makes India’s campaign particularly emotional.
Both Rohit and Kohli experienced the heartbreak of the 2023 ODI World Cup final, when India entered the title clash unbeaten but lost to Australia in Ahmedabad.
They later received a dream T20I farewell after India won the 2024 T20 World Cup. The 2027 ODI World Cup now offers another opportunity to finish a major chapter of their careers with an ICC trophy.
For two players who have defined an era of Indian white-ball cricket, lifting the ODI World Cup in Johannesburg on 21 November would be a fitting way to complete their World Cup journey.
India’s Group Stage Schedule
India have five matches in the Group Stage.
Their campaign begins against Australia on 7 October in Cape Town, followed immediately by the massive Pakistan clash on 10 October in Johannesburg.
India then face Afghanistan on 14 October in Tshwane and Qualifier A on 17 October in Bloemfontein.
Their final Group A fixture will be against Zimbabwe on 24 October at Victoria Falls. It will also be the final match of the Group Stage.
New Super 7 Format Makes World Cup 2027 Different
The 2027 World Cup will use a new three-stage format before the knockouts.
The tournament starts with a three-team Super Series in Windhoek. The three sides will play each other once, with the team finishing first claiming the final available place in the Group Stage.
The second round consists of 30 Group Stage matches. The top three teams from Group A and Group B will qualify for the next stage, along with the better fourth-placed team across the two groups.
That creates the seven-team Super 7.
All seven teams will play each other once, producing 21 Super 7 matches from 25 October to 14 November. No points will be carried forward from the Group Stage.
The top four teams in the Super 7 standings will reach the semi-finals.
The first semi-final will be played in Cape Town on 17 November, while the second will take place in Tshwane on 18 November.
The 2027 ODI World Cup final will be played in Johannesburg on 21 November.
ICC ODI World Cup 2027 Groups
| Group A | Group B |
|---|---|
| India | New Zealand |
| Australia | South Africa |
| Pakistan | Sri Lanka |
| Afghanistan | England |
| Zimbabwe | Bangladesh |
| Qualifier A | Qualifier B |
ICC ODI World Cup 2027 Full Schedule
Super Series
| Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 2 October | QF1 vs QF3 | Windhoek |
| 4 October | QF1 vs QF2 | Windhoek |
| 6 October | QF2 vs QF3 | Windhoek |
Group Stage – Full Schedule
| Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 7 October | 🇮🇳 INDIA vs AUSTRALIA | Cape Town |
| 8 October | Pakistan vs Afghanistan | Tshwane |
| 8 October | England vs Bangladesh | Windhoek |
| 9 October | Zimbabwe vs Qualifier A | Bulawayo |
| 9 October | South Africa vs New Zealand | Cape Town |
| 10 October | 🇮🇳 INDIA vs PAKISTAN | Johannesburg |
| 10 October | Sri Lanka vs Qualifier B | Windhoek |
| 11 October | Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan | Bulawayo |
| 12 October | Australia vs Qualifier A | Paarl |
| 12 October | New Zealand vs Bangladesh | KuGompo City |
| 13 October | England vs Sri Lanka | Windhoek |
| 13 October | South Africa vs Qualifier B | Paarl |
| 14 October | 🇮🇳 INDIA vs AFGHANISTAN | Tshwane |
| 15 October | Pakistan vs Qualifier A | Bloemfontein |
| 15 October | Zimbabwe vs Australia | Harare |
| 16 October | Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh | Durban |
| 16 October | South Africa vs England | Gqeberha |
| 17 October | 🇮🇳 INDIA vs QUALIFIER A | Bloemfontein |
| 17 October | New Zealand vs Qualifier B | Harare |
| 18 October | Australia vs Afghanistan | KuGompo City |
| 19 October | Zimbabwe vs Pakistan | Harare |
| 19 October | South Africa vs Bangladesh | Durban |
| 20 October | New Zealand vs Sri Lanka | Johannesburg |
| 20 October | England vs Qualifier B | Harare |
| 21 October | Afghanistan vs Qualifier A | KuGompo City |
| 22 October | Australia vs Pakistan | Paarl |
| 22 October | South Africa vs Sri Lanka | Johannesburg |
| 23 October | England vs New Zealand | Gqeberha |
| 23 October | Bangladesh vs Qualifier B | Tshwane |
| 24 October | 🇮🇳 ZIMBABWE vs INDIA | Victoria Falls |
Super 7 – Full Schedule
Important: The fixtures below are based on the pre-seeded Super 7 allocations. They are subject to these teams qualifying from the Group Stage. The current seeds are India (A1), Australia (A2), Pakistan (A3), New Zealand (B1), South Africa (B2), Sri Lanka (B3) and England (AB4).
| Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 25 October | A2 (Australia) vs B3 (Sri Lanka) | Johannesburg |
| 26 October | B1 (New Zealand) vs A3 (Pakistan) | Gqeberha |
| 27 October | B2 (South Africa) vs AB4 (England) | Tshwane |
| 28 October | 🇮🇳 A1 (INDIA) vs A2 (AUSTRALIA) | Victoria Falls |
| 29 October | B1 (New Zealand) vs B3 (Sri Lanka) | KuGompo City |
| 30 October | A3 (Pakistan) vs AB4 (England) | Victoria Falls |
| 31 October | 🇮🇳 B2 (SOUTH AFRICA) vs A1 (INDIA) | Johannesburg |
| 1 November | A2 (Australia) vs B1 (New Zealand) | Victoria Falls |
| 2 November | B3 (Sri Lanka) vs AB4 (England) | Cape Town |
| 3 November | B2 (South Africa) vs A3 (Pakistan) | Durban |
| 4 November | 🇮🇳 A1 (INDIA) vs B1 (NEW ZEALAND) | Paarl |
| 5 November | A2 (Australia) vs AB4 (England) | Durban |
| 6 November | B2 (South Africa) vs B3 (Sri Lanka) | Bloemfontein |
| 7 November | 🇮🇳 A1 (INDIA) vs A3 (PAKISTAN) | Cape Town |
| 8 November | B1 (New Zealand) vs AB4 (England) | Durban |
| 9 November | B2 (South Africa) vs A2 (Australia) | Gqeberha |
| 10 November | A3 (Pakistan) vs B3 (Sri Lanka) | Bloemfontein |
| 11 November | 🇮🇳 A1 (INDIA) vs AB4 (ENGLAND) | Gqeberha |
| 12 November | B2 (South Africa) vs B1 (New Zealand) | Cape Town |
| 13 November | A2 (Australia) vs A3 (Pakistan) | Bloemfontein |
| 14 November | 🇮🇳 A1 (INDIA) vs B3 (SRI LANKA) | Durban |
Semi-Finals
| Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 17 November | Semi-Final 1 | Cape Town |
| 18 November | Semi-Final 2 | Tshwane |
Final
| Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 21 November | ICC ODI WORLD CUP 2027 FINAL | Johannesburg |
The stage is now completely set. India begin their Group Stage campaign against the same Australian side that ended their dream in the 2023 final. Three days later comes the massive Pakistan encounter.
If India progress as expected through the Group Stage, an even tougher Super 7 journey could follow, with the pre-seeded fixture list potentially putting Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan, England and Sri Lanka in India’s path.
And at the end of it all waits Johannesburg on 21 November 2027.
For Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, this World Cup could represent the final chapter of a remarkable era. After the pain of 2023, there could hardly be a more memorable finish than walking away as ODI world champions.
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