South Africa’s group opponents at the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka have been confirmed.
The Proteas have been named in Group D with New Zealand, Afghanistan, Canada and the UAE.
Meanwhile, bitter rivals India and Pakistan have been clubbed together in Group A and will play each other on 15 February in Colombo. It will be the first time the teams play each other since their three heated contests at the 2025 Asia Cup in the UAE.
The T20 World Cup will see Pakistan playing all their matches in Sri Lanka, part of a compromise deal that allows both India and Pakistan to play at neutral venues in multi-nation tournaments.
Matches in the tournament will be held from 7 February across five venues in India and three in Sri Lanka.
The tournament will use the same format as 2024 – 20 teams in four groups, ahead of a Super Eights phase, with the top two finishers from each group making it to the playoffs.
The final will be played on 8 March either in Ahmedabad or Colombo, depending on whether Pakistan go all the way.
2026 T20 World Cup groups:
Group A : India, Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, Namibia
Group B : Australia, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Zimbabwe, Oman
Group C : England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Nepal, Italy
Group D: New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan, Canada, UAE
The schedule for ICC Men’s @T20WorldCup 2026 is here! 📅
The matches and groups were unveiled at a gala event in Mumbai led by ICC Chairman @JayShah, and with new tournament ambassador @ImRo45 and Indian team captains @surya_14kumar and Harmanpreet Kaur in attendance.
✍️:… pic.twitter.com/FlAbAvFO6I
— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) November 25, 2025
2026 T20 World Cup venues:
India: Ahmedabad, New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai
Sri Lanka: Colombo (R Premadasa Stadium and Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground), Kandy
Note: Pakistan will play all their matches in Sri Lanka.
Photo: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images
