The International Cricket Council (ICC) is spicing up the World Cups. Apart from the big changes made to the Men’s ODI World Cup, the board has approved a major revamp of the Men’s T20 World Cup format as well. The ICC has introduced a new “Super 10” stage and Eliminator matches from the 2028 edition onwards.
During the annual meeting in Edinburgh, the decision-makers have taken a hard look. The ICC has now made some changes, not in terms of adding new teams but tweaking the format. Earlier this year, we saw India become the first team to defend a T20 World Cup crown. Under Suryakumar Yadav, India won the group stage before qualifying from the Super 8 group. Then, they beat England and New Zealand in the semi-final and final, respectively, to create history.
While the tournament will continue to feature 20 teams, the road to the semi-finals is set to become much more competitive. One of the biggest changes is the removal of the Super Eights stage. In its place, the ICC has introduced a larger Super 10 round, along with Eliminator matches that will effectively act as quarter-finals.
How new Men’s T20 World Cup format will work
Stage 1: Group Stage
Twenty teams will be split into five groups of four teams each.
Group Stage Format
| Format | Teams | Groups | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Format | 20 | 4 groups of 5 | 40 |
| New Format (2028) | 20 | 5 groups of 4 | 30 |
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the next stage. That means 10 teams (because the top two of five groups will move to the next round) will advance instead of eight.
Stage 2: Super 10
The ten qualified teams will be divided into two groups of five.
Super 10 Format
| Group A | Group B |
|---|---|
| 5 Teams | 5 Teams |
Each team will play four matches in this phase. A total of 20 matches will be played during the Super 10 stage.
Stage 3: Direct semi-final spots
Unlike the previous format, not every semifinalist will be decided directly through group standings.
| Position in Super 10 Group | Outcome |
|---|---|
| 1st Place | Direct qualification to semifinal |
| 2nd Place | Qualifies for Eliminator |
| 3rd Place | Qualifies for Eliminator |
| 4th Place | Eliminated |
| 5th Place | Eliminated |
Stage 4: Eliminators
The ICC has added a new knockout bracket to keep more teams alive deeper into the tournament. Teams that finished at second and third in their Super 10 stage will be part of the Eliminator format. That means, if a big team fumble in Super 10 stage, they would still have a chance to make it up in the Eliminator round.
Eliminator Matchups
- 2nd in Group A vs 3rd in Group B
- 2nd in Group B vs 3rd in Group A
The winners will join the two group toppers in the semifinals.
Knockout Stages
| Round | Matches |
|---|---|
| Eliminators | 2 |
| Semi-finals | 2 |
| Final | 1 |
Old vs New T20 World Cup Format
| Stage | Previous Format | New Format |
|---|---|---|
| Group Stage | 4 groups of 5 | 5 groups of 4 |
| Teams in Stage 2 | 8 | 10 |
| Second Round | Super Eights | Super 10 |
| Second-Round Matches | 12 | 20 |
| Direct Semi-finalists | Top 2 from each group | Top team from each group |
| Extra Knockout Round | No | Yes (Eliminators) |
| Total Teams | 20 | 20 |
How teams will qualify for the 2028 T20 World Cup
Alongside the format change, the ICC has also confirmed the qualification pathway for the 2028 T20 World Cup.
One special exception has been made for Scotland. Due to the unprecedented circumstances surrounding their participation in the 2026 tournament, Scotland will bypass the early qualification rounds and move straight into the Europe Regional Final. Scotland replaced Bangladesh, who were dismissed by the BCCI when they disagreed to play their matches in India earlier this year. In short circumstances, Scotland got ready to play the T20 World Cup and even won a match in group stages.
For the other teams that played the 2026 T20 World Cup but failed to qualify automatically for 2028, there is also a chance. They will earn direct entry into the Global Qualifier, avoiding the regional qualification stages.
The Global Qualifier will feature teams from around the world. Eight additional spots will be filled through regional tournaments:
| Region | Teams Qualifying for Global Qualifier |
|---|---|
| Africa | 2 |
| Asia | 2 |
| Europe | 2 |
| Americas | 1 |
| East Asia-Pacific | 1 |
That means eight teams will come through regional events and join the teams already seeded into the Global Qualifier.
How teams will qualify from the Global Qualifier
Once the Global Qualifier is played, qualification for the 2028 T20 World Cup will be decided in two ways:
- The highest-placed team from Africa, Asia, Europe, Americas and East Asia-Pacific will qualify.
- The remaining three spots will go to the next best-performing teams overall, regardless of region.
In simple terms, every region is guaranteed at least one representative, while the strongest remaining teams can still qualify even if another team from their region finishes higher.
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