India, Pakistan, Australia in same group for 2027 ODI World Cup

Virat Kohli (ICC Photo)

India and Pakistan will be in the same group at the 2027 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup, along with defending champions Australia, the ICC announced on Thursday.The 14-team tournament’s group distribution was revealed at the official schedule launch in Cape Town.

India, Pakistan and Australia in Group A

Group A includes India, Pakistan, Australia, Afghanistan, co-hosts Zimbabwe and Qualifier A.Group B features co-hosts South Africa, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Qualifier B.The group-stage meeting between India and Pakistan will be one of the biggest matches of the tournament.India are currently the top-ranked ODI team, with Shubman Gill set to lead the side in his first ODI World Cup as captain.

World Cup returns to Africa

The 2027 World Cup will begin on October 2, with the final scheduled for November 21.South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia will jointly host the tournament. A total of 57 matches will be played across 12 venues.It will be the first ODI World Cup in Africa since 2003, when South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya hosted the tournament.

10 teams already qualified

Ten teams have already secured their places in the World Cup.Hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe have received automatic qualification, while India, Australia, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan have qualified based on their ICC ODI rankings.The remaining four spots will be decided through the qualification process.

12 venues across three countries

South Africa will host matches at eight venues:Wanderers Stadium, JohannesburgCenturion, TshwaneNewlands, Cape TownKingsmead, DurbanSt George’s Park, Gqeberha

Mangaung Oval, BloemfonteinBoland Park, PaarlBuffalo Park, KuGompo CityZimbabwe will host matches at Harare Sports Club, Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo and Fale Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium in Victoria Falls.Namibia will host its matches at the Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek.

New format for 2027 World Cup

The 2027 edition will have a new four-stage format.The tournament will begin with a Super Series, involving the teams ranked 12th, 13th and 14th. The winner will take the final spot in the main competition.The 14 teams will then be divided into two groups of six, with the top three from each group advancing.They will be joined by the next best-ranked team overall to form a seven-team Super 7 round-robin stage.The top four teams from the Super 7 stage will qualify for the semifinals. The two semifinal winners will then meet in the final.

ICC ODI World Cup 2027: Full schedule