ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and India are likely to be placed in the same group at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, with the much-anticipated schedule set to be unveiled by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Cricket South Africa (CSA) in Cape Town on Thursday.
According to a cricket website RevSportz, the schedule is in its final stages and a source familiar with the process said Pakistan and India could once again be placed in the same group.
The report said the Pakistan-India fixture remains highly valuable for broadcasters and commercial partners despite Pakistan’s lack of a 50-over World Cup victory over India since the 2017 Champions Trophy final.
Your guide to the new, exciting Men’s @cricketworldcup format for the 2027 edition in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia 🏆
Stay tuned to ICC channels as we prepare to launch the full ICC Men’s #CWC27 match schedule on October 1, with fans able to enter the ticket ballot at the… pic.twitter.com/WyMDJ3ev8b
— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) September 30, 2026
Read Also: Cricket World Cup Revamp Could See Extra India-Pakistan Clash as ICC Unveils 2027 Format
World Cup schedule to be unveiled on October 1
The ICC and CSA will jointly announce the 2027 World Cup schedule on October 1 in Cape Town, marking one year until the tournament. The event will also open registration for the World Cup ticket ballot.
The tournament will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia and will feature 14 teams competing across 57 matches. It will be the first Men’s Cricket World Cup to return to Africa since the 2003 edition.
The World Cup is currently scheduled to begin in October 2027 and conclude with the final on November 21, although the exact fixture list will be confirmed with the official schedule announcement.
Read Also: Pakistan, India Could Meet Only in Asian Games Cricket Medal Clash
New format brings Super Series and Super Seven
The 2027 World Cup will feature a revised three-stage competition before the semi-finals and final.
The tournament will begin with a Super Series involving the three lowest-ranked teams among the 14 qualifiers. They will play each other in a round-robin format, with the top team advancing to the next stage.
The second round will feature 12 teams divided into two groups of six. Each team will play the others in its group, with the top three from each group and the next best-placed team across both groups advancing to the Super Seven stage.
The Super Seven will feature 21 round-robin matches, with the top four teams advancing to the semi-finals. The team finishing first will face fourth place, while the second-placed side will meet the third-placed team.
Read Also: Asian Games Cricket Set for High-Profile Encounters as India, Pakistan Eye Gold
Qualification race nears completion
The tournament will have 14 participating teams, with qualification determined through the ICC’s ranking pathway and the remaining qualifying process.
South Africa and Zimbabwe have guaranteed places as co-hosts, while Namibia is not automatically qualified simply by virtue of hosting matches. The remaining places will be determined through the qualification pathway.
The revised format was approved by the ICC in July 2026, with the governing body saying the changes were designed to create more meaningful matches and increase the significance of results throughout the tournament.
With the Pakistan-India fixture among the most commercially significant matches in international cricket, confirmation of their group allocation is expected to be one of the key talking points when the official World Cup schedule is released.
