ICC shakes up World Cup tournaments with new Super Series and re-formatted T20 WC formats

The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced some key changes and introductions to their marquee events after the recently-concluded annual meetings in Edinburgh.

Team India became back-to-back champions after defeating New Zealand in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. Image: AFP

FirstCricket Staff|Jul 15, 2026, 16:57:45 IST

The International Cricket Council announced notable changes in the format for all the marquee men's events on Wednesday. The changes would be reflected in the 2027 ODI World Cup, which would be a 14-team event.

The ICC recently concluded its annual meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland and has made key decisions to enhance the global events' marquee stature.

ICC introduces new changes for marquee events

The 2027 ODI World Cup would feature a Super Series round to precede the tournament's group stage to boost competitiveness.

"14-team ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup to include four rounds with the introduction of a ‘Super Series’ round prior to the ‘Group round’ to enhance consequence at the early stage of the tournament," the ICC stated.

Why did ICC make such changes?

The ICC explained that the new tournament structure would make every stage much more competitive, with round one and two matches expected to carry greater significance, leading to the Super 7 stage.

The council added that the change aimed to strengthen the overall narrative of the event, ensuring heightened intensity while also giving emerging teams the chance to compete on cricket’s biggest stage.

Also Read | Shubman Gill delighted as India salvage pride with ODI turnaround post-T20 flop: 'How we bounced back was important'

"The structure has been designed to strengthen the competitive narrative across every stage of the event, with matches from Round 1 and Round 2 carrying higher consequence, with a highly competitive Super 7 stage witnessing 7 qualifying teams going through a round-robin stage to qualify for the semi-finals.

"The increased consequence and enhanced competitive intensity promises to enhance the overall experience for fans while continuing to provide emerging teams with the opportunity to compete on cricket's biggest stage," the cricket council further stated.

The ICC Cricket World Cup will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in 2027.

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