New Delhi: The ICC has made a historic change to the format of the 2027 Men’s ODI World Cup. Following the annual AGM in Edinburgh, the ICC unveiled the new rules. The goal is clear: to make the tournament’s opening matches more exciting so that no team takes the initial rounds lightly. The tournament will be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. A total of 14 teams will participate. However, this time, one team will be eliminated before the main group stage.
There will be a total of 12 teams, including one team qualifying from the Super Series and 11 teams that have already received direct entry. These 12 teams will be divided into two groups of six each. Each team will play one match against the other five teams in its group. Thus, there will be a total of 30 matches in Round 2.
At the end of the group stage, the top three teams from each group, totaling six, will advance directly. Additionally, the best-performing team from the seventh group in each group will also receive a chance.
After the group stage, the tournament will move to a “Super 7” round. This is the biggest new attraction of this World Cup. In this round, seven teams will play each other once, resulting in a total of 21 high-voltage matches. After all the matches, a points table will be created. The top four teams in this table will advance directly to the semi-finals. The semi-final formula is also simple: No. 1 vs. No. 4 and No. 2 vs. No. 3.
The ICC argues that the opening matches of a 14-team World Cup often become one-sided. The Super Series will give lower-ranked teams a chance to prove themselves, and the Super 7s will ensure tighter competition in the middle rounds.
This new format will increase the total number of matches, and each team will need to perform consistently well to reach the final. The 2027 World Cup will be played in October-November. This format will certainly bring more drama and uncertainty for fans.
