Pakistan-India clash on October 10 as schedule for World Cup 2027 unveiled

CAPE TOWN: Traditional rivals Pakistan and India will lock horns on October 10 in Johannesburg as the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday announced the complete match schedule for the Men's Cricket World Cup 2027, scheduled to be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

The 14-team mega event will start with the 'Super Series', comprising three teams who would come through the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier, and will face each other in a round-robin format, with all three first-round matches scheduled to be played at the Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek on October 2, 4 and 6, respectively.

Following the Super Series, the top two teams in the standings will advance into the main round, which will feature a total of 12 teams, divided into two groups, unveiled earlier today.

Traditional rivals Pakistan and India, alongside defending champions Australia, have been slotted in Group A, which further features Afghanistan, co-host Zimbabwe and Qualifier A, which would come through the Super Series.

Group B, on the other hand, features Bangladesh, England, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, co-hosts South Africa and Qualifier B.

The main round will start with the repeat of the previous edition's final, with holders Australia taking on India in Cape Town on October 7.

The Green Shirts, who lifted the coveted title in 1992, will start their campaign against Afghanistan on October 8 before taking on arch-rivals and two-time champions on October 10.

Pakistan next face Qualifier A on October 15, while their remaining group-stage matches are scheduled against co-hosts Zimbabwe and Australia on October 19 and 22, respectively.

Following the completion of Round 2, the top three teams from each group, along with the highest-ranked remaining side across both pools, will advance to the Super Seven stage.

The seven teams progressing from the Group Stage will enter the Super 7 phase without carrying any points from the earlier stage.

Each team will play six further matches between October 25 and November 14.

To provide clarity over venues and fixture pathways, the ICC has pre-seeded several teams into designated Super 7 positions.

The allocations are:

A1: India
A2: Australia
A3: Pakistan
AB4: England
B1: New Zealand
B2: South Africa
B3: Sri Lanka

As per the pre-seedings, arch-rivals Pakistan and India will come face-to-face again in the Super 7 Stage on November 7 in Cape Town if both teams qualify for the subsequent stage.

From there, the top four teams will qualify for the semi-finals, scheduled to be played in Cape Town and Tshwane on November 17 and 18, respectively. The final of the cricket's biggest spectacle shall then be played in Johannesburg on November 21.

It is pertinent to mention that the ICC has allocated reserve days for both semi-finals and the final to counter any weather-related hindrance.

Full World Cup schedule

Super Series

Saturday, October 2, 2027 — QF1 v QF3 — Windhoek

Monday, October 4, 2027 — QF1 v QF2 — Windhoek

Wednesday, October 6, 2027 — QF2 v QF3 — Windhoek

Group Stage

Thursday, October 7 — India v Australia — Cape Town

Friday, October 8 — Pakistan v Afghanistan — Tshwane

Friday, October 8 — England v Bangladesh — Windhoek

Saturday, October 9 — Zimbabwe v Qualifier A — Bulawayo

Saturday, October 9 — South Africa v New Zealand — Cape Town

Sunday, October 10 — India v Pakistan — Johannesburg

Sunday, October 10 — Sri Lanka v Qualifier B — Windhoek

Monday, October 11 — Zimbabwe v Afghanistan — Bulawayo

Tuesday, October 12 — Australia v Qualifier A — Paarl

Tuesday, October 12 — New Zealand v Bangladesh — Gqeberha

Wednesday, October 13 — England v Sri Lanka — Windhoek

Wednesday, October 13 — South Africa v Qualifier B — Paarl

Thursday, October 14 — India v Afghanistan — Tshwane

Friday, October 15 — Pakistan v Qualifier A — Bloemfontein

Friday, October 15 — Zimbabwe v Australia — Harare

Saturday, October 16 — Sri Lanka v Bangladesh — Durban

Saturday, October 16 — South Africa v England — Gqeberha

Sunday, October 17 — India v Qualifier A — Bloemfontein

Sunday, October 17 — New Zealand v Qualifier B — Harare

Monday, October 18 — Australia v Afghanistan — Gqeberha

Tuesday, October 19 — Zimbabwe v Pakistan — Harare

Tuesday, October 19 — South Africa v Bangladesh — Durban

Wednesday, October 20 — New Zealand v Sri Lanka — Johannesburg

Wednesday, October 20 — England v Qualifier B — Harare

Thursday, October 21 — Afghanistan v Qualifier A — Gqeberha

Friday, October 22 — Australia v Pakistan — Paarl

Friday, October 22 — South Africa v Sri Lanka — Johannesburg

Saturday, October 23 — England v New Zealand — Gqeberha

Saturday, October 23 — Bangladesh v Qualifier B — Tshwane

Sunday, October 24 — Zimbabwe v India — Victoria Falls

Super 7 Stage

Monday, October 25 — A2 (Australia) v B3 (Sri Lanka) — Johannesburg

Tuesday, October 26 — B1 (New Zealand) v A3 (Pakistan) — Gqeberha

Wednesday, October 27 — B2 (South Africa) v AB4 (England) — Tshwane

Thursday, October 28 — A1 (India) v A2 (Australia) — Victoria Falls

Friday, October 29 — B1 (New Zealand) v B3 (Sri Lanka) — Gqeberha

Saturday, October 30 — A3 (Pakistan) v AB4 (England) — Victoria Falls

Sunday, October 31 — B2 (South Africa) v A1 (India) — Johannesburg

Monday, November 1 — A2 (Australia) v B1 (New Zealand) — Victoria Falls

Tuesday, November 2 — B3 (Sri Lanka) v AB4 (England) — Cape Town

Wednesday, November 3 — B2 (South Africa) v A3 (Pakistan) — Durban

Thursday, November 4 — A1 (India) v B1 (New Zealand) — Paarl

Friday, November 5 — A2 (Australia) v AB4 (England) — Durban

Saturday, November 6 — B2 (South Africa) v B3 (Sri Lanka) — Bloemfontein

Sunday, November 7 — A1 (India) v A3 (Pakistan) — Cape Town

Monday, November 8 — B1 (New Zealand) v AB4 (England) — Durban

Tuesday, November 9 — B2 (South Africa) v A2 (Australia) — Gqeberha

Wednesday, November 10 — A3 (Pakistan) v B3 (Sri Lanka) — Bloemfontein

Thursday, November 11 — A1 (India) v AB4 (England) — Gqeberha

Friday, November 12 — B2 (South Africa) v B1 (New Zealand) — Cape Town

Saturday, November 13 — A2 (Australia) v A3 (Pakistan) — Bloemfontein

Sunday, November 14 — A1 (India) v B3 (Sri Lanka) — Durban

Semi-finals and final

Wednesday, November 17 — Semi-final 1 — Cape Town

Thursday, November 18 — Semi-final 2 — Tshwane

Sunday, November 21 — Final — Johannesburg

Monday, November 22 — Reserve day for final, if required