T20 World Cup 2026: The Super 8 stage is all set to begin on Saturday with New Zealand and Pakistan taking on each other in the first match of the Group 2 in Colombo. While the Group 2 comprises of Pakistan, New Zealand, England and Sri Lanka, Group 1 has India, Zimbabwe, South Africa and West Indies. India will begin the Super 8 stage against South Africa in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
The ICC has implemented a Pre-Seeding System. The system has come into play because of the logistical issues as the tournament is being co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
School ke saare toppers ek group mein aa gaye…
India, Zimbabwe, South Africa, West Indies…all undefeated. All in one group. #T20WorldCup— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) February 19, 2026
India were pre-assigned the A1 slot in the group stage, irrespective of whether they finished first or second. Australia (B1), England (C1) and New Zealand (D1) were locked into top positions, while Sri Lanka (B2), West Indies (C2) and Pakistan (A2).
If any of these failed to qualify then the team replacing them would take place as in the case of Zimbabwe. Australia bowed out of the tournament in the first round while Zimbabwe moved ahead.
So thanks to the utter and total incompetence of the organization that is the @ICC we will now have all four group winners in one super 8 group. Whoever decided that “pre-seeding” was a good idea should be imprisoned for life.
One of the dumbest decisions in cricket tournament…
— Dale (@ncakos316) February 19, 2026
India were pre-slotted as X1, England as Y1, Australia as X2, New Zealand as Y2, West Indies as X3, Pakistan as Y3, South Africa as X4 and Sri Lanka as Y4.
Now, all the teams who finished at number one spot in their respective groups are in the same group in Super 8 while the ones who finished at two are together in the second.
Super 8 Schedule:
Feb 21: New Zealand vs Pakistan, Colombo, 7 pm
Feb 22: England vs Sri Lanka, Pallekele, 3 pm; India vs South Africa, Ahmedabad, 7 pm
Feb 23: Zimbabwe vs West Indies, Mumbai, 7 pm
Feb 24: England vs Pakistan, Pallekele, 7 pm
Feb 25: New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, Colombo, 7 pm
Feb 26: West Indies vs South Africa, Ahmedabad, 3 pm; India vs Zimbabwe, Chennai, 7 pm
Feb 27: England vs New Zealand, Colombo, 7 pmFeb 28: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, Pallekele, 7 pm
Mar 1: Zimbabwe vs South Africa, New Delhi, 3 pm; India vs West Indies, Kolkata, 7 pm
Also Read: India vs Pakistan Becomes Most-Watched Match of T20 World Cup 2026 With 454M Viewers
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