In frame: Rohit Sharma and Pat Cummins | Jay Shah (Source: AFP)
There had been reports that the apex body of cricket, the International Cricket Council (ICC), was considering reducing the 2027 World Cup from 14 teams to 12, along with the addition of a ‘super seven’ stage.
The developments came forth after its annual conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, last week, with some of the game’s most influential decision-makers in attendance.
ICC keeps the promise, extends 2027 World Cup to 14 teams
On June 1, 2021, the ICC officially revealed in its global schedule for 2024-2031 that the upcoming Cricket World Cups in 2027 and 2031 will comprise 14 teams instead of the usual 10. However, there had been reports suggesting that the ICC will increase the number of participating teams but will stick to 12.
The changes came to light after the event broadcaster, StarSports, made a presentation at the ICC Annual General Meeting (AGM). The agenda was to bring to the forefront, the drawbacks of stretching the tournament for too long.
ICC Introduces 4 stage format for 2027 ODI World Cup
The 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup has been expanded to a 14-team format and will be played in four stages: a preliminary Super Series among the lowest-ranked teams, a Group Stage split into two pools, a Super 7 round, and finally the Knockouts.
Step 1 - Super Series (Preliminary Qualifier)
The three lowest-ranked teams compete in a separate round, with one team advancing to the main tournament and the remaining two teams eliminated. This leaves 12 teams for the group stage:
Step 2 - Group Stage (Group of 6 each)
Each team plays the others in its group, likely on a round-robin basis. The top 3 teams from each group automatically advance. The next-highest-placed team across both groups (4th-best overall) also advances. This creates a Super Sevens stage with 7 teams.
Step 3 - Super Sevens Stage
Exact match details to be confirmed. The top 4 teams from this stage qualify for the semi-finals.
Step 4 - Knockout Stage
Semi-finals - The top 4 teams from Super Sevens play two semi-final matches.
Final - Winners of the semi-finals contest for the title.
That said, let’s take a look at the qualification scenario and which teams have already secured a spot in the coveted tournament.
Which teams have qualified for the 2027 ODI World Cup?
Qualification for the ODI World Cup is a simple yet prolonged procedure. Full-member nations which host the tournament secure automatic qualification as part of the process.
The 2027 edition will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. Thus, South Africa and Zimbabwe, as full-member nations, have automatically qualified for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
2027 World Cup Qualification Scenario for all teams explained
Other than the two host nations, the top eight-ranked teams in the ICC men’s ODI team rankings, excluding the host nations, in March 2027 will directly progress to the final competition.
So, if South Africa remains among the top eight teams, the ninth-placed team will progress directly.
Moreover, the remaining four spots will be filled by participants in the ODI World Cup Qualifier, which will take place in Summer 2027. In the qualifier, the next two teams in the ICC men’s ODI rankings will go up against the top four from Cricket World Cup League Two and the top four teams from the Qualifier Play-Off.
Current ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings (as of July 15, 2026)
In frame: Rohit Sharma and Pat Cummins | Jay Shah (Source: AFP)
