ICC Confirms Qualification Pathway For T20 World Cup 2028

Mayank

T20 World Cup 2028 Qualification process [Source: AFP]

The International Cricket Council has announced a 16-team Global Qualifier tournament for the upcoming T20 World Cup. The main tournament is scheduled to be played in October and November 2028 in Australia and New Zealand.

The dates for the qualifying competition are yet to be announced, but it is confirmed that it will take place during Q1 (January to March) in 2028.

How can teams qualify for 2028 T20 World Cup?

The 2028 World Cup will once again be a 20-team tournament like the 2024 and 2026 editions. 12 of the 20 slots have already been filled, with 8 places still up for grabs. Here's all you need to know about the qualification path for the remaining spots.

The Qualifiers in Q1 of 2028 will feature 16 teams, with 31 matches scheduled.
16 teams will be divided into four groups of four teams each.
Following the group stage, 8 teams will proceed to play the Quarter-Finals and subsequently Semi-Finals and Final will be played.
All four teams reaching the Semi-Final will automatically qualify for the T20 World Cup, leaving 4 spots.
Every region (Asia, Africa, Americas, East-Asia Pacific and Europe) must have their highest-placed team qualify. If a region's top team reaches the QF, they will naturally qualify.
If a region's best-performing team is placed 9th to 12th, i.e., 3rd in their groups, they will replace the lowest-ranked top-8 team, which is not their region's top-performing side.
The remaining places will go to the highest-ranked Quarter-Finalists, who lose their fixtures, considering their group stage performances.
Lowest ranked teams from group stage will be ineligible to go through to the further stages.

Which teams have already qualified for the T20 World Cup 2028?

Following the 2026 T20 World Cup, 12 teams have confirmed their flights to Australia and New Zealand 2028. This includes the hosts, top teams (excluding hosts) from the 2026 edition) and three teams based on their ICC Men's T20I rankings on March 9, 2026. The following are the teams: