ICC ODI World Cup 2027: Teams, Qualification, Format and All You Need To Know

With the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup coming to an end, it will now be a wait of four years before the showpiece event returns.

The 14th edition of the multi-nation tournament will be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in 2027.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided to increase the number of participating countries in the next ODI World Cup.

While 10 teams competed this year, the 2027 campaign will see 14 teams fight for the coveted title. The tournament is scheduled to be held in the months of November and December.

South Africa and Zimbabwe earlier shared the hosting rights of the 2023 edition, along with Kenya. During that campaign, the matches were hosted across 12 stadiums in South Africa and 2 in Zimbabwe.

Qualification Scenarios

The top eight teams in the ICC ODI rankings, along with co-hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe, will earn direct entry into the main event. Meanwhile, the remaining four teams will be decided through the qualifying campaign across all continents. Despite being one of the hosting countries, Namibia will also need to feature in Africa Qualifiers as they are yet to become a full ICC member.

Tournament Format

The 2023 ODI World Cup was played in the single round-robin format, with the top four teams in the points table making their way into the knockout stage. The ICC has chosen to modify the format in 2027.

All participating teams will be split into two groups featuring seven teams each. Every team will face their group members once during the pool stage. Based on their points, the top three teams of both groups will qualify for the Super Six round.

The 2027 World Cup will reintroduce a modified version of the points carry forward (PCF) system, which was previously seen back in the 1999 edition. As per the rules, the points accumulated during the league stage will be carried forward to the Super Six round. Two points will be awarded for a win over a Super Six-qualified team, while one point will be given for a victory over an eliminated side. The teams occupying the top four positions in the Super Six points table will make it to the knockout stage.

Australia will feature in the 2027 ODI World Cup as the reigning champions. They have secured their sixth title this year after getting the better of hosts India in the final. Travis Head was named the Player of the Match, thanks to his match-winning 137-run knock.