The stage is set for the 2027 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup, and cricket fans have already been handed one of the biggest matchups of the tournament. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially announced the groups and schedule, confirming that India, Pakistan and defending champions Australia will compete in the same group.
The 14-team tournament will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia and will begin on October 2, 2027. The final is scheduled for November 21 in Johannesburg.
India, Pakistan and Australia in Group A
The ICC has divided the main Group Stage into two groups of six teams.
Group A consists of:
- India
- Australia
- Pakistan
- Afghanistan
- Zimbabwe
- Qualifier A
Group B consists of:
- New Zealand
- South Africa
- Sri Lanka
- England
- Bangladesh
- Qualifier B
The final two Group Stage places will be determined through the qualification process and the three-team Super Series in Namibia.
For India, the group features two particularly significant fixtures: against Australia and Pakistan.
India vs Australia to Open Group Stage
India will begin its 2027 World Cup Group Stage campaign against Australia on October 7 in Cape Town.
The fixture is a repeat of the previous World Cup final matchup, as Australia defeated India in the 2023 final in Ahmedabad.
The ICC has scheduled the two teams to meet in Cape Town on the opening day of the main Group Stage.
India’s second match will come just three days later.
India vs Pakistan on October 10
The highly anticipated India vs Pakistan World Cup fixture is scheduled for October 10, 2027, at The Wanderers in Johannesburg.
The match is part of Group A and will be India’s second game of the tournament.
The ICC’s official schedule lists India and Pakistan as A1 and A3 respectively for the tournament’s Super 7 seeding system.
India’s Complete Group Stage Schedule
India will play five Group Stage matches.
| Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| October 7, 2027 | India vs Australia | Cape Town |
| October 10, 2027 | India vs Pakistan | Johannesburg |
| October 14, 2027 | India vs Afghanistan | Tshwane |
| October 17, 2027 | India vs Qualifier A | Bloemfontein |
| October 24, 2027 | Zimbabwe vs India | Victoria Falls |
The final Group Stage fixture for India will be against Zimbabwe on October 24 at the new ground in Victoria Falls.
New Format for the 2027 World Cup
The 2027 World Cup will feature a different structure from the traditional format used in several previous editions.
The tournament involves 14 teams and 57 matches across 12 venues. The opening stage will be a three-team Super Series in Namibia involving the three lowest-ranked qualified teams.
The three teams will play a round-robin series, with the team finishing first earning the final Group Stage position.
The remaining 12 teams will then be divided into two groups of six.
How Teams Reach the Super 7
The Group Stage will not immediately lead to the semi-finals.
Instead, the top three teams from each group will advance to the Super 7 phase. One additional team will qualify as the better-performing fourth-placed team from the two groups.
This will produce a seven-team Super 7 stage.
Importantly, teams will start the Super 7 phase without carrying points from the Group Stage.
Each Super 7 team will play six matches.
The Super 7 stage is scheduled to run from October 25 to November 14, 2027.
India, Australia and Pakistan Receive Super 7 Seeding
The ICC has already assigned several teams designated positions for the Super 7 schedule.
The current seeding is:
- A1 – India
- A2 – Australia
- A3 – Pakistan
- AB4 – England
- B1 – New Zealand
- B2 – South Africa
- B3 – Sri Lanka
If a non-seeded team qualifies for the Super 7 while a pre-seeded team does not, the qualifying team will take the position allocated to the displaced seeded team.
This system allows the ICC to publish a fixed fixture schedule while still maintaining the qualification process.
India vs Pakistan Could Continue in Super 7
The official Super 7 schedule also contains a fixture between A1 and A3 on November 7 in Cape Town.
Based on the ICC’s pre-seeding, that fixture is scheduled as India vs Pakistan.
However, the actual teams occupying those positions can change if the qualification rules cause a different team to replace a pre-seeded side. Therefore, the fixture should be understood in the context of the ICC’s published seeding system.
Semi-Finals and Final
After the Super 7 phase, the top four teams will qualify for the semi-finals.
The team finishing first will face the fourth-placed team, while the second-placed team will meet the third-placed team.
The first semi-final is scheduled for November 17 in Cape Town, while the second semi-final will take place on November 18 in Tshwane.
Both semi-finals have reserve days.
The 2027 World Cup final will be played on November 21 in Johannesburg, with November 22 designated as the reserve day.
Three Countries, 12 Venues
The 2027 World Cup will be played across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
The tournament will mark the return of the Men’s Cricket World Cup to Africa since 2003, while Namibia will host matches at a senior Men’s World Cup for the first time.
World Cup 2027: Key Dates
The tournament will begin with the Super Series on October 2, 2027 in Windhoek.
The Group Stage begins on October 7, with India facing Australia in Cape Town.
India and Pakistan will meet on October 10 in Johannesburg.
The Group Stage concludes on October 24, followed by the Super 7 phase from October 25.
The semi-finals are scheduled for November 17 and 18, while the final will take place on November 21 in Johannesburg.
The ICC’s official announcement has confirmed a particularly notable Group A, featuring India, Pakistan, Australia, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Qualifier A.
India will begin its campaign against Australia on October 7 before facing Pakistan on October 10. The tournament then moves through the Group Stage, Super 7 phase and knockout rounds before the final in Johannesburg on November 21.
With 14 teams, 57 matches and 12 venues across three African countries, the 2027 ODI World Cup will introduce a distinct tournament structure while bringing together several of international cricket’s major teams.