The 2027 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup will be held from 4 October to 21 November, with South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia confirmed as co-hosts, according to ESPNcricinfo. The dates were provisionally agreed upon during an ICC board meeting held in Ahmedabad last May, on the sidelines of the Indian Premier League final. A full schedule is expected to be confirmed at the ICC’s Annual General Meeting in Edinburgh in July.
The tournament will mark the return of ODI cricket’s showpiece event to African soil for the first time since 2003, when South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya co-hosted the competition. That edition was won by Australia, who defeated a Sourav Ganguly-led India in the final. South Africa, despite being hosts, were knocked out in the first round, while Kenya famously reached the semi-finals.
South Africa will bear the bulk of the hosting duties this time around, with at least 41 of the tournament’s 54 matches expected to be played across eight venues in the country. Zimbabwe will host between eight and ten matches, while Namibia will stage three. Zimbabwe’s allocation will be spread across three venues, with Victoria Falls joining Harare Sports Club and Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. The Fale Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium in Victoria Falls is expected to be completed later this year and inaugurated in May 2027.
The 2027 edition will also see the tournament expand back to 14 teams after the last two editions were contested by ten sides. Teams will be divided into two groups of seven, with the top three from each group advancing to a Super Six stage.
As ICC Full Members and co-hosts, South Africa and Zimbabwe have qualified automatically for the tournament. Namibia, however, will need to come through the qualification process to secure their place in the main draw.
Current holders Australia, who have won the ODI World Cup a record six times, will be among the sides bidding for glory when the tournament gets under way next October.
