The International Cricket Council (ICC) has sent shockwaves through the cricketing world by announcing that Scotland will replace Bangladesh in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The decision follows the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) refusal to participate in the tournament due to venue disputes.
With the tournament set to begin on February 7, 2026, the ICC has released the full T20 World Cup 2026 updated schedule. Scotland will take over all of Bangladesh’s fixtures in Group C, meaning they will open their campaign against the West Indies at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Why the Change?
The BCB requested to move their matches from India to Sri Lanka, citing security concerns. However, after independent experts found no credible threat, the ICC rejected the request. When the BCB failed to confirm participation within a 24-hour ultimatum, the ICC invited Scotland—the highest-ranked T20I side that hadn’t originally qualified—to join the 20-team grid.
Full ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule
The 10th edition of the T20 World Cup features 55 matches across venues in India and Sri Lanka. Here is the complete updated schedule for the group stage:
Group Stage Fixtures
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (IST) |
| Feb 7 | Pakistan vs Netherlands | Colombo (SSC) | 11:00 AM |
| Feb 7 | West Indies vs Scotland | Kolkata | 3:00 PM |
| Feb 7 | India vs USA | Mumbai | 7:00 PM |
| Feb 8 | New Zealand vs Afghanistan | Chennai | 11:00 AM |
| Feb 8 | England vs Nepal | Mumbai | 3:00 PM |
| Feb 8 | Sri Lanka vs Ireland | Colombo (RPS) | 7:00 PM |
| Feb 9 | Scotland vs Italy | Kolkata | 11:00 AM |
| Feb 9 | Zimbabwe vs Oman | Colombo (SSC) | 3:00 PM |
| Feb 9 | South Africa vs Canada | Ahmedabad | 7:00 PM |
| Feb 10 | Netherlands vs Namibia | Delhi | 11:00 AM |
| Feb 10 | New Zealand vs UAE | Chennai | 3:00 PM |
| Feb 10 | Pakistan vs USA | Colombo (SSC) | 7:00 PM |
| Feb 11 | South Africa vs Afghanistan | Ahmedabad | 11:00 AM |
| Feb 11 | Australia vs Ireland | Colombo (RPS) | 3:00 PM |
| Feb 11 | England vs West Indies | Mumbai | 7:00 PM |
| Feb 12 | Sri Lanka vs Oman | Kandy | 11:00 AM |
| Feb 12 | Nepal vs Italy | Mumbai | 3:00 PM |
| Feb 12 | India vs Namibia | Delhi | 7:00 PM |
| Feb 13 | Australia vs Zimbabwe | Colombo (RPS) | 11:00 AM |
| Feb 13 | Canada vs UAE | Delhi | 3:00 PM |
| Feb 13 | USA vs Netherlands | Chennai | 7:00 PM |
| Feb 14 | Ireland vs Oman | Colombo (SSC) | 11:00 AM |
| Feb 14 | England vs Scotland | Kolkata | 3:00 PM |
| Feb 14 | New Zealand vs South Africa | Ahmedabad | 7:00 PM |
| Feb 15 | West Indies vs Nepal | Mumbai | 11:00 AM |
| Feb 15 | USA vs Namibia | Chennai | 3:00 PM |
| Feb 15 | India vs Pakistan | Colombo (RPS) | 7:00 PM |
| Feb 16 | Afghanistan vs UAE | Delhi | 11:00 AM |
| Feb 16 | England vs Italy | Kolkata | 3:00 PM |
| Feb 16 | Australia vs Sri Lanka | Kandy | 7:00 PM |
| Feb 17 | New Zealand vs Canada | Chennai | 11:00 AM |
| Feb 17 | Ireland vs Zimbabwe | Kandy | 3:00 PM |
| Feb 17 | Scotland vs Nepal | Mumbai | 7:00 PM |
| Feb 18 | South Africa vs UAE | Delhi | 11:00 AM |
| Feb 18 | Pakistan vs Namibia | Colombo (SSC) | 3:00 PM |
| Feb 18 | India vs Netherlands | Ahmedabad | 7:00 PM |
| Feb 19 | West Indies vs Italy | Kolkata | 11:00 AM |
| Feb 19 | Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe | Colombo (RPS) | 3:00 PM |
| Feb 19 | Afghanistan vs Canada | Chennai | 7:00 PM |
| Feb 20 | Australia vs Oman | Kandy | 7:00 PM |
Knockout Stage
- Super 8s: February 21 – March 1
- Semi-Final 1: March 4 (Kolkata/Colombo)
- Semi-Final 2: March 5 (Mumbai)
- Grand Final: March 8 (Ahmedabad/Colombo)
