The blockbuster ODI World Cup 2027 is heading back to Africa, with South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia set to jointly host the global event that kicks off on October 2 with the Super Series in Windhoek. The competition will begin with a three-team Super Series involving the sides ranked 12th, 13th and 14th. Each team will play the other two, and only the team finishing first will advance to the main group stage, linking up with 11 other teams. Then, the 12 teams will be divided into two groups of six.
The top three teams from each group will qualify for the next round. They will be joined by the best-performing fourth-placed team across the two groups, creating a seven-team field for the next stage. The top four teams from the Super 7 round will then qualify for the semi-finals.
India will launch their campaign by clashing with defending Australia in a blockbuster rematch in Cape Town on October 7. Both teams faced each other in the 2023 World Cup final, where Australia clinched a dominant win.
Meanwhile, the epic clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan will take place on October 10 in Johannesburg. India have been placed in group A along with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Australia, Zimbabwe, and Qualifier A. Group B features Bangladesh, England, South Africa, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and Qualifier B.
The event will feature 57 matches across 12 venues, with the final scheduled for November 21. The ODI World Cup returns to Africa for the first time in 24 years, as South Africa and Zimbabwe were among the hosts of the 2003 World Cup, while Kenya also hosted matches during that tournament. South Africa, who are the co-hosts, will commence their World Cup campaign against New Zealand on October 9 in Cape Town. In order to give clarity, seven teams have been pre-seeded into fixed Super 7 slots: India (A1), Australia (A2), Pakistan (A3), England (AB4), New Zealand (B1), South Africa (B2), and Sri Lanka (B3). If a pre-seeded team fails to advance to the Super 7 stage, and a non-seeded team qualifies, then the qualifying team will occupy the same slot and follow the same position in the schedule.
Fixtures:
2 October 2027 – QF1 v QF3 – Windhoek
4 October 2027 – QF1 v QF2 – Windhoek
6 October 2027 – QF2 v QF3 – Windhoek
7 October 2027 – India v Australia – Cape Town
8 October 2027 – Pakistan v Afghanistan – Tshwane
8 October 2027 – England v Bangladesh – Windhoek
9 October 2027 – Zimbabwe v Qualifier A – Bulawayo
9 October 2027 – South Africa v New Zealand – Cape Town
10 October 2027 – India v Pakistan – Johannesburg
10 October 2027 – Sri Lanka v Qualifier B – Windhoek
11 October 2027 – Zimbabwe v Afghanistan – Bulawayo
12 October 2027 – Australia v Qualifier A – Paarl
12 October 2027 – New Zealand v Bangladesh – KuGompo City
13 October 2027 – England v Sri Lanka – Windhoek
13 October 2027 – South Africa v Qualifier B – Paarl
14 October 2027 – India v Afghanistan – Tshwane
15 October 2027 – Pakistan v Qualifier A – Bloemfontein
15 October 2027 – Zimbabwe v Australia – Harare
16 October 2027 – Sri Lanka v Bangladesh – Durban
16 October 2027 – South Africa v England – Gqeberha
17 October 2027 – India v Qualifier A – Bloemfontein
17 October 2027 – New Zealand v Qualifier B – Harare
18 October 2027 – Australia v Afghanistan – KuGompo City
19 October 2027 – Zimbabwe v Pakistan – Harare
19 October 2027 – South Africa v Bangladesh – Durban
20 October 2027 – New Zealand v Sri Lanka – Johannesburg
20 October 2027 – England v Qualifier B – Harare
21 October 2027 – Afghanistan v Qualifier A – KuGompo City
22 October 2027 – Australia v Pakistan – Paarl
22 October 2027 – South Africa v Sri Lanka – Johannesburg
23 October 2027 – England v New Zealand – Gqeberha
23 October 2027 – Bangladesh v Qualifier B – Tshwane
24 October 2027 – Zimbabwe v India – Victoria Falls
Super 7
25 October 2027 – A2 (Australia) v B3 (Sri Lanka) – Johannesburg
26 October 2027 – B1 (New Zealand) v A3 (Pakistan) – Gqeberha
27 October 2027 – B2 (South Africa) v AB4 (England) – Tshwane
28 October 2027 – A1 (India) v A2 (Australia) – Victoria Falls
29 October 2027 – B1 (New Zealand) v B3 (Sri Lanka) – KuGompo City
30 October 2027 – A3 (Pakistan) v AB4 (England) – Victoria Falls
31 October 2027 – B2 (South Africa) v A1 (India) – Johannesburg
1 November 2027 – A2 (Australia) v B1 (New Zealand) – Victoria Falls
2 November 2027 – B3 (Sri Lanka) v AB4 (England) – Cape Town
3 November 2027 – B2 (South Africa) v A3 (Pakistan) – Durban
4 November 2027 – A1 (India) v B1 (New Zealand) – Paarl
5 November 2027 – A2 (Australia) v AB4 (England) – Durban
6 November 2027 – B2 (South Africa) v B3 (Sri Lanka) – Bloemfontein
7 November 2027 – A1 (India) v A3 (Pakistan) – Cape Town
8 November 2027 – B1 (New Zealand) v AB4 (England) – Durban
9 November 2027 – B2 (South Africa) v A2 (Australia) – Gqeberha
10 November 2027 – A3 (Pakistan) v B3 (Sri Lanka) – Bloemfontein
11 November 2027 – A1 (India) v AB4 (England) – Gqeberha
12 November 2027 – B2 (South Africa) v B1 (New Zealand) – Cape Town
13 November 2027 – A2 (Australia) v A3 (Pakistan) – Bloemfontein
14 November 2027 – A1 (India) v B3 (Sri Lanka) – Durban
17 November 2027 – Semi-Final 1 – Cape Town
18 November 2027 – Semi-Final 2 – Tshwane
21 November 2027 – Final – Johannesburg