The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially confirmed a revamped format for the 2027 Men’s ODI World Cup, introducing an additional qualification stage before the main tournament while retaining the 14-team competition announced in 2021.
The tournament, which will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, will now begin with a Super Series involving the three lowest-ranked qualified teams. Only one of those sides will progress to the main World Cup, while the other two will be eliminated before the group stage begins.
Super Series added before the main tournament
Under the revised structure, all 14 qualified teams will not enter the main competition directly.
Instead, the three lowest-ranked teams will first compete in a Super Series. Only the winner of that stage will earn the final place in the main draw, effectively reducing the field to 12 teams for the group stage.
The move introduces an extra hurdle for lower-ranked nations hoping to make a deep run at the World Cup.
Two groups of six to begin the tournament
The 12 teams advancing to the main event will be divided into two groups of six.
Each team will play the others in its group, with the top three sides from each group qualifying automatically for the next phase. They will be joined by the better of the two fourth-placed teams, creating a new seven-team Super 7 stage.
Super 7 to decide the semi-finalists
The Super 7 will determine the four teams that advance to the knockout rounds.
The top four teams in that stage will qualify for the semi-finals, with the winners progressing to the final to compete for the World Cup title. The revised format adds another layer to the tournament by rewarding consistency across multiple stages rather than relying solely on the initial group phase.
A significant change to the tournament structure
While the number of participating teams remains unchanged at 14, the new format substantially alters the path to the title.
Lower-ranked teams must now survive an additional qualification round before reaching the main tournament, while teams that make the group stage will have to navigate the Super 7 before earning a place in the semi-finals.
The 2027 ODI World Cup will be the first edition to be played under the new format, with further details regarding fixtures and qualification pathways expected from the ICC in due course.
Source: ESPN
