Narendra Modi Stadium to Host 2026 T20 World Cup Final — But Only If Pakistan Misses Out. The path has been laid out for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. But there is an additional clause for the finals. The final is set to take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, only if Pakistan does not qualify. If Pakistan makes it to the final, however, the final will take place in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The agreement stems from a deal made in December 2024 between the BCCI and PCB, which stated that Pakistan matches in ICC events contested in India will take place at a neutral venue. This applies to all matches in the group or knockout stages, but also the final.
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Tournament format and venue plan
The 2026 World Cup will have a total of 20 teams and will take place in February-March next year. While India will host the vast majority of matches, Sri Lanka’s R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo was designated as a location for games to take place if Pakistan happens to be playing in a key knockout match. A similar situation took place during the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup. Pakistan’s games were switched to Colombo, while India held the games that did not feature Pakistan.
The Narendra Modi Stadium is the largest cricket stadium in the world, with a seating capacity of more than 130,000. It has hosted the 2023 ODI World Cup Final and many massive ICC events. It’s a perfect venue for the organizers to conduct a global final, as long as the neutral venue is not invoked.
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There are two possible scenarios from this point for the fans: if Pakistan fails to qualify, the final will be played in front of a full stadium in Ahmedabad; and if Pakistan qualifies, then Colombo will be the place to be in the world for cricket.
