The International Cricket Council’s revised 2027 ODI World Cup format creates a route for India and Pakistan to meet as many as three times, provided both teams advance through the required stages. A Times of India report outlines possible meetings in the group stage, Super 7 and knockout phase.
The 2027 competition will feature 14 teams rather than 10, but the opening structure places the three lowest-ranked qualified teams in a preliminary round for one place in the next phase.
How the opening phase reduces the field
The tournament will start with a round-robin Super Series involving Teams 12, 13 and 14, with only the winner progressing to the 12-team group phase. The other two teams will be eliminated before the principal stages of the competition.
The remaining 12 teams will be divided into two groups of six. Each team will play every other side in its group once, with the top three teams from each group and the next best team overall advancing to the Super 7.
Supplemental editorial cricket visual for 2027 ODI World Cup format opens route to three India-Pakistan matches.
Route to the first two India-Pakistan meetings
India and Pakistan could meet first in the six-team group phase if the two sides are placed in the same group. The ICC does not use a completely random draw for global events, and the two teams have regularly shared a group in recent tournaments.
India and Pakistan would then meet again in the Super 7 if both teams qualify. The Super 7 uses a single round-robin format, so every qualifying team plays each of the other six sides once.
How a third match could take place
A third India-Pakistan match would require both teams to finish in the Super 7’s top four and reach the knockout stage. The leading four teams will qualify for the semi-finals.
Supplemental editorial cricket visual for 2027 ODI World Cup format opens route to three India-Pakistan matches.
India and Pakistan could meet in a semi-final if the teams finish first and fourth, or second and third, in the Super 7 standings. If the teams enter opposite sides of the knockout draw and both win their semi-finals, the third meeting could take place in the final instead.
Why the format has prompted criticism
The revised structure increases the ODI World Cup field to 14 teams but gives the three lowest-ranked qualifiers only one available place in the 12-team group phase. The arrangement has drawn criticism because two qualified teams will leave after the preliminary Super Series.
The ICC says the format is intended to make matches meaningful from the opening day and strengthen the competition throughout the tournament. The same structure also increases the possibility of repeat meetings between major teams, including up to three matches between India and Pakistan if both sides progress far enough.
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