The 2026 T20 World Cup obtained underway final Saturday, as soon as once more going down in India and Sri Lanka, however there could also be some new international locations you wouldn’t have anticipated to see. The ICC expanded the T20 World Cup to twenty groups from 16 in 2024, making it the primary worldwide cricket match held on US soil.
The enlargement of the match gave fewer groups an opportunity to characterize themselves and in addition launched a brand new match construction. The brand new format locations higher significance on the group levels, with solely eight groups advancing from them, down from 10 beforehand. This present format is about to final till 2030, after which we might even see it modified once more.
The 2024 World Cup noticed three international locations make their match debuts: the USA, Canada, and Uganda, with the USA qualifying as hosts. Italy at the moment are additionally making its debut within the 2026 version, making it the fourth since 2024. Compared, solely six groups made their first look within the T20 World Cup between 2014 and 2024: Hong Kong, Nepal, UAE, Namibia and Papua New Guinea. Because the years go on, different smaller cricketing nations are prone to be part of this record, highlighting the brand new format’s constructive long-term results.
Why is that this vital?
The expansion of cricket has been relatively stagnant over the previous 20 years, with solely exponential progress in already established cricketing nations. The IPL is now the second Most worthy league on the earth, solely behind the NFL, with a valuation of $18.5 billion in 2025. India loves cricket, although. Regardless of the success of the IPL, it may solely achieve this a lot to extend the game’s profile worldwide.
That is the place worldwide tournaments are available, as we all know nothing attracts in viewers like a world sports activities match. A match between India and Pakistan on the 2019 World Cup drew an estimated 1 billion viewers and was recognised by Guinness World Information because the most-viewed cricket fixture of all time. The 2022 FIFA World Cup ultimate had an estimated 1.5 billion viewers worldwide, underscoring the recognition of cricket in main nations.
Might this be a mistake?
It’s a constructive step ahead for lesser nations to be included in worldwide tournaments extra regularly, little question, however does this not scale back the standard of cricket in these tournaments? In 2024, the USA have been the one non-full member to succeed in the Tremendous Eight, primarily on account of a neater group and the joys of enjoying on their dwelling turf.
In brief, smaller nations aren’t difficult the complete member nations, decreasing the standard of cricket on supply to viewers and probably reducing curiosity. This was at all times going to be the case, although, in the meanwhile, anyway, as the game grows into totally different international locations, there can be massive gaps in expertise. Over time, this publicity will result in extra younger individuals in these international locations taking over cricket, hopefully bridging the hole.
2028 Olympics
Cricket will function as an Olympic occasion for the primary time in 128 years on the 2028 Los Angeles Video games, which can mark the true takeoff of cricket worldwide. The Olympic Video games are infamous for giving lesser-known sports activities and athletes vital publicity, which cricket wants to interrupt into some markets worldwide. Six groups will compete in a T20 format, and whereas a lot stays unsure in regards to the match’s format and the way groups will qualify, it’s prone to embody the USA (hosts), India, Australia, Nice Britain, South Africa, and yet one more workforce that can qualify by way of a play-off spherical.
Some could argue that lesser-known cricket nations ought to compete within the Olympics to spice up their profile and improve curiosity, however seeing the best degree of cricket attainable is vital to the video games’ affect on cricket worldwide. Many worldwide superstars have confirmed they are going to play if known as upon, together with Steve Smith, who admitted he has been planning to stay round till 2028 for that motive.
Main League Cricket
MLC (Main League Cricket) was launched in 2023 to develop cricket within the USA, entice world expertise, and construct a home fanbase. Early indicators point out actual success for cricket within the US: 84% of tickets for the inaugural season have been bought out, with most consumers first-time attendees.
MLC has connections to the IPL, with many IPL franchise house owners additionally proudly owning MLC groups, such because the Los Angeles Knight Riders, owned by the workforce of the identical identify in Kolkata. Cricket within the USA is slowly rising however is but to succeed in that time of exponential progress, but the mixture of MLC and the Olympics may do this.
Influence on different codecs
As the recognition of T20 cricket will increase, the thrill round ODI and Take a look at cricket is on the decline, however extra so the latter. Take a look at cricket is the purest type of the sport, a real take a look at of a cricketer’s expertise, which is what made it so well-liked within the twentieth century. As consideration spans lower in trendy society, and followers’ want for fixed motion will increase, Take a look at cricket has turn out to be boring for some.
Considered one of cricket’s largest challenges is managing the schedule, because the T20 leagues, which generate income, are more and more demanding that worldwide cricket accommodate them relatively than the opposite method round. Sadly, Take a look at cricket isn’t commercially engaging and should someday battle to seek out its place inside cricket.
The unhappy reality is that Take a look at cricket isn’t prone to be performed by new, rising nations, because it doesn’t make sense for traders. Fortunately, the format continues to be cherished by most full-member nations, as we most lately noticed within the Ashes in December, when it was the most-watched Take a look at collection ever in Australia (7).
In addition to the massive three (India, England, and Australia), Take a look at cricket has struggled lately in different full-member international locations just like the West Indies, but has been rejuvenated in South Africa, highlighting the fluctuating curiosity amongst Take a look at-playing nations.
Do you agree?
