ICC overhauls the structure of the 2027 ODI World Cup in the recently concluded general meeting
Now the 12, 13 and 14th ranked teams will play a Super Series Round at the start with only one team qualifying for the top 12
The traditional Super 6 stage will be replaced by Super 7, out of which four teams will qualify for the semis
The International Cricket Council (ICC) held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Edinburgh, where cricket's governing body approved several significant changes to the structure of future global tournaments in a bid to increase competitiveness and ensure more meaningful contests.
One of the biggest changes will affect next year's ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, which will now be played under a revised format.
The previous two ODI World Cups featured a 10-team round-robin format, with each side playing every other team once before the top four advanced to the semifinals. The 2027 edition, however, will feature 14 teams and a new tournament structure following the decisions taken at the ICC's AGM.
In the new format by ICC, the teams ranked from 12 to 14 will play a Super Series round, from which only one will qualify for the next round as the 12th team. Further, the top 12 teams will be divided into two groups of six teams each, and a total of 30 matches will be played.
After this round, the top three teams from each group and the next-best-ranked team across both groups will then qualify for the next Super 7 stage. In this stage, after 7 matches, the top four teams will qualify for the semifinals.
Old Format Vs New Format (ODI World Cup)
Old Format
Round 1: 14 teams are divided into two groups of 7 each (42 matches)
Super Six: Top 3 teams from each group qualify for Super 6 (21 matches)
Semifinals: Top two teams from each group (1 vs 4 & 2 vs 3)
New Format
Super Series Round: 12, 13 and 14th ranked team compete against each other and one will qualify for the next round as 12th team
Round 2: Two groups of 6 (30 matches)
Super 7: Top 3 teams from each group plus the next highest placed team across both groups qualify for Super 7
Semifinals: Top 4 teams from Super 7 progress to semis
Top two teams from each group progress to semis
Rationale Behind the New Structure
In the recent global ICC events, empty stadiums and a lack of fan interest in non-competitive matches were a cause of concern for the apex body. Also, with the addition of more teams, there was a possibility of too many dead rubber matches, which could have added to it. To cater to these issues, the ICC has come up with this idea, while keeping the number of teams intact, to promote the game.
