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The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday unveiled a revised format for the 2027 Men’s ODI World Cup, which includes changes that could see a greater number of high-profile matches between arch-rivals India and Pakistan.

While the new 2027 World Cup, to be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, will continue to feature a 14-team tournament, there will be a new preliminary round and an expanded second stage, which could see the rivals face each other three times in the competition.

How the new format could create more India vs Pakistan matches in ICC tournaments

Under the new format, the three lowest-seeded qualified teams will face off in a preliminary round, with only one team progressing to face the other 11 teams in the main draw. The main draw will see two groups of six instead, with the Super Six stage scrapped and replaced by a Super Seven.

The teams that finish first in each group will contest the Super Seven, where they will battle it out for a place in the knock-out stages. Unlike previous World Cup finals, there will be no quarter-finals, with the top four teams from the Super Seven fixtures progressing straight to the semi-finals.

The changes to the World Cup final structure make it more likely that India and Pakistan will face each other more than once. If the cricket rivals are placed in the same group, they will first face off in the group stage, with a potential second meeting in the Super Seven. They could even clash for a third time in the semi-finals or final.

A fixture between the two countries is always a draw in terms of revenue, with Pakistan and India matches breaking world records for the most-watched television and online streaming events and sponsorships. It is the most-wanted cricket match by any media outlet, which makes another India-Pakistan encounter in the World Cup a must for the ICC.

India and Pakistan do not play each other often because of the political issues between the two countries. The bilateral ties between the countries are tense, with India’s last visit to Pakistan in 2006 to play a Test and ODI series. The matches between the fierce rivals are only played in ICC events and friendly tournaments.

The ICC stated that the changes to the World Cup structure will make the matches more competitive, create more context, and have more consequences during the event. The changes to the World Cup final were approved by the ICC Board.

The Men’s T20 World Cup 2028 will see the second stage of the tournament expanded from eight teams to 10 teams. The 2028 Men’s T20 World Cup will still be a 20-team tournament, but the second stage will have more teams. The top two teams from the Super 10 stage will automatically qualify for the semi-finals, while the second and third-placed teams from each group will contest the new eliminator matches to decide the other two teams that will contest the semi-finals.

The new rules and format changes for the Men’s T20 and ODI World Cups will make the tournaments more exciting, with fewer dead rubbers and more competitive matches. The governing body is confident that the changes to the World Cup finals will make the matches more exciting, have more context, and create more consequences during the event.