India, Pakistan, Australia in Group A for 2027 Men's ODI World Cup
Synopsis
India and Pakistan are in the same group again — and this time Australia joins them. The 2027 ICC Men's ODI World Cup draw, unveiled in Cape Town, has stacked Group A with three of the sport's biggest draws. With Shubman Gill captaining the top-ranked Indian side for the first time at a World Cup, and the tournament returning to Africa after 24 years, the stakes couldn't be higher.
Key Takeaways
India , Pakistan , Australia , Afghanistan , Zimbabwe , and Qualifier A form Group A of the 2027 ICC Men's ODI World Cup .
Group B comprises South Africa , England , New Zealand , Sri Lanka , Bangladesh , and Qualifier B .
The tournament runs from 2 October to 21 November 2027 , spanning 57 matches across 12 venues in South Africa , Zimbabwe , and Namibia .
Shubman Gill is set to captain India — the top-ranked ODI side — at the World Cup for the first time.
The event marks cricket's return to African soil for the first time since 2003 , a 24-year gap.
A new 'Super 7' round-robin phase replaces the traditional Super 8/knockout bridge, with the top 4 of 7 advancing to the semifinals.
India and Pakistan have been drawn together in Group A alongside reigning champions Australia for the 2027 ICC Men's ODI World Cup, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on 1 October. The group draw was unveiled at a gala schedule launch event held at Cape Town's Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA), marking one of the most anticipated fixtures of the tournament cycle.
Group A and Group B Breakdown
Group A fields a formidable six-team lineup: India, Pakistan, Australia, Afghanistan, co-hosts Zimbabwe, and the team that emerges as Qualifier A. Group B comprises co-hosts South Africa, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Qualifier B. The arrangement guarantees a high-stakes India–Pakistan group-stage encounter — one of cricket's most commercially and emotionally charged contests.
India's Squad and Ranking
India enter the tournament as the top-ranked ODI side in the world. Shubman Gill is set to captain the team at the World Cup for the first time, marking a generational transition in Indian cricket leadership at the 50-over flagship event.
Tournament Structure and Format
The 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup runs from 2 October to 21 November 2027, featuring 14 teams across 57 matches at 12 venues. The format introduces a four-stage structure: a pre-tournament qualifier 'Super Series' determines the final spot among teams ranked 12th, 13th, and 14th. The 14 qualified teams then contest a group stage in two pools of six, after which the top three from each group, plus the next best-ranked team overall, advance to a 'Super 7' round-robin. The top four from the Super 7 reach the semifinals, with winners contesting the final.
Venues Across Three Host Nations
The tournament is co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia — marking cricket's return to African soil for the first time since 2003, a 24-year hiatus. South Africa hosts the bulk of fixtures across eight grounds: Wanderers Stadium (Johannesburg), Centurion (Tshwane), Newlands (Cape Town), Kingsmead (Durban), St George's Park (Gqeberha), Mangaung Oval (Bloemfontein), Boland Park (Paarl), and Buffalo Park (KuGompo City, formerly East London). Zimbabwe will stage matches at Harare Sports Club, Queens Sports Club (Bulawayo), and the newly developed Fale Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium in Victoria Falls. Namibia hosts its World Cup fixtures at the newly built Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek.
Ten Teams Already Qualified
Ten teams have sealed direct qualification based on ICC rankings and host status: South Africa, Zimbabwe, India, Australia, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. Two further berths will be decided through the qualifier pathway. The 2003 edition — the last held on African soil — featured South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Kenya as co-hosts, making this year's tournament a historic homecoming for the continent.
With the draw confirmed and a blockbuster Group A in place, all eyes now turn to the qualifier outcomes and India's pre-tournament preparation under Gill's captaincy.
Point of View
Pakistan, and Australia in the same group is the ICC doing what it does best — engineering maximum commercial tension before a ball is bowled. But the real story here is structural: the new Super 7 format means a bad group-stage run no longer ends your campaign as abruptly, reducing the chance of a genuine upset derailing the marquee ties. For India, the bigger subplot is Gill's debut as World Cup captain — a test of whether Indian cricket's next era can deliver under the weight of 1.4 billion expectations. The Africa return after 24 years is historically significant, yet the tournament's centre of gravity will almost certainly be determined by a single fixture somewhere in Group A.
NationPress
1 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which group is India in for the 2027 ICC Men's ODI World Cup?
India are placed in Group A of the 2027 ICC Men's ODI World Cup alongside Pakistan, Australia, Afghanistan, co-hosts Zimbabwe, and Qualifier A. The draw was announced on 1 October 2027 at a launch event in Cape Town.
When does the 2027 ICC Men's ODI World Cup start and end?
The 2027 ICC Men's ODI World Cup begins on 2 October 2027 and concludes with the final on 21 November 2027. It will feature 57 matches across 12 venues in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
Who will captain India at the 2027 ODI World Cup?
Shubman Gill is set to captain India at the 2027 ICC Men's ODI World Cup — his first time leading the side at the marquee 50-over tournament. India are currently the top-ranked ODI team in the world.
Which countries are hosting the 2027 ICC Men's ODI World Cup?
The 2027 ICC Men's ODI World Cup is co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. It marks cricket's return to African soil for the first time since the 2003 edition, which was co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Kenya.
What is the new format for the 2027 ICC Men's ODI World Cup?
The 2027 edition uses a four-stage format: a pre-tournament 'Super Series' qualifier, a group stage with two pools of six, a 'Super 7' round-robin among seven teams, and then semifinals and a final. The top four teams from the Super 7 advance to the semifinals.
