The International Cricket Council (ICC) will hold a grand event in Cape Town to present the schedule for the men's ODI World Cup 2027. This event will mark the beginning of the largest cricket tournament on African soil in the last 23 years.
The tournament will take place from October 2 to November 21, 2027, in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. The launch ceremony will be held at the Zeitz MOCAA Museum of Contemporary Art on Thursday and will be broadcast live on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network, starting at 20:30 IST (16:30 SAST) in India.
Alongside the release of the schedule, the ICC will open a global ticket lottery, giving fans worldwide the opportunity to win tickets to 57 matches that will be played across 12 host venues.
Ten of the 14 participating nations received direct qualification based on the September 30 cut-off date. Automatic qualification is guaranteed to the hosts—South Africa and Zimbabwe. They are joined by leading ODI teams such as India, Australia, England, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.
The remaining four spots will be determined through a multilateral global qualifying round early next year, which will include two-time champion West Indies.
For seasoned Indian batsmen Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the 2027 ODI World Cup represents a final chance to conclude their brilliant international careers with a championship victory. Discussing this with JioStar, Rohit recalled the strong emotions from leading India in the 2024 T20 World Cup and expressed a strong desire to replicate that feeling in the 50-over format.
Rohit stated that winning the upcoming ODI World Cup is very important to him because he wants to experience that feeling again. He noted that winning the World Cup is a special experience for India, which he has already felt twice in the T20 format.
Virat Kohli, who won the 2011 ODI World Cup trophy in his home country, mentioned that his last appearance in the World Cup gives him all the necessary motivation to give his all on the field. He emphasized that his goal is to win the World Cup, and he is ready to do whatever it takes.
Meanwhile, the free ticket lottery will be available from October 1 to November 21, 2026. Fans can request up to four tickets per match across all categories, with allocation determined by random draw in case demand exceeds stadium capacity.