According to AI:

The 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8, 2026. This 10th edition of the tournament will feature 20 teams competing in 55 matches across eight venues, with the final match taking place on March 8, 2026.

Tournament Details:

– Group Stage: 20 teams divided into four groups, with the top two teams from each group progressing to the Super 8s

– Super 8s: Two groups of four teams, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semi-finals

– Semi-Finals: Two matches, with the winners progressing to the final

– Final: The culmination of the tournament, scheduled for March 8, 2026

India won the tournament, defeating New Zealand by 96 runs in the final match held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. This victory marks India’s third T20 World Cup title and their second consecutive win. Some standout performances in the tournament include Abhishek Sharma’s blistering 52 off 21 balls and Sanju Samson’s impressive 89 off 46 balls, which helped India post a record 255/5 against New Zealand. Jaspreet Bumrah was named Player of the Match for his outstanding bowling, taking 4 wickets for 15 runs.

And I have been following it when I can, including today final!

Going back to when I played cricket back in the day, games of each team playing around twenty overs was the norm but these were nowhere nearly as intense and with so many runs scored as those played in this T20 format that could be anywhere between closely fought and one sided. But as a result of following this tournament, my conversion as a fan of this format is now complete. The days when the only international cricket I was interested in was of the five-day Test match variety are now gone, although that is still my preferred format. But I no longer turn my nose at the T20 cricket, recognising while the chance factor is greater, the need for skill and coordinated team play is the same. This is evidenced by the performances of some of the same players who I admire in Test cricket, who can adapt their approach to that of being more swashbuckling and go for it that T20 cricket demands.

It was great that in the group stage the minnows played and important part, and threatened an upset. In the end, the only upset was Zimbabwe progressing ahead of Australia. As for the Super 8s, the progression there to South Africa – New Zealand and India – England semi-finals were as expected based on how the teams played and developed as the tournament went on. While I had hoped for a South Africa – England final, it was not to be and today India winning, emphatically as it turned out, the tournament was the right outcome, based on how they showed their class as the tournament progressed. Looking back, it was an exciting tournament and an enjoyable one to follow.

More significantly, this tournament has turned me into a T20 fan!