ICC T20 World Cup Semi-Final Venue May Be Changed: Sri Lanka can play the semi-finals of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 at its home in Colombo, but it will depend on which teams qualify and with whom they compete. According to ESPNcricinfo, according to the information given by ICC after finalizing the line-up of Super-8, the venue of Semi-Final 1 is not fixed. Described as a ‘floating’ fixture, Colombo’s R. It can happen at Premadasa Stadium or Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
In simple words, if Pakistan reaches the semi-finals, then it will be played on March 4. Will play in Colombo. If Pakistan does not qualify and Sri Lanka qualifies and does not face India, then Sri Lanka will also play Semi-Final 1 in Colombo. However, if both Pakistan and Sri Lanka do not qualify, Semifinal 1 will be held in Kolkata and Semifinal 2 will be held in Mumbai.
Why can there be a change in the venue of the semi-finals?
There may be a change in the venue of the semi-finals because as per ICC’s arrangement with BCCI and PCB, Pakistan cannot play any match in India. On the other hand, for Sri Lanka, hosting their semi-final in Colombo is about giving them the advantage of their home crowd and being a co-organizer. India’s semi-final venue has also already been decided. If India qualifies, they will play in Mumbai, irrespective of the opposition, but if they face Pakistan, the match will be shifted to Colombo.
Why will the match be held in Kolkata instead of Colombo?
If none of the teams from India, Pakistan or Sri Lanka reach the semi-finals of T20 World Cup 2026, then the top team of Group 1 of Super-8 will face the second team of Group 2 in Kolkata, while the top team of Group 2 will play the second team of Group 1 in Mumbai, as already decided. This information is a change in the schedule announced in November. At that time it was only told that if Pakistan qualifies, then Colombo’s R. Semifinal 1 will be played at Premadasa Stadium. The interesting thing in this is that according to the old schedule, if Pakistan reaches the final, then the final will be held in Colombo, but in the new plan it is not mentioned that if Sri Lanka reaches the final, will it also play on its home ground.
