ICC Cricket World Cup 2027: Which South African Venues Will Host the Mega Event?

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 is set to be a landmark tournament, bringing together the best cricketing nations under one roof for the celebration of talent, competition, and culture. Scheduled for October and November 2027, the 50-over format event will be hosted across three African nations: South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.

After a wait of nearly 24 years, Africa will once again host a men’s World Cup, with South Africa being the major World Cup 2027 host. Cricket South Africa (CSA) recently confirmed that 44 of the 54 matches will be played across 8 iconic South African venues, while the remaining 10 matches will be played between Zimbabwe and Namibia. This announcement has highlighted the country’s commitment to delivering world-class events and bringing back a major viewership on the African continent.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 Venues

South Africa recently announced the Local Organising Committee board for the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, which would be chaired by former South African cabinet minister Trevor Manuel. This LOC will be responsible for planning and rolling out the tournament, which is going to be the first men’s ODI World Cup in the region since 2003.

With this, the committee also selected eight venues to host the major part of the tournament, ensuring nationwide access and world-class facilities for the fans and participating teams. South Africa is known to the world's most beautiful cricket stadiums. The host cities of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 include Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban, Gqeberha, Bloemfontein, East London and Paarl. Here is the full list of the venues alongside their cricket grounds.

Each venue boasts a rich cricketing history, modern facilities, and significant capacity for fans. The remaining 10 matches will then be played in Zimbabwe and Namibia, also providing these nations to showcase their growing infrastructure and also giving them an international stage to host such a big event. In an official statement, Cricket South Africa (CSA) confirmed the eight South African host cities for the matches: Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban, Gqeberha, Bloemfontein, East London, and Paarl, which are the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 Venues.

South Africa and Zimbabwe automatically will qualify as hosts, while Namibia would earn its spot through the African qualifier. The tournament format will include two groups of seven teams, with the top three from each advancing to the Super Six stage, followed by semi-finals and the final.

ICC World Cup 2027: Will Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli Play?

The ICC World Cup 2027 will feature 14 teams, including the top eight in ICC ODI rankings and four from the global tournament through a qualifier. Played in the round-robin stage, the format ensures every team plays each other in the group stage, and then moves to the Super Six, semi-finals, and then the ultimate final.

The upcoming tournament will be a chance for the participating nations to bring out their best and become the ultimate champions, especially for the Indian team. This would be a chance for the team to redeem themselves after losing it in the ICC World Cup 2023 to Australia. The Indian team performed throughout and were unbeaten, but luck had different plans for them, and they couldn’t get a win in the final, losing it by 6 wickets with 42 balls left.

The tournament was a massive hit, not just for the team but especially for Indian veteran players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, two of the best cricketers in the world. Kohli and Rohit emerged as the highest run-scorers of the tournament, where Kohli ended up being on number one and Rohit secured second spot on the list.

Having retired from the other formats, T20Is and Tests, this ODI World Cup could be the last time when the two legends can feature in the Indian jersey. As per the reports, it is believed that Rohit Sharma might not become part of the India ICC ODI World Cup Squad, and the upcoming Australia Tour could be the last chance.