Sri Lanka will host at least 20 of the 55 matches at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, and despite recent natural calamities, the country has received full clearance from the ICC and local organisers.
Images from Sri Lanka in late November painted a bleak picture. Cyclone Ditwah left flooded streets, triggered landslides in the hill regions, claimed over 630 lives and disrupted countless livelihoods. With the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 less than 50 days away, questions quickly arose over whether Sri Lanka could still stage its share of the tournament. Those doubts have now been firmly put to rest.
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Following detailed inspections of all designated venues, the ICC and Sri Lanka Cricket have confirmed that the island nation will host its scheduled matches without any compromise. Officials expressed confidence in Sri Lanka’s preparedness to welcome teams, fans and global attention once again.
Sri Lanka is set to stage 20 matches of the 55-match tournament, which is being co-hosted by India. Games will be held across three venues — Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy, R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo and the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground.
Concerns were particularly high around Kandy, one of the regions worst affected by the cyclone, where more than 200 fatalities were reported. Fears over infrastructure damage had raised questions about Pallekele’s readiness.
However, inspection teams have cleared all venues, including Kandy. “We are happy with the progress we have made, and it is going to be a superb event,” an official involved in the inspection process told Telecom Asia Sport. “Sri Lanka has successfully hosted ICC events in the past, and we are confident this tournament will be another feather in our cap. Kandy has been cleared, as have the other two venues.”
