Super Series and Super 7 twist added to 2027 ODI World Cup by ICC with a new format in action to make every game count.
This 2027 ODI World Cup to be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia will have 14 teams, but will have two additional stages: a Super Series round leading into the group stage, and a Super 7 round leading into the semi-final stage.
On Wednesday, the ICC officially confirmed the new format after the ICC’s Annual Conference in Edinburgh. The changes were made to “enhance consequence” in the early stages of the tournament, and to overcome a number of problems raised by dead rubbers, the ICC said.
How the New Format Works
The teams in the 12th to 14th place in the qualification round will play in the Super Series round. One team will advance from this round to the main group phase where 11 teams will compete in two groups of six.
Top 3 teams in each group plus next highest in both groups will move to Super 7 stage. The semi-finals will be decided in this round-robin tournament.
It replaces the Super 6 stage being planned, and is envisioned to keep the tournament competitive.
“The consequence of the matches in Round 1 and Round 2 shall be increased, and the Super 7 stage will feature a highly competitive format to reinforce the competitive storyline through the event,” the ICC said.
This move will help maintain the tournament at 14 teams, as agreed by the ICC in 2021, and also provide a higher level of excitement. The adjustments are the outcome of comments on too many meaningless games during the ICC championships in recent years, such as the T20 World Cup.
Final details of the schedule and precise fixtures will be finalised during an ICC meeting in October. The majority of the matches are predicted to take place in South Africa, with Zimbabwe playing around ten matches, and some in Namibia.
The qualification system is unchanged: There will be 10 team places, which include the hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe, as well as top eight in the ODI rankings at the end of September 2026. The other four will be awarded at a worldwide qualifier which should take place in December 2026 or January 2027.
