Former India T20I captain Rohit Sharma, who led the team to the 2024 T20 World Cup title, has been announced as the brand ambassador for the upcoming 2026 T20 World Cup. The confirmation came on Tuesday (Nov 25), along with the ICC releasing the full schedule of the event.

India will co-host the tournament with Sri Lanka and will enter the competition as defending champions, this time under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav. Rohit sent his best wishes to the players, saying he hopes they “take away a lot of memories.”

Rohit is among the few cricketers to win the T20 World Cup twice. His first win came in the 2007 inaugural T20 World Cup, which was also his first international tournament. His T20 journey ended in 2024 on a high, with another World Cup victory.

Speaking about being named the ambassador, he said: "I wish all the players the very best and hope they have a memorable time and enjoy India’s hospitality while taking back a lot of memories."

Tournament dates: Feb 7 to March 8

The 20-team tournament will be held from February 7 to March 8, 2026.

India’s group and key matches

India has been placed in Group A with Pakistan, USA, Namibia, and the Netherlands.

  • Feb 7: India begins their campaign against the USA on the opening day.

  • Feb 12: India face Namibia.

  • Feb 15: The much-awaited India vs Pakistan match will be played in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

  • Feb 18: India completes the group stage against the Netherlands.

The top two teams from each of the four groups will move to the Super Eight round, where each team will play one match against the others in their group.

From there, the top two teams from each Super Eight group will qualify for the semi-finals.