Guwahati, Visakhapatnam won’t get 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup matches? Claims blame BCCI’s rotation policy

Guwahati and Visakhapatnam may not feature in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup despite their strong cricketing infrastructure, say claims. Meanwhile, this potential exclusion has reignited discussions around the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s rotation policy, a strategy now under the spotlight.

As reported by The Indian Express, the BCCI's venue selection for upcoming ICC tournaments hinges on a principle that avoids repeating host cities across consecutive global events, sparking both criticism and support from cricketing circles.

What is BCCI’s rotation policy?

The BCCI’s rotation policy is a venue allocation method aimed at distributing international cricket matches across different Indian cities to ensure widespread access to global events. The policy stipulates that venues used for one ICC tournament are rotated out for the next, providing opportunities to newer or less frequently used stadiums.

Under this system, cities that hosted matches in previous marquee ICC events will be excluded from hosting games in the 2026 T20 World Cup.

As a result, cities like Guwahati and Visakhapatnam, which have been shortlisted to host the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup, may not be considered for the subsequent men’s tournament.

ALSO READ: Why Visakhapatnam instead of Mumbai, Vadodara will host inaugural ICC Women’s World Cup 2025?

Smaller cities gain but miss the bigger spotlight

The decision to allocate the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup to smaller venues is also part of the BCCI’s broader plan to expand cricket's reach. The five shortlisted cities—Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, Mullanpur, Indore, and Thiruvananthapuram—are expected to host matches when the women’s tournament begins in late September.

Mullanpur’s Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, home to the IPL franchise Punjab Kings, will reportedly host the final. While these venues will enjoy the spotlight during the women’s World Cup, they are set to be left out of the men’s T20 World Cup schedule, the reports added.

T20 World Cup 2026: Bigger centres expected

India and Sri Lanka will jointly host the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, but the final list of venues is yet to be confirmed. Given the rotation logic, major venues from the 2023 ODI World Cup that did not feature prominently in the women’s tournament may return to host men’s games.

Thiruvananthapuram’s selection also ties into geopolitical logistics. In light of a hybrid hosting model agreed upon between India and Pakistan, the city’s visa and immigration infrastructure makes it a key node for teams playing against Pakistan, whose matches may take place in Sri Lanka or Dubai.

The legacy of women's cricket events

India is set to host the Women’s ODI World Cup for the first time since 2013 and an ICC women’s event for the first time since 2016. Previous ICC Women’s World Cup finals have taken place at globally iconic venues, such as Lord’s (2017), the Melbourne Cricket Ground (2020), Hagley Oval (2022), Newlands (2023), and Dubai International Stadium (2024).

While the BCCI has been praised for promoting women's cricket in smaller centres, the exclusion of these venues from the high-profile men's tournament raises questions about equitable exposure.