Can India, Pakistan be in same group at ODI World Cup 2027? Explaining how World Cup draw is made
· Yahoo Sports
The ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2027 features a new format where 14 teams will take part in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
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However, contrary to the last two editions, the ODI World Cup will not start with all participating teams meeting in one league.
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The 14 teams will be divided into two groups according to their ranking, before the tournament proceeds into the two-group phase and Super 7.
But it raises a big question for fans - will India and Pakistan play in the same group at 2027 ODI World Cup?
Reports indicate that India and Pakistan may play in the same group in the upcoming World Cup but no official confirmation has been revealed by sources prior to the October 1 announcement of the schedule.
The Sporting News explores how the 2027 World Cup draw will be conducted and whether India and Pakistan will play in the same group.
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ODI World Cup 2027 format explained
The 2027 ODI World Cup will consist of 14 teams, although only 12 will qualify directly to the main group stage.
The three lowest-ranked teams out of the 14 qualifying teams will first compete in a three-team Super Series, where each team will face the other two in one match. The winning team will move on to the main stage, while the other two will be knocked out.
The remaining 11 teams along with the winner of the Super Series will thus make up the 12-team main stage.
These 12 teams will be split into two groups of six each, where each team plays five matches against the others in their group. The top three in each group, along with the best fourth-placed team out of the two groups, will make up the Super 7.
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When will the ODI World Cup 2027 groups be announced?
The ICC will announce the groups and schedule for the 2027 ODI World Cup on October 1, 2026, with the draw being held in Cape Town at 8:30 p.m. IST.
The draw results will also reveal whether or not India and Pakistan are in the same group.
How will ODI World Cup 2027 draw work?
The 2027 ODI World Cup draw will determine the groups, venues and match dates, with the ICC and Cricket South Africa unveiling the complete fixture list at the Cape Town event on October 1.
The draw comes after the September 30 ODI rankings cut-off, which determines the directly qualified teams. The final group allocation done at random will establish which teams are placed together in the two Round 2 groups.
Here are the current ICC ODI rankings:
RankTeamRating2027 World Cup status1India117Qualified2New Zealand109Qualified3South Africa104Qualified (host)4Australia102Qualified5Pakistan100Qualified6England95Qualified7Sri Lanka95Qualified8Afghanistan92Qualified9Bangladesh83Qualified10West Indies77Qualifier route11Zimbabwe61Qualified (host)The 12 teams in Round 2 will be divided into two groups of six each.
The ICC confirmed the group structure but there is no indication whether the allocation will be completely random or use rankings, seeding or predetermined pots.
Therefore, the September 30 ODI rankings should not automatically be interpreted as a seeding order for the Round 2 draw. The official schedule and group announcement on October 1 is expected to provide clarity on how the 12 teams are allocated between the two groups.
Can India, Pakistan be in same group at ODI World Cup 2027?
This all depends on how they will be grouped in the end.
India and Pakistan were drawn in the same group at the last two ODI World Cups, in 2019 and 2023. They also met in the group stage in 2015, while their 2011 meeting was in the semi-finals.
Both nations have qualified for the 2027 World Cup through the ODI rankings and will not play in the Super Series.
Reports stating that India and Pakistan are set to be grouped together in one six-nation group are not officially confirmed as of yet and will only be confirmed when ICC announces the schedule.
If the two teams are indeed grouped together in one group, they will certainly face each other at least once in the group stage itself.
How many times can India play Pakistan at 2027 World Cup?
The new format presents the prospect of up to three India-Pakistan encounters at the 2027 World Cup.
In case the two teams are grouped together and both manage to reach the Super 7 stage, they will get the opportunity to encounter each other during that stage since all the seven teams in the Super 7 stage play against one another.
A third encounter can take place in either the semi-finals or final stages, depending on how the two teams place themselves in the Super 7 rankings. Four teams move forward to the semi-finals; first plays fourth and second plays third.
However, in case they are placed in separate groups, they won’t be able to encounter each other in the group stage. They will still have the chance of meeting each other either in the Super 7 stage or in the knockout stage if they both qualify.
Where to watch the 2027 ODI World Cup draw in India
- TV channel: Star Sports Network
- Live streaming: JioHotstar
The Star Sports Network will broadcast the World Cup 2027 draw live and it can be live-streamed on JioHotstar app and website.
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