The ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2027 is set to be held on African soil after a gap of almost 25 years, co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

According to media reports, the 2027 World Cup is expected to be held from October 4 to November 21. The proposed dates were recently approved at the International Cricket Council (ICC) board meeting in Ahmedabad, while final ratification is expected at the ICC’s annual general meeting in Edinburgh next month.

According to reports, South Africa will host most of the matches of the tournament and at least 41 of the 54 matches are likely to be played at eight different venues in the country. On the other hand, Zimbabwe is expected to host 8 to 10 matches, while Namibia is expected to host 3 matches.

This will be the first Men’s ODI World Cup to be held in Africa since 2003. The 2003 event was also jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya.

Another major change for the 2027 World Cup will be the return of the 14-team format. The previous two editions featured just 10 teams, but now the teams will be divided into two groups of seven. The top three teams from each group will qualify for the Super Sixes.

South Africa and Zimbabwe are expected to participate directly as full ICC members, while Namibia will have to go through the qualifying stage to secure a place in the event.