India will open their 2027 ICC World Cup campaign against defending champions Australia on October 7 in Cape Town, which would be the first game of the group stages.Before the group stages begin with 12 teams, there would be a Super Series – which will be the preliminary round for the three lowest-ranked qualified teams – that will begin on October 2 in Windhoek Namibia.The Indian Express understands that as part of the preparations, India will head to South Africa way in advance where they will play the Proteas in a 6-match ODI series at key venues including Johannesburg, Cape Town and Centurion.India, which finished runners-up in the 2023 edition which it hosted, is placed in Group A alongside Australia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Qualifier A. After playing their opening fixture against Australia at the picturesque Cape Town on October 7, they will head to the Bull Ring Wanderers for the high-octane fixture against Pakistan on October 10.Shubman Gill & Co then will take on Afghanistan on October 14 at Centurion. They will then face Qualifier A at Bloemfontein before ending the group stages against Zimbabwe at the Mosi-oa-Tunya Stadium, which is currently under construction near Victoria Falls.The Group B consists of South Africa, England, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Bangladesh and Qualifier B.홈혼홍홆 화홊홐홍 혾혼홇홀홉혿혼홍홎 ️The ICC Men’s #CWC27 fixtures have been unveiled Access the ticket ballot https://t.co/xQX5nsDa0b pic.twitter.com/Y8CLgDcaYU— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) October 1, 2026With one year to go for next year’s 50-over World Cup, the International Cricket Council on Thursday released the schedule in Cape Town. The tournament to be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia sees the World Cup returning to Africa after the continent hosted it for the first time in 2003. While Kenya had been one of the co-hosts and made the semi-finals, this time it is Namibia which gets to host the event. Apart from the opening round it will also host three group matches.In Zimbabwe – Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls will be the host cities while South Africa will remain the major host. The semi-finals will be played at Cape Town and Centurion before the Wanderers in Johannesburg hosts the final on November 21. In all 8 venues in the Rainbow nation will be used for cricket’s showpiece event.Story continues below this ad““South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia will provide an unforgettable stage for the world’s best teams, combining a deep passion for cricket, extraordinary destinations and a renowned warmth of welcome. We look forward to welcoming fans from across the world and creating memories that will last long beyond the final,” ICC chair Jay Shah said.The top three teams from each group and the best fourth-placed team with more points from both the groups will be the seventh team to make it to the Super 7 phase that has been introduced for the first time in the tournament. Unlike the Super 6 stage which existed in the World Cup till the 2003 edition, teams that make the Super 7 stages won’t be carrying forward their points they collect in the group stage.For the Super 7 stage, which will see each team play six matches between October 25 to November 14, the ICC has also released the seedings. Being the top-ranked team in ODI rankings, India will be A1. The others are A2: Australia, A3: Pakistan, AB4: England, B1: New Zealand, B2: South Africa, B3: Sri Lanka.Should India make it past the Group Stages, they will face Australia again in Victoria Falls. Their next likely opponents will be South Africa at Wanderers, followed by New Zealand at Paarl, Pakistan again at Cape Town on November 7. Then they will face 2015 champions England at Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) before finishing the phase against Sri Lanka at Durban on November 14.Story continues below this adThe top four teams from the Super 7 will advance to the semifinals.Group A: India, Australia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Qualifier A.Group B: South Africa, New Zealand, England, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Qualifier B.India’s group matches: Oct 7: vs Australia at Cape Town, Oct 10: Pakistan at Johannesburg, Oct 14: vs Afghanistan at Centurion, Oct 17: vs Qualifier A at Bloemfontein, Oct 24: vs Zimbabwe at Victoria Falls.