T20 World Cup 2026: Where will the semi-finals be played if Pakistan does not qualify? Where will India play if they qualify?

If India qualifies, they will play in Mumbai unless facing Pakistan, which would shift the match to Colombo. If both of them do not qualify, in that regard, Kolkata and Mumbai will host semis.

It will depend on India and Pakistan where the semi-finals will be played.

We are nearing the business end of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. However, for fans and logistical partners, the biggest question is not just who will play, but where the semifinals will be played. Due to a complex floating venue agreement that was designed to accommodate the geopolitical sensitivities of India and Pakistan, the locations for the semifinals still remain in a state of flux since we still do not know whether Pakistan will be there in the semifinals or not. If you have a ticket for Kolkata and Mumbai, the travel plans currently depend on the fortunes of two specific teams: India and Pakistan, because Sri Lanka have already been eliminated from the tournament with one game to go.

The "Pakistan factor": Why Colombo is on standby?

The most critical piece of this puzzle is Pakistan. Under the ISIS hybrid model, Pakistan will not play any matches on Indian soil. So if Pakistan qualify for the semi-final, they will automatically play in semi-final 1 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on March 4. However, if Pakistan does not qualify, which is most likely to happen, the venue for the semi-final one shifts back to the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Now the interesting part is that if Sri Lanka had qualified from Group 2 and faced any team other than India, they would have had to come out of Sri Lanka and play their semifinal in India.

So, in the current situation, one semifinal can only be played in Sri Lanka if Pakistan play in it.

Read also: India beat Zimbabwe by 72 runs to boost semi-final hopes in T20 World Cup 2026.

Where will India play?

Now here is the big question: If India goes on to beat West Indies in their virtual quarter-final in Kolkata on 1st March, where will they play their semi-final game? Here are the two scenarios that can happen for the Men in Blue in the semi-finals, if and only if they qualify.

Scenario A: India vs. anyone (Except Pakistan)

If India qualifies and faces any other team other than arch-rivals Pakistan, they are fixed to play the semifinal 2 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on March 5. The ICC has already slated Mumbai as India's 5-minute knockout home, ensuring that the defending champions play in front of electrifying fans in Mumbai, just like the 2011 ICC World Cup final.

Read also: 'Over to you, India': South Africa demolish West Indies in Ahmedabad to make it easier for India in T20 World Cup 2026.

Scenario B: The India vs. Pakistan blockbuster

Now, although it is very unlikely to happen, ff Pakistan goes on to qualify and should the stars align for an India vs Pakistan semi-final, all the previous plans will go out of the window because Pakistan cannot travel to India.

The match would be moved to the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on March 4.

In that case, Mumbai will host the other semi-final featuring the remaining two teams, and Eden Gardens will miss the chance of hosting a semi-final game of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

Read also: All the records broken in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.

How to watch the India vs West Indies, T20 World Cup 2026 match?

Cricket fans in India can watch the India vs West Indies, T20 World Cup 2026 match on JioHotstar, accessible via OTTplay Premium.

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