Sri Lanka seeking to enhance country’s international reputation by co-hosting T20 World Cup

Co-hosting the 2026 Twenty20 World Cup is expected to yield numerous advantages, such as enhancing the country’s international reputation and increasing the arrival of foreign tourists, the President’s Media Division stated.

The Twenty20 World Cup is set to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka in 2026.

A meeting took place at the Presidential Secretariat to discuss the arrangements for the 2026 T20 World Cup. The discussion was held under the auspices of Sri Lanka Cricket and the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.  

Consideration was also given to the challenges of hosting the tournament in the country at the highest standard, in line with the regulations set by the International Cricket Council, along with the immigration and emigration concerns encountered by international spectators visiting the country, the PMD noted.

The tournament is scheduled to be held at three stadiums in Colombo and Pallekele. Attention was also drawn to the contribution of the ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ initiative for this tournament, the PMD added.

The T20 World Cup in 2026 is scheduled to take place from February 07 to March 08. A total of twenty nations will compete in the tournament and the International Cricket Council intends to organize approximately twenty matches among these countries in Sri Lanka.

Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha, Director (Sports) of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Lieutenant Colonel Anura Abeywickrama, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Russell Aponsu and officials from relevant Ministries, Sri Lanka Cricket Secretary Bandula Dissanayake and Treasurer Sujeewa Godaliyadda and senior officers from the security forces were present on this occasion.