The official tour showcasing the ICC T20 World Cup trophy, which will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka in 2026, was formally inaugurated today (21) at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
According to the President’s Media Division, the trophy will be displayed in several major cities across the country from today (21) until the 24th, providing cricket fans the opportunity to see the golden trophy up close during the Sri Lanka vs England One-Day International match.
The tour will commence at the R. Premadasa International Stadium in Colombo and will subsequently visit Kandy, Dambulla, and Jaffna, providing cricket enthusiasts in those regions as well with the opportunity to take commemorative photographs with the World Cup trophy and view it.
The primary objective of the tour is to generate excitement and build spectator interest in the lead-up to hosting a World Cup tournament in the country, the statement said.
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is scheduled to be held from February 7 to March 8, 2026, under the co-hosting of Sri Lanka and India. This World Cup is the largest tournament Sri Lanka will host since the T20 World Cup held in 2012.
The tournament schedule, announced on November 25, 2025, designates the R. Premadasa International Stadium, Pallekele International Stadium, and Colombo SSC Ground as venues for matches in Sri Lanka.
Accordingly, 8 matches are scheduled at the R. Premadasa International Stadium, 5 matches at the Colombo SSC Ground and 7 matches at the Pallekele International Stadium, the statement said.
Twenty countries are set to participate in this tournament. Twenty matches of the tournament are scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka, with all matches involving the Pakistan team to be played in Sri Lanka.
Furthermore, a special feature is that if the Pakistan team qualifies for the semi-finals and the final, Sri Lanka will also host those two matches. In that event, the final will be held at the R. Premadasa International Stadium in Colombo, increasing the number of matches scheduled for Sri Lanka to 22.
Apart from the host nations Sri Lanka and India, Test-playing nations England, South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland, Zimbabwe and Afghanistan will be represented in this tournament. Additionally, the United States of America (USA), Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, Namibia, Nepal, Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are the other contributing countries.
The President’s Media Division emphasized that hosting the T20 World Cup offers Sri Lanka significant economic, tourism, sports development, and international promotional benefits.
Moreover, the arrival of teams, media, and thousands of spectators, including foreign tourists, is expected to generate substantial foreign exchange earnings and create short- and long-term employment opportunities in various sectors, including hotel and food & beverage businesses, transport services and technical and operational services.
By Sri Lanka hosting this tournament, long-term benefits include the potential for new investments as Sri Lanka is recognised worldwide as a tourist destination, the identification of Sri Lanka as a year-round sports tourism hub and the strengthening of Sri Lanka’s international profile leading to an enhancement of the country’s value, will be attained, it added.
The inauguration was attended by Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Sunil Gamage, Deputy Minister of Sports, Sugath Tilakaratne, Director General of Sports, S. Achchudan, Sri Lanka Cricket President, Shammi Silva, along with the Executive Committee and a group including Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup team captain Dasun Shanaka and Head Coach, Sanath Jayasuriya.
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