Nov. 8 — Nepal will stage the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off next month, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced, confirming an eight-team tournament that will determine the final four berths for the decisive 2027 World Cup Qualifier.
The competition is scheduled to run from December 4 to December 21 across two primary venues in Kathmandu: the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground in Kirtipur and the Upper Mulpani Cricket Ground.
The action bowls off on December 4 with hosts Nepal taking on Italy at the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground, while Namibia will clash with Uganda simultaneously at Mulpani. The remaining four participating sides—Canada, Kuwait, Jersey, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—will round out the competitive eight-nation roster. The top four finishing sides from the Kathmandu play-off round will advance to the marquee 10-team ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier.
Six nations have already cemented their berths in the main 10-team global qualifier:
Direct Ranking Qualifiers: Ireland and the West Indies qualified on the back of their superior ODI rankings among teams outside the top eight automatic qualifiers.
ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 Top Finishers: The United States, Scotland, the Netherlands, and Oman punched their tickets directly by securing top-four finishes in the League 2 standings.
South Africa and Zimbabwe have already earned direct qualification for the 2027 flagship event as primary host nations alongside co-hosts Namibia.
The eventual champion of the 10-team global qualifier will secure an automatic berth in the group stage of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, scheduled to be co-hosted across South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia in October and November 2027. Meanwhile, teams finishing second, third, and fourth in the qualifier will advance to a secondary Super Series pathway to contest the remaining spots for the expanded 14-team tournament.
Source: International Cricket Council (ICC) Official Dispatches & Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN)