Nepal will host the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier Playoff for the 2027 ODI World Cup in Kathmandu from December 4 to 21, 2026, the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has announced. The tournament will bring together eight teams: the four sides finishing at the bottom of the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2, plus the top two teams from each of Challenge League A and Challenge League B.
Tournament field and qualification structure
The playoff field will be drawn from three competitions in the ICC qualifying structure. Four places are reserved for the teams that finish at the bottom of League 2, while the remaining four will go to the two highest-placed teams in each of the two Challenge League groups. That composition makes the final standings in those competitions central to determining which sides will travel to Kathmandu.
The announced structure sets out the number of teams from each route, but does not name the eventual participants in the field. The four League 2 teams will be determined by their positions at the bottom of that competition, while Challenge League A and B will each contribute their top two finishers. Together, those groups make an eight-team lineup for the playoff.
The event is linked to qualification for the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, which is scheduled to be played in the ODI format. The announcement identifies the playoff as part of that World Cup qualifying process. It does not, in the details provided, specify the match schedule or explain how many World Cup places will be decided through the event.
Kathmandu to stage the December event
The tournament is set to run for 18 calendar days, from December 4 through December 21, 2026. Kathmandu will serve as the host city. CAN’s announcement places Nepal at the centre of a major international qualifying event, although the precise grounds and daily fixtures were not included in the information announced.
The dates give the eight participating teams a defined window for the playoff, while the final field will depend on results in League 2 and the two Challenge League groups. Those competitions supply the teams through their finishing positions, rather than through a separate list of invitees described in the announcement. The playoff’s eventual matchups will therefore involve sides emerging from different parts of the qualifying structure.
Nepal’s hosting announcement
For Nepal, hosting the competition means the country will stage an ICC event tied to qualification for the next men’s ODI World Cup. CAN confirmed the hosting plan and the December dates. The announcement is about where and when the playoff will be held; it does not establish Nepal’s own position among the eight participants. That will depend on the relevant competition standings.
The distinction matters because the tournament’s field is determined by results across League 2 and Challenge League A and B. Nepal’s hosting role and the qualification routes are separate details: Kathmandu is confirmed as the venue city, while the teams will come from the specified standings. The final lineup will be clearer once those competitions conclude and the qualifying positions are settled.
With the dates and host city now announced, the next key development for the event will be the confirmation of the teams that meet the stated criteria. The playoff will then bring together four lower-placed League 2 sides and four leading Challenge League teams in Kathmandu. For now, the central details confirmed by CAN are the location, the December 2026 window and the eight-team composition linked to the 2027 ODI World Cup qualifying campaign.
