According to the report, the ICC’s ambition is to stage a 32-team T20 World Cup, mirroring the expansion seen across several global sporting events. Administrators are expected to take a phased approach, first increasing the field to 24 teams before assessing the feasibility of a further expansion in the years ahead.

The report also said the ICC viewed the T20 format as the most effective vehicle for growing the game internationally, particularly with cricket set to return to the Olympic programme at the 2028 Los Angeles Games after more than a century’s gap. A larger World Cup is expected to provide greater exposure and qualification opportunities for Associate nations while strengthening the sport’s presence in developing markets.

Any change would not affect the next two tournaments. The 2028 edition in Australia and New Zealand and the 2030 event are expected to retain the existing 20-team format, with the proposed expansion only coming into effect from 2032 if approved.

The ICC had only recently approved a revamped format for the 20-team T20 World Cup from the 2028 edition, replacing the Super Eight stage with a Super 10 and Eliminators while retaining the number of participating teams. The changes were aimed at creating more meaningful contests and improving the tournament structure.

The ICC would not be the first global sporting body to increase the size of its marquee tournament. FIFA expanded the men’s World Cup from 32 to 48 teams beginning with the 2026 edition, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. The expanded tournament brought more emerging football nations into the competition and opened up fresh commercial and broadcast opportunities.

The expanded format produced some surprise results, with Cape Verde emerging as one of the stories of the competition after progressing from the group stage and nearly knocking reigning champions Argentina out in the Round of 32.

The men’s T20 World Cup featured 16 teams until the 2022 edition before the tournament expanded to 20 in 2024, giving more Associate nations a chance to compete on the biggest stage. Teams such as the USA, Scotland and the Netherlands featured in the expanded competition, underlining the ICC’s push to broaden the game’s reach beyond its traditional strongholds.

A larger tournament, however, would also raise questions around scheduling, tournament length and the already congested international calendar. With franchise leagues occupying an increasingly significant space in the cricket calendar, accommodating a larger World Cup without placing additional demands on players and bilateral commitments is expected to be one of the ICC’s biggest challenges. The ICC has not officially announced any change to the competition’s format.