Pakistan's Cricket World Cup 2027 Schedule: Group A With India and Australia

Pakistan play in Group A of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027, with India, Australia, Afghanistan, co-hosts Zimbabwe and one qualifier. Pakistan's first match is against Afghanistan in Tshwane on 8 October 2027, and Pakistan play India in Johannesburg on 10 October. The tournament runs from 2 October to 21 November 2027 in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

We read the full fixture list on the International Cricket Council (ICC) website, published on 1 October 2026. It gives every date and venue, but no start times yet. Some figures going round on social media, such as a 4 October start or a 27 November final, do not match the ICC schedule.

This is the first men's ODI World Cup in Africa since 2003. It is also a new format, with a "Super 7" round instead of straight quarter-finals. Below are all of Pakistan's fixtures, how the format works, and how to enter the free ticket ballot, which closes on 21 November 2026.

Pakistan are in Group A with India and Australia

Pakistan's World Cup 2027 group is Group A: India, Australia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Qualifier A. Group B has New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, England, Bangladesh and Qualifier B. Each team plays the other five in its group once.

Group A is the harder group on paper. It holds Australia, the defending champions, and India, who lost the 2023 final to them. Afghanistan beat Pakistan at the 2023 World Cup in Chennai, so that opening game in Tshwane is no gift either.

Pakistan qualified directly. The ICC says hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe got automatic places, alongside the top eight teams on the ICC Men's ODI Team Rankings at the 30 September 2026 cut-off. The last four places go through the Cricket World Cup Qualifier.

Pakistan play five group matches from 8 to 22 October 2027

Pakistan's five group matches are spread over 15 days in South Africa and Zimbabwe. The India match is the second game, on Sunday 10 October 2027 in Johannesburg. The last group game is against Australia in Paarl on 22 October.

Pakistan and India last met in the Asian Games cricket final on 3 October 2026, a T20 match India won by 19 runs. The World Cup game is a 50-over match, and Pakistan's ODI squad is already a different side from the one in Japan.

Start times are not out yet. South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia all run on UTC+2, which is three hours behind Pakistan. So a 10:00 am start in Johannesburg would be 1:00 pm in Pakistan, and a 2:00 pm start would be 5:00 pm PKT. Those are examples of the time gap, not confirmed times.

Pakistan never play in Namibia. Windhoek hosts the three Super Series games and three Group B matches only.

The Super 7 round replaces the quarter-finals

The top three teams in each group, plus the better of the two fourth-placed teams, go into a Super 7 round. No points carry over. Each of the seven teams plays the other six once, from 25 October to 14 November, and the top four reach the semi-finals.

The ICC explains the stages this way:

1. Super Series, 2 to 6 October, Windhoek: three qualifiers play each other once, and the winner joins the group stage.
2. Group stage, 7 to 24 October: two groups of six, single round robin.
3. Super 7, 25 October to 14 November: seven teams, everyone plays everyone, no points carried over.
4. Semi-finals, 17 November in Cape Town and 18 November in Tshwane, each with a reserve day. First plays fourth, second plays third.
5. Final, 21 November in Johannesburg, with 22 November as the reserve day.

The format is kind to Pakistan in one way. A slow start in Group A does not end the tournament, because the better fourth-placed team also goes through. But the clean slate in the Super 7 cuts both ways: five wins in the group stage count for nothing once it starts.

Pakistan's Super 7 fixtures are already fixed if they qualify

The ICC has pre-seeded Pakistan as A3 for the Super 7 round. If Pakistan finish in a qualifying place, they play New Zealand, England, South Africa, India, Sri Lanka and Australia between 26 October and 13 November 2027. If a seeded team fails to qualify, the team that takes its place inherits its fixtures.

That means a second India vs Pakistan match, on 7 November in Cape Town, if both sides go through as seeded. Fans planning one trip may want to aim for that week instead of the group game.

Pakistan's ODI form before then starts at home this month. The ODI tri-series with England and Sri Lanka runs from 18 to 31 October 2026, and the full Pakistan cricket schedule for October and November lists every home fixture.

The free ticket ballot is open until 21 November 2026

The ICC's ticket ballot opened on 1 October 2026 and accepts entries until 21 November 2026. Entry is free and it is not first come, first served. Every valid entry in that window counts the same, and successful fans are later emailed a window to pay.

The ICC gives a price range of US$9.62 (R158) for entry-level tickets up to US$31.31 (R514) for the highest-tier matches. At those prices the cost of the ticket is small next to flights and hotels. An India vs Pakistan game will almost certainly be oversubscribed, so a random draw decides who gets to buy.

• Register on the official ballot site, tickets.cricketworldcup.com, linked from the ICC tournament page.
• Pick the matches you want. No payment is taken at entry.
• Wait for the email. Entering does not guarantee a ticket.
• Pay inside the window the email gives you.

Buy only through the ICC's own ballot or a sales phase it announces later. Do not pay anyone on social media for a ticket the ICC has not issued. And check South Africa's current visa rules for Pakistani passport holders well before you book flights.

Common questions

Which group is Pakistan in at the Cricket World Cup 2027?

Group A, with India, Australia, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Qualifier A.

When is Pakistan vs India at the 2027 World Cup?

Sunday 10 October 2027 in Johannesburg. A second meeting is seeded for 7 November in Cape Town if both reach the Super 7.

When does the Cricket World Cup 2027 start and end?

It starts on 2 October 2027 with the Super Series in Windhoek. The group stage begins on 7 October, and the final is on 21 November 2027 in Johannesburg.

What time will Pakistan's World Cup 2027 matches start?

The ICC has not published start times. The host countries are three hours behind Pakistan, so add three hours to the local time.

How do I get tickets for Pakistan's World Cup 2027 matches?

Enter the free ICC ticket ballot before 21 November 2026. If you are picked, you will get an email with a window to pay.

Is the 2027 World Cup played in Pakistan?

No. It is hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia across 12 venues.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 6 October 2026, about 4:50 am PKT. We read the ICC release "Fixture schedule announced for ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027" of 1 October 2026 for groups, fixtures, format and Super 7 seeding. Ballot dates and ticket prices are from the ICC's ticket ballot announcement. Time differences are our own conversion.