Tuesday Feb 24, 2026
Tuesday Feb 24, 2026
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President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (right) shakes hands with Sri Lanka Cricket President Shammi Silva after unveiling the ICC T20 World Cup trophy at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday. Sri Lanka T20I Captain Dasun Shanaka, Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage, and IPG Group Founder and CEO Anil Mohan are also present
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 yesterday at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
The trophy will be displayed in several major cities across the island from today until 24 January, over a period of four days. Cricket fans will have the opportunity to see the golden trophy up close during the Sri Lanka vs. England One-Day International match at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium.
Subsequently, plans are in place to take the trophy to the cities of 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 aim of this tour is to generate excitement and build spectator interest in the lead-up to hosting a World Cup tournament in the country.
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is scheduled to be held from 7 February to 8 March 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 was revealed on 25 November 2025 in India, where the International Cricket Council (ICC) selected the R. Premadasa International Stadium in Colombo, the Pallekele International Stadium in Kandy, and the Colombo SSC Ground as the venues for matches in Sri Lanka.
Accordingly, eight matches are scheduled at the R. Premadasa International Stadium, five matches at the Colombo SSC Ground, and seven matches at the Pallekele International Stadium.
20 countries are set to participate in this tournament. 20 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 host those two matches.
Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage, Sports Deputy Minister Sugath Tilakaratne, Director General 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, were also present at the occasion.
