From Super Series to Super-7: Historic format change for the 2027 ODI World Cup—why did the ICC make this decision?

New Delhi: The ICC has announced a major and surprising change to the format of the 2027 Men's ODI World Cup following its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Edinburgh. The primary objective of this change is to make the tournament's opening matches more exciting and challenging, ensuring that no team takes the initial phase lightly.

New Format for the World Cup? 

A total of 14 teams will participate in this mega-event, which is set to be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. However, a significant twist awaits before the main group stage begins. The ICC is introducing a new 'Super Series' round featuring the three lowest-ranked teams. Two teams will be eliminated in this round, with only one advancing to the main group stage.

Battle Among 12 Teams? 

After clearing the Super Series hurdle, 12 teams will remain in the tournament. These 12 teams will be divided into two groups of six. The real contest will unfold during this phase, as teams will need to give their all to progress further. Focus will also be on the 'Super 7' round.
Following the group stage, the tournament will enter the 'Super 7' round—another new highlight of this World Cup. The top three teams from each group will advance directly to this round. Additionally, the next best-performing team across both groups will be selected to fill the seventh spot. Ultimately, the top four teams from this Super 7 round will secure a place in the semi-finals.
The seven teams selected in this manner will advance to Round 3—the Super 7 stage—where a total of 21 high-voltage matches will be played. In this round, every team will face every other team once, after which a points table will be compiled. The top four teams on this table will book their spots in the semi-finals. The semi-final schedule will be straightforward yet thrilling: the team finishing first on the points table will face the fourth-placed team, while the second and third-placed teams will clash in the other semi-final.