The last time the men's ODI World Cup was played in South Africa, India's tournament ended at the Wanderers. Australia made 359 for 2 in the 2003 final, Ricky Ponting finished on 140 not out, and India lost by 125 runs. Twenty-four years later the final returns to the same ground, on Sunday 21 November 2027, and India's route to it is now fixed down to the venue.
India are in Group A with Australia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, co-hosts Zimbabwe and Qualifier A. The ICC has pre-seeded them into slot A1 for the Super 7, which means that if they get out of the group, their next six opponents and grounds are already known. Here is every fixture on that road, where it is played, and what the draw really asks of India.
India at a glance
- Group A: Australia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Qualifier A
- First match: Thursday 7 October v Australia at Newlands, Cape Town
- India v Pakistan: Sunday 10 October at the Wanderers, Johannesburg
- Super 7 slot: A1, if they qualify
- Host countries: South Africa and Zimbabwe only. India have no matches in Namibia
- Match days: every India game, in the groups and in slot A1, falls on a Thursday or a Sunday
Group stage: five games in 18 days
The opener is the rematch everyone wanted. India went through the 2023 World Cup unbeaten until the final in Ahmedabad, where Australia beat them by six wickets. Three days after Newlands comes Pakistan at the Wanderers, South Africa's biggest ground, so the two hardest games of the group arrive inside the first four days.
After that the group spreads out. Afghanistan at SuperSport Park on 14 October is the game to take seriously: Afghanistan beat England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka at the 2023 World Cup. Qualifier A follows in Bloemfontein, and then India get a full week before closing the group against Zimbabwe on 24 October, the first World Cup match at the new Mosi-oa-Tunya Stadium in Victoria Falls. The gaps between India's group games are three, four, three and seven days.
If India reach the Super 7: the A1 path
Slot A1 is not a prize for topping the group. It is a fixed position the ICC assigned so fans could plan travel early. If India finish in the top three of Group A, they take A1 and these six games, starting four days after the Zimbabwe match.
The run has a clear shape. India go back to Victoria Falls for Australia on 28 October, face the hosts at the Wanderers on 31 October, then head to the Western Cape and the coast: New Zealand in Paarl, a possible second Pakistan game at Newlands on 7 November, England in Gqeberha and Sri Lanka in Durban on 14 November, the last Super 7 match of the tournament. Every one of those games is on a Thursday or a Sunday, with three or four days between them.
Semi-finals and the final
The top four after the Super 7 go through, with first playing fourth and second playing third. The semi-finals are at Newlands on 17 November and SuperSport Park on 18 November, each with a reserve day; the ICC has not said which pairing plays on which day. The final is at the Wanderers on 21 November, with 22 November in reserve.
India's venue guide
Newlands, Cape Town
India's opener against Australia, the possible second Pakistan game on 7 November, and the first semi-final. A coastal ground with Table Mountain behind it.
Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
Pakistan in the group, South Africa in the Super 7, and the final. It is South Africa's biggest ground, with a capacity of over 30,000, and the highest venue on India's route, at roughly 1,750 metres above sea level.
SuperSport Park, Tshwane (Centurion)
India v Afghanistan on 14 October, and the second semi-final. India have a famous World Cup memory here: Sachin Tendulkar's 98 against Pakistan came at Centurion in 2003.
Bloemfontein
India v Qualifier A on 17 October, on the highveld of the Free State.
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
The Mosi-oa-Tunya Stadium stages its first World Cup match when India play Zimbabwe on 24 October, and India return four days later to open their Super 7 against Australia.
Paarl, Gqeberha and Durban
Super 7 only. Paarl sits in the Western Cape winelands; Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) and Durban are on the coast.
Can India win it?
On record, India arrive as one of the two sides to beat. They are two-time champions (1983 and 2011), reached the final in 2003 and 2023, and won the 2025 Champions Trophy. The group draw front-loads the pressure, with Australia and Pakistan in the first four days, and then eases off.
Nobody can name the 2027 squad yet, and form a year out tells you little. What the fixtures do show is how settled India's route is: a steady Thursday and Sunday rhythm, no trip to Namibia, three highveld grounds in the group and three coastal ones in the Super 7. Conditions will change as the tournament moves, and India will need a squad that handles both.
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Frequently asked questions
When is India's first match at the 2027 World Cup?
Thursday 7 October 2027 against Australia at Newlands in Cape Town, the first match of the Group Stage.
When do India play Pakistan at the 2027 World Cup?
Sunday 10 October 2027 at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. They could meet again on Sunday 7 November at Newlands if both reach the Super 7, because India are seeded A1, Pakistan are seeded A3, and A1 plays A3 that day.
Where will India play at the 2027 World Cup?
India's group games are in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Tshwane, Bloemfontein and Victoria Falls. The A1 Super 7 path adds Paarl, Gqeberha and Durban. India have no matches in Namibia.
What does India's A1 seeding mean?
It is the Super 7 slot the ICC has assigned to India in advance. If India qualify from Group A, they play the six A1 fixtures, whatever their group position. If they miss out, the team that qualifies in their place takes over those fixtures.
What time will India's World Cup matches start in IST?
The ICC has not announced start times yet. All three host countries are on UTC+2, so India Standard Time is three and a half hours ahead of every venue. A 10:00 local start, for example, would be 13:30 IST.