Zimbabwe missed the last two World Cups, failing to qualify for 2019 and then for 2023 at a Qualifier they hosted themselves. This time they are in as co-hosts, and every one of their five group games is at home.
The group ends with the biggest night Zimbabwean cricket has had in years: India at the new Mosi-oa-Tunya Stadium in Victoria Falls on Sunday 24 October, the ground's first World Cup match. Here is the whole route.
Zimbabwe at a glance
- Group A: India, Australia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Qualifier A
- First match: Saturday 9 October v Qualifier A in Bulawayo
- All five group games at home: Bulawayo (twice), Harare (twice), Victoria Falls
- Super 7 seed: none. They need to displace a seeded team
Group stage: all at home
Zimbabwe open in Bulawayo against Qualifier A and stay there for Afghanistan two days later. Those two games, against the sides closest to them on paper, set up the group. Then come Australia and Pakistan in Harare, and India at Victoria Falls.
How Zimbabwe get into the Super 7
Group A's seeds are India (A1), Australia (A2) and Pakistan (A3). Zimbabwe need a top-three finish, or the better fourth place across both groups, and would then inherit the slot of whichever seed missed out.
Semi-finals and the final
All of the knockout cricket is in South Africa: semi-finals at Newlands on 17 November and SuperSport Park on 18 November, and the final at the Wanderers on 21 November.
Zimbabwe's venue guide
Bulawayo
Qualifier A and Afghanistan, the opening weekend. Bulawayo's only two matches of the tournament.
Harare
Australia on 15 October and Pakistan on 19 October.
Victoria Falls
India on 24 October at the Mosi-oa-Tunya Stadium, the first World Cup match at the new ground and the last game of the whole group stage. The stadium then hosts three Super 7 games.
What a good tournament looks like for Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe's World Cup history has its high points: they beat Australia at Trent Bridge in 1983, and reached the Super Six in 1999 and again as co-hosts in 2003. A home draw that starts against Qualifier A and Afghanistan gives them a real chance to be in the fourth-place race by the time India arrive.
See Zimbabwe's matches alongside every other fixture, filter by host country and add them to your phone calendar in one tap.
Open Zimbabwe's schedulePlay the World Cup on CricketDream
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Frequently asked questions
When is Zimbabwe's first match at the 2027 World Cup?
Saturday 9 October 2027 against Qualifier A in Bulawayo, according to the ICC's fixture list. Their second game is Afghanistan, also in Bulawayo, on 11 October.
Are all of Zimbabwe's World Cup matches at home?
All five group games are in Zimbabwe: two in Bulawayo, two in Harare and one in Victoria Falls. The semi-finals and final are in South Africa.
When do Zimbabwe play India at the 2027 World Cup?
Sunday 24 October 2027 at the Mosi-oa-Tunya Stadium in Victoria Falls, the last match of the Group Stage.
What is Zimbabwe's best World Cup finish?
The Super Six, in 1999 and in 2003, when they co-hosted the tournament.