The International Cricket Council (ICC) has on Friday (November 6) announced that Nepal will host the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier Playoff from December 4 to 21. Eight teams will compete in this important tournament, with four places in the 2027 World Cup Global Qualifier up for grabs.

With Canada, Kuwait, Jersey, and the United Arab Emirates in the race, the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier Playoff promises an exciting battle for the remaining qualification spots in the 2027 World Cup Global Qualifier to make it to the main tournament.

Nepal to host ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier Playoff

Nepal will begin their campaign in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier Playoff against Italy, while Namibia will face Uganda on the opening day. The opening match between Nepal and Italy will take place at the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground on December 4.

At the same time, Namibia and Uganda will face each other at the Upper Mulpani Cricket Ground. Apart from these four teams, Canada, Kuwait, Jersey, and the United Arab Emirates will also compete in the round-robin tournament. All eight teams will fight for the final four places in the 10-team Global Qualifier for the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup.

Six teams already secure places in Global Qualifier

Six teams have already qualified for the Global Qualifier. West Indies and Ireland secured their places as the highest-ranked teams outside the sides that have automatically qualified for the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup, excluding co-hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Meanwhile, the USA, Scotland, the Netherlands, and Oman qualified directly after finishing among the top four teams in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2. The Global Qualifier will decide the final teams for the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup.

The team finishing at the top will earn direct entry into the tournament's group stage. The teams finishing second, third, and fourth will enter a newly introduced Super Series. The ICC ODI World Cup 2027 will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia from October 2 to November 21. The tournament will feature 14 teams playing 57 matches across 12 venues.