The ICC Men's T20 World Cup has drawn over 500 million viewers in India, marking the highest viewership for any edition of the tournament. ICC chairman Jay Shah described the milestone as a proud moment for world cricket. As the event enters its knockout stages, excitement builds around the upcoming semi-finals.
The T20 World Cup has set new viewership benchmarks, with more than 500 million fans tuning in from India. This figure represents the highest ever for any T20 World Cup edition, and numbers are expected to increase with the semi-finals and final still ahead.
ICC chairman Jay Shah highlighted the achievement in a post on X, stating, “The journey of the @ICC #T20WorldCup 2026 began with the ambition to make it the most #global & #accessible cricket event ever. I am humbled that viewership for the event in India has crossed 500 million, the highest ever for any T20 World Cup in history. It was also heartening to see concurrent viewers @JioHotstar hit a peak of 60.5 million. With knockout matches for the tournament starting tonight, we hope that the immeasurable love our events receive from Indian fans helps break more records.”
Digital engagement has been equally impressive, with concurrent viewership on JioHotstar reaching a peak of 60.5 million, underscoring the tournament's strong online presence.
The competition now moves into its high-stakes knockout phase. The first semi-final is scheduled at Eden Gardens, featuring the New Zealand national cricket team, led by Mitchell Santner, against the unbeaten South Africa national cricket team under Aiden Markram. South Africa aims to continue their dominant run and reach a second consecutive T20 World Cup final.
The second semi-final will take place at Wankhede Stadium, where the India national cricket team faces the England cricket team. India advanced after a victory over West Indies in the Super 8 stage, while England enters on a five-match winning streak led by Harry Brook.
