Rohit Sharma, who captained reigning champions India to glory at the previous T20 World Cup in 2024, was on Tuesday named the tournament ambassador for the 2026 edition to be held in India and Sri Lanka.

Rohit was prolific for India in T20Is, ending with 4231 runs at an average of 32.01 and a strike-rate of 140.89.

ICC chairman Jay Sharma made the announcement while unveiling the tournament's schedule here.

Rohit retired from the shortest format following India's triumph in the Americas last year, which broke an 11-year drought of ICC trophies for the Indian team.

Shah said eight venues -- five from India and three from Sri Lanka -- will host the matches during the showpiece next year. The matches will be held in the venues of Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Mumbai, Colombo and Kandy during the mega event.

The tournament is set to be played from February 7 to March 8. Six teams will be in action on the opening day, including title-holders India, who will take on the USA in Mumbai.

Twenty teams, divided into four groups, will play 40 group matches. The top two sides from each group will progress to the Super Eights phase, which begins on February 21.

Traditional rivals India and Pakistan have been clubbed in Group A for the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup and will meet at Colombo's R. Premadasa Stadium on February 15.

India will open their campaign against the USA in Mumbai on February 7, then face Namibia in Delhi on February 12. They will head to Colombo for the high-voltage clash with Pakistan and conclude their league matches against the Netherlands in Ahmedabad on February 18.

2026 T20 World Cup Groups

Group A: India, Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, Namibia

Group B: Sri Lanka, Australia, Ireland, Zimbabwe, Oman

Group C: England, West Indies, Italy, Bangladesh, Nepal

Group D: South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Canada, UAE