The International Cricket Council has approved significant structural changes to its men's World Cup tournaments, a move that could inadvertently create an additional high-stakes clash between cricket's most lucrative rivalry. The revamped formats, announced Wednesday, aim to increase competitive tension while expanding opportunities for emerging nations. Main Developments For the 2027 ODI World Cup, the tournament will remain a 14-team event, but the three lowest-ranked qualifiers will now compete in a preliminary round. Only one of those teams will advance to the main group stage, which has been reduced to 12 teams split into two pools of six. A new 'super seven' stage replaces the previous 'super six' round-robin format, and notably, quarter-finals have been eliminated entirely. This means the tournament will lack a clear-cut knockout round before the semifinals, but the expanded round-robin phase increases the likelihood of an extra Pakistan-India encounter. Read also: 4 Reasons Mariano Rajoy's 'Xenophobic' Remark on France's Team Backfired Separately, the 2028 T20 World Cup will keep its 20-team field but change the group structure. Teams will now be divided into five groups of four, replacing the previous four groups of five used in 2026. The top two from each group advance to a Super 10 stage. From the Super 10, the two best-performing teams automatically secure semifinal spots. The remaining two berths will be decided through a new Eliminators round, where second-placed teams from each Super 10 group face third-placed sides from opposite groups. Background India and Pakistan no longer play bilateral series due to political tensions between the neighboring nations. Their governments effectively bar them from facing each other outside ICC events. The last bilateral series India played in Pakistan was in 2006, spanning Test and ODI matches. The commercial stakes are enormous. Matches between India and Pakistan generate massive broadcast rights and commercial revenues for the ICC, making them the most lucrative fixtures in the sport. The passion for cricket in the subcontinent underpins this financial reality. Why It Matters The format changes create greater context and consequence during tournaments, according to the ICC's official statement. For fans, the prospect of an extra India-Pakistan clash amplifies interest in what is already cricket's most intense rivalry. For emerging nations, the T20 World Cup changes aim to expand opportunities while increasing competitiveness in later stages. The new eliminator format adds an extra layer of drama, though the ODI changes remove quarter-finals, reducing the number of sudden-death matches. What's Next Twelve teams have already secured spots in the 2028 T20 World Cup based on performance in this year's tournament and team rankings. Alongside Pakistan, these include Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, and Zimbabwe. The next ODI World Cup in 2027 will be played in southern Africa, while the 2028 T20 World Cup format will be implemented as approved. The ICC has not yet announced further details on qualification pathways for the remaining spots.