The T20 Blast will return in 2026 with matches scheduled from May 26 to July 18 across England and Wales.
Organised by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), the tournament will feature 18 county teams competing in a revised group-stage format followed by a knockout phase. Somerset enters the season as the defending champions after winning the title in the previous edition.
What Is the T20 Blast?
The T20 Blast is England and Wales’ domestic Twenty20 competition, featuring county teams playing short-format cricket.
Introduced in 2003, it has become a regular part of the domestic calendar and is played annually during the English summer.
T20 Blast 2026 Format Explained
The format has been revised for the 2026 season, with teams divided into three regional groups instead of two large groups. Each county will play 12 group-stage matches, including home and away fixtures against teams in their group, along with two cross-group matches. The top teams from each group progress to the knockout stage.
T20 Blast 2026 Teams
The 18 teams are divided into three regional groups as follows.
| North Group | Central Group | South Group |
|---|---|---|
| Derbyshire Falcons | Glamorgan | Essex |
| Durham | Gloucestershire | Hampshire Hawks |
| Lancashire Lightning | Northamptonshire Steelbacks | Kent Spitfires |
| Leicestershire Foxes | Somerset | Middlesex |
| Notts Outlaws | Warwickshire Bears | Surrey |
| Yorkshire | Worcestershire Rapids | Sussex Sharks |
T20 Blast 2026 Match Schedule
The group-stage matches are spread across May, June, and July, with most fixtures scheduled to begin at 11:00 AM local time.
A total of 115 matches will be played during the 2026 season
| Date | Match |
|---|---|
| 22 May 2026 | Essex vs Sussex Sharks |
| 22 May 2026 | Surrey vs Lancashire Lightning |
| 22 May 2026 | Middlesex vs Kent Spitfires |
| 22 May 2026 | Derbyshire Falcons vs Durham |
| 22 May 2026 | Somerset vs Hampshire Hawks |
| 22 May 2026 | Northamptonshire Steelbacks vs Glamorgan |
| 22 May 2026 | Gloucestershire vs Warwickshire Bears |
| 22 May 2026 | Notts Outlaws vs Yorkshire |
| 22 May 2026 | Leicestershire Foxes vs Worcestershire Rapids |
| 23 May 2026 | Glamorgan vs Gloucestershire |
| 24 May 2026 | Durham vs Leicestershire Foxes |
| 24 May 2026 | Warwickshire Bears vs Somerset |
| 24 May 2026 | Yorkshire vs Derbyshire Falcons |
| 24 May 2026 | Middlesex vs Surrey |
| 24 May 2026 | Worcestershire Rapids vs Northamptonshire Steelbacks |
| 25 May 2026 | Lancashire Lightning vs Notts Outlaws |
| 25 May 2026 | Kent Spitfires vs Sussex Sharks |
| 26 May 2026 | Hampshire Hawks vs Essex |
| 27 May 2026 | Leicestershire Foxes vs Derbyshire Falcons |
| 29 May 2026 | Durham vs Yorkshire |
| 29 May 2026 | Lancashire Lightning vs Leicestershire Foxes |
| 29 May 2026 | Glamorgan vs Somerset |
| 29 May 2026 | Derbyshire Falcons vs Notts Outlaws |
| 29 May 2026 | Northamptonshire Steelbacks vs Gloucestershire |
| 29 May 2026 | Kent Spitfires vs Essex |
| 29 May 2026 | Hampshire Hawks vs Surrey |
| 29 May 2026 | Worcestershire Rapids vs Warwickshire Bears |
| 30 May 2026 | Sussex Sharks vs Middlesex |
| 31 May 2026 | Essex vs Derbyshire Falcons |
| 31 May 2026 | Warwickshire Bears vs Northamptonshire Steelbacks |
| 31 May 2026 | Yorkshire vs Gloucestershire |
| 31 May 2026 | Surrey vs Kent Spitfires |
| 31 May 2026 | Middlesex vs Hampshire Hawks |
| 31 May 2026 | Notts Outlaws vs Durham |
T20 Blast 2026 Knockout Stage
The knockout stage will be held in July, following the completion of the group matches, with the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final scheduled for a single week.
| Stage | Date | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Quarter-Final 1 | 15 July 2026 | TBD vs TBD |
| Quarter-Final 2 | 15 July 2026 | TBD vs TBD |
| Quarter-Final 3 | 15 July 2026 | TBD vs TBD |
| Quarter-Final 4 | 15 July 2026 | TBD vs TBD |
| Semi-Final 1 | 18 July 2026 | TBD vs TBD |
| Semi-Final 2 | 18 July 2026 | TBD vs TBD |
| Final | 18 July 2026 | TBD vs TBD |
Also Read:
Conclusion: T20 Blast 2026
The T20 Blast 2026 will run from late May to mid-July, featuring 18 county teams, a revised group-stage structure, and a full knockout phase. With regional groups and a packed schedule, the tournament remains a key part of England and Wales’ domestic T20 season.
