T20 World Cup exhibition begins in Colombo

The official trophy tour of the ICC T20 World Cup Cricket Tournament, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka in 2026, commenced yesterday afternoon at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

The exhibition of this trophy across the island will run for four days from yesterday (21st) until the 24th, and sports enthusiasts will have the opportunity to view it during the Sri Lanka - England One Day International match held at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Afterwards, the trophy will also be displayed in the cities of Kandy, Dambulla, and Jaffna, providing people in those areas with the chance to take souvenir photos with the trophy.

Scheduled to be held from February 7th to March 8th, this tournament will go down in history as the largest international cricket tournament hosted by Sri Lanka since 2012.

According to the match schedule released by the International Cricket Council last year, the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, and SSC Ground in Colombo have been selected to host matches in Sri Lanka. Accordingly, arrangements have been made to hold 8 matches at the R. Premadasa Stadium, 7 matches at the Pallekele Stadium, and 5 matches at the SSC Ground.

Sri Lanka will host 20 matches in this year's World Cup tournament, which features 20 participating countries, and it is noteworthy that all matches involving the Pakistan team will be held in Sri Lanka. If Pakistan qualifies for the semi-finals or the final, Sri Lanka will also host those matches, and with the final being held at the R. Premadasa Stadium, the total number of matches held in Sri Lanka will increase to 22.

In addition to the main Test-playing nations, the United States, Canada, Italy, Netherlands, Namibia, Nepal, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates have also qualified for this tournament.

The arrival of foreign players, journalists, and a large number of international spectators to watch the tournament is expected to bring a significant boost to the country's tourism industry and an increase in foreign exchange earnings. Furthermore, the creation of new job opportunities in various sectors including hotels, transportation, and technical services, and the promotion of Sri Lanka's reputation as a sports tourism destination worldwide are also benefits derived from this hosting.

Among those who participated in this special trophy unveiling event were Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Sunil Gamage, Deputy Minister of Sports Sugath Thilakarathne, Director General of Sports S. Achchudan, President of Sri Lanka Cricket Shammi Silva, T20 team captain Dasun Shanaka, and Head Coach Sanath Jayasuriya.