The schedule for the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup has been announced by Star Sports, the host broadcaster in India, and the big India vs Pakistan match is scheduled for the 9th of June in New York.
The tournament opener on 1 June will feature USA and Canada with the final slated for 29 June in Barbados. USA and the West Indies are jointly hosting the event. The semifinals will be played on 26 and 27 June in Guyana and Trinidad respectively, before the final in Barbados on 29 June.
The Indian team is part of Group A with Pakistan, USA, Canada and Ireland, and will play all their matches in the USA. India kick off their campaign against Ireland on 5 June in New York, before facing Pakistan on 9 June. They will play their third game in New York against the USA on 12 June, before facing off against Canada in Miami on 15 June. All of India’s matches have a start time of 8:30 pm IST.
The number of participating teams has gone up to 20 for the 2024 edition of the tournament, and have been divided into four groups. The top two teams from each group at the end of the round will progress to the Super 8 stage where again they will be be divided into two groups, and play in round robin format.
2024 T20 World Cup Groups
Group A: India, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, USA
Group B: England, Australia, Namibia, Scotland, Oman
Group C: New Zealand, West Indies, Afghanistan, Uganda, Papua New Guinea
Group D: South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Netherlands, Nepal
This will be the first World Cup event to be hosted in the USA while this will be the second time West Indies will be hosting the Men's T20 World Cup after doing so last in 2010. The two countries were awarded joint hosting rights for the competition in 2021.
England are the defending champions, having beaten Pakistan in the 2022 T20 World Cup final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Canada, the USA and Uganda will be making their first-ever appearance at a Men's T20 World Cup in 2024.
Scotland, Namibia and Oman are the other teams joining England and Australia in Group B. The Jos Buttler-led England will open their title defence against Scotland on June 4 at the Kensington Oval in Barbados, before facing their arch-rivals Australia on June 8 at the same venue.
West Indies, the tournament hosts alongside the USA, have been slotted alongside New Zealand, Afghanistan, Uganda and Papua New Guinea in Group C while Group D comprises Sri Lanka, South Africa, Bangladesh, Netherlands and Nepal.
West Indies, the 2012 and 2016 T20 World Cup winners, will kickstart their campaign against Papua New Guinea at the Guyana National Stadium on June 2. Pakistan, the 2009 T20 World Cup winners, will get their tournament going against the USA in Dallas on June 6.
The 2014 T20 World Cup winners Sri Lanka will be taking on South Africa in New York on June 3, with Uganda playing its first T20 World Cup match in Guyana against Afghanistan on the same day. West Indies take on New Zealand on June 12 in Trinidad and Tobago.
Nepal, who qualified for the T20 World Cup for the first time since 2014, will open their campaign against Sri Lanka on June 11 in one of four matches to be played at Lauderhill, Florida.
Overall, 55 matches will be played in the tournament, across six venues in the West Indies and three stadiums in the USA. In the Caribbean, Kensington Oval in Barbados, Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad, Providence Stadium in Guyana, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua, Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia and Arnos Vale Stadium, St Vincent will be the hosts.
In the USA, Eisenhower Park in New York; Broward County in Lauderhill, Florida and Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, Texas, will be the venues. The 20 teams will contest for the coveted silverware in the shortest format, which is an increase from 16 teams in the 2022 edition of the tournament in Australia.
The 20 teams will be divided into four groups of five each for the first round. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super Eight stage. In Super Eight, teams will be split into two groups of four each.
Teams seeded first and second in their groups in the first round will retain that seeding in the Super Eight, provided they qualify. A1, B2, C1 and D2 finishers will be in one group, while A2, B1, C2 and D1 will be slotted in the other group. The top two sides from two groups of the Super Eight will advance to the semifinals.
(With inputs from IANS)
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