The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Thursday that India will play their Men’s T20 World Cup warm-up match against Bangladesh on June 1 at a location to be determined in the USA. India, led by Rohit Sharma, won the Men’s T20 World Cup for the first time in 2007. They will be looking to repeat as champions in the competition’s forthcoming edition, which will be co-hosted by the USA and the West Indies in 2021.
According to the ICC, the Men’s T20 World Cup warm-up match schedule will take place in the USA and Trinidad & Tobago between May 27 and June 1.
The venues hosting the 16 warm-up matches are Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in Texas, Broward County Stadium in Florida, Queen’s Park Oval and Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad and Tobago.
ICC informed a total of 17 teams will play the warm-up games, including South Africa, who are playing an intra-squad on June 29 in Florida. The warm-up fixtures will be 20 overs per side and will not have international T20 status, allowing teams to field all members of their 15-player squad.
In a departure from the previous cycle, teams can now choose to play up to two warm-up matches, depending on their arrival time for the showpiece event. ICC added the warm-up match between the West Indies and Australia at Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago on May 30 will be open to fans.
Tickets can be purchased at the official ticketing website or at box offices located at the National Cricket Centre and Queen’s Park Oval from May 16 onwards. The 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup will open on June 1 with a clash between co-hosts USA and neighbours Canada.
The 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup will be held across six venues in the West Indies and three stadiums in 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, apart from New York, Broward County in Lauderhill, Florida and Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, Texas, will be the venues. West Indies, the two-time winners of the Men’s T20 World Cup, will be hosting the ninth edition of the tournament after first playing the hosts for the competition in 2010, while this is the first time USA will be hosting an ICC tournament.
The 20 teams will be divided into four groups of five each for the first round. Top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super eight stage, where 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.
Finishers A1, B2, C1, and D2 will be placed in one group, and finishers A2, B1, C2, and D1 will be placed in another group. The top two teams from each of the Super 8’s two groups will move on to the semifinals. The semifinals will take place in Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago on June 26 and 27, respectively, while the final will take place in Barbados on June 29.
Men’s T20 World Cup warm-up schedule (as per local time)
May 27
Canada v Nepal, Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Grand Prairie, Texas 10h30
Oman v Papua New Guinea, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago 15h00
Namibia v Uganda, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago 19h00
May 28
Sri Lanka v Netherlands, Broward County Stadium, Broward County, Florida 10h30
Bangladesh v USA, Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Grand Prairie, Texas 10h30
Australia v Namibia, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago 19h00
May 29
South Africa intra-squad, Broward County Stadium, Broward County, Florida 10h30
Afghanistan v Oman, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago 13h00
May 30
Nepal v USA, Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Grand Prairie, Texas 10h30
Scotland v Uganda, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago 10h30
Netherlands v Canada, Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Grand Prairie, Texas 15h00
Namibia v Papua New Guinea, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago 15h00
West Indies v Australia, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago 19h00
May 31
Ireland v Sri Lanka, Broward County Stadium, Broward County, Florida 10h30
Scotland v Afghanistan, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago 10h30
June 1
Bangladesh v India, Venue TBC USA
Source:IANS