The ninth edition of the I.C.C. Men's T20 World Cup is almost here, and as usual, anticipation is high for the tournament. For the first time, this y
The ninth edition of the I.C.C. Men’s T20 World Cup is almost here, and as usual, anticipation is high for the tournament. For the first time, this year’s edition will feature 20 teams. This makes it even more exciting, with thrilling matches, impressive player performances, and memorable moments on the horizon.
This article gives a comprehensive overview of the I.C.C. Men’s T20 World Cup, covering essential details like the tournament schedule, venues, host, format, groups, and participating teams.
About the Tournament
Before diving into the details of the 2024 I.C.C. Men’s T20 World Cup, let’s review some basic information about the tournament and its history.
The I.C.C. Men’s T20 World Cup is a biennial cricket tournament organized by the International Cricket Council. Its first edition took place in 2007, and it has been held on eight occasions since then. The 2018 edition was postponed till 2020 but did not hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As of the most recent edition in 2022, 21 teams have competed. Of the 21, only six teams, India, Pakistan, England, West Indies, and Sri Lanka, have won the tournament. Only the West Indies and England, the defending champions, have won it twice.
The I.C.C. Men’s T20 World Cup is one of the biggest and most popular cricket tournaments globally. The 2022 edition generated a staggering 6.65 billion views across all platforms, making it the most engaged I.C.C. event ever. Additionally, the event garners massive betting action, attracting millions of punters who want to bet cricket on its thrilling and intense matches.
Schedule, Duration, and Participating Teams
Co-hosted by the US and West Indies, the 2024 I.C.C. Men’s T20 World Cup is expected to kick off on June 1st and end on June 29th, 2024. Group stage matches will run from 1st to 16th, starting with the opener between the U.S.A. and Canada. The Super 8 knockout round will run from the 19th to the 24th, while the semifinals will take place on the 26th and 27th. The grand finale takes place two days later, on the 29th.
As mentioned, the tournament will be contested by 20 teams for the first time, an expansion from the 16 teams in the previous edition. Below is a list of the participating teams:
- United States (Host)
- West Indies (Host)
- England (Defending champions)
- Australia
- India
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Pakistan
- South Africa
- Sri Lanka
- Afghanistan
- Bangladesh
- Scotland
- Ireland
- Papua New Guinea
- Canada
- Nepal
- Oman
- Namibia
- Uganda
There were 12 automatic qualification spots occupied by the top eight teams from the 2022 tournament, the two host teams, and the two best-ranked teams in the I.C.C. Men’s T20I Team Rankings. The remaining eight spots were filled through regional qualifiers: 2 from Africa, Asia, and Europe, and one each from the Americas and East Asia-Pacific.
Tournament Format
The 20 participating teams will compete in 55 matches that will kick off with the group-stage games. The teams will be split into four groups of five, competing in a single round-robin format. Here is an outline of each group:
- Group A: India, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, U.S.A.
- 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
The top two teams from each group move on to the Super 8 round, where they will form two groups of four teams. Each team will also play against the other three teams in their group in a single round-robin format, and the top two teams from each group will proceed to the knockout round. The four semi-finalists will then compete in pairs, with the winners moving to the finals to determine the champion.
2024 I.C.C. Men’s T20 World Cup: Match Venues
The tournament will be played in nine stadiums across the two host nations. Matches will take place in the following stadiums in the United States:
- Central Broward Park, Lauderhill, Florida, U.S.A.
- Eisenhower Park, Nassau County, Long Island, New York, U.S.A.
- Grand Prairie Stadium, Grand Prairie, Texas, U.S.A.
West Indies venues include:
- Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados
- Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, Gros Islet, Saint Lucia
- Arnos Vale Stadium, Kingstown, Saint Vincent
- Brian Lara Cricket Academy, San Fernando, Trinidad
- Sir Vivian Richards Stadium – North Sound, Antigua
- Guyana National Stadium, Providence, Guyana
A total of 16 matches will be played in the United States and 39 in the West Indies. The two semi-final knockout matches will occur at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in San Fernando, Trinidad, and the Guyana National Stadium. The tournament final will take place at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.
Conclusion
The 2024 I.C.C. Men’s T20 World Cup promises to be an exhilarating and historic event with its expanded format, inclusion of new teams, and multiple host nations. Cricket fans around the globe can look forward to witnessing thrilling matches and memorable moments as the world’s best teams compete for T20 supremacy.
