India-Pakistan clash in 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to happen in New York on June 9 (ld)

New Delhi, Jan 5 (IANS) India will face archrivals Pakistan in a highly anticipated clash of the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at the 34,000-seater Eisenhower Park stadium in Nassau County, New York on June 9. The ninth edition of the tournament is scheduled from June 1-29, with the opening match to be played between co-hosts USA and Canada at the Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in Dallas, Texas.

As per the schedule released by broadcasters Star Sports and ICC, India, the 2007 T20 World Cup winners, are slotted in Group A alongside Pakistan, USA, Canada and Ireland. They will be playing all of their group matches in the USA. India kick off their campaign against Ireland on June 5 in New York, before facing Pakistan on June 9.

They will play their third game in New York against the USA on June 12, before facing off against Canada in Miami on June 15. All of India’s matches have a start time of 8:30 pm IST. The semifinals will be played on June 26 and 27 in Guyana and Trinidad respectively, before the final in Barbados on June 29.

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.

“The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 marks an exciting expansion of our sport with more teams than ever before set to compete in this event. It’s going to be an incredible spectacle bringing together 20 international teams from Africa, the Americas, Asia, East-Asia Pacific and Europe.”

“The release of the fixtures is made even more exciting for fans as we enter a new frontier, with the USA hosting a major ICC event for the first time. With 16 matches being played across three venues in the USA, it allows us to make a statement in the world’s biggest sports market.”

“It will also be great to have an ICC event back in the West Indies, which has such a rich history of the game. It has hosted World Cups with great success in the past and this tournament will certainly provide a boost to the game there, especially with the final being played in Barbados,” said Geoff Allardice, ICC Chief Executive.

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.

2024 Men’s T20 World Cup grouping

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

–IANS

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