This edition marks the first ICC event played in the USA, while the West Indies become the first team to host the event twice, having previously done so in 2010 when England triumphed over Australia. Good omens for the defending champions, perhaps? Canada, Uganda, and co-hosts USA will make their debut in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Notably, the 2024 men’s edition features the most teams ever—20—making the “world” in World Cup more fitting.
The enduring presence of two players: India’s Rohit Sharma and Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan are set to become the only players to participate in all nine editions of the tournament. Rohit was part of the winning team in 2007 under MS Dhoni.
USA venues
In the United States, matches will be hosted in New York, Texas, and Florida, with 16 matches shared among these locations. New York will host eight matches, including the marquee India-Pakistan clash. The USA will host only the initial group-stage matches.
What about the Windies?
Six Caribbean nations will host 39 matches. Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago will stage these games across three tournament stages. The final will take place in Barbados on June 29.
24 group stage fixtures, all 12 second round matches, both semi-finals, and the tournament final 🏆🏟️
Learn about the West Indies venues as they prepare to host #T20WorldCup 2024 ⬇️https://t.co/NXSKsj1NSz
— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) May 29, 2024
Who are the teams and how did they get here?
USA and West Indies qualified as hosts. The top 8 from the 2022 edition—England, Pakistan, India, New Zealand (semifinalists), Australia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and Netherlands—qualified from the Super 12. Afghanistan and Bangladesh qualified based on world rankings. Ireland, Scotland, Papua New Guinea, Canada, Nepal, Oman, and Uganda secured their spots through various qualifying events.
What’s the format then?
The 20 teams are divided into four groups with predetermined seedings (e.g., A1 is India, B2 is Australia). This setup is crucial for determining the Super 8 groups. Teams play each other in the first stage, and the top two from each group advance to the Super 8s, which will be split into two groups. Points do not carry forward from the First Round to the Super 8.
So Super 8… what’s that all about?
The Super 8 groups are almost predecided, barring major first-round upsets. Group 1 will include A1, B2, C1, D2, and Group 2 will have A2, B1, C2, D1. This structure means the India-Pakistan result is less critical as long as they win their other matches. India will remain A1 even if they lose to Pakistan and end up in Group 2. Similarly, in Group D, standings will determine positions: SA will be D1 while Bangladesh will be D2, instead of Sri Lanka. The first-placed team in Group 1 will play the second-placed team in Group 2, and vice versa, in the semifinals.
What about ties?
Fear not, New Zealand: there are no boundary countbacks. As in current international cricket, any tied match in the World Cup will be decided by a Super Over, with additional Super Overs if needed until a winner is found.
Do you have to wake up early to watch India?
Given the time difference, fans in India can rest easy. All of India’s group-stage matches will be played in the morning USA time, starting at 8.30 pm IST. In the Super 8, all matches will start at 8.00 pm IST. If India reaches the semifinals, they will play the second semifinal in Guyana on June 27, also starting at 8 pm IST, regardless of their position in Group 1.
A quick note on reserve days
While the Guyana semifinal ensures a favorable viewing time in India, only the semifinal in Trinidad has a reserve day. This match has a maximum of 250 minutes allocated, compared to 190 for semifinal 1 and the final.
