The ICC T20 World Cup kicks off on Sunday 17 October in Oman. India were to host the tournament but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is hosting the ICC event in UAE and Oman.
Here’s everything you need to know about the T20 World Cup 2021…
When does it start?
The first round of the T20 World Cup begins on 17 October with Papua New Guinea taking on Oman followed by Scotland vs Bangladesh match. The Super 12 stage that includes the biggest teams like India, West Indies, Australia and others will start from 23 October. The semi-finals will take place on 10 and 111 November, while the final will be held on 14 November. Both semi-finals and the final will have reserve days to make up for bad weather conditions.
What is the format of the World Cup?
Eight teams — Ireland, Namibia, Netherlands, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Oman, Papua New Guinea and Scotland — are part of Round 1. They have been divided into two groups. They will play against each other once and the top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super 12 stage.
Sri Lanka, Ireland, the Netherlands and Namibia are in Group A. Bangladesh, Scotland, Papua New Guinea and Oman are in Group B.
The Super 12 stage will also include teams like England, Australia, South Africa, West Indies, India, Pakistan, New Zealand, Afghanistan who have qualified directly for this round. The 12 teams in this round will be divided into two groups. Each team will play the others in the group once. In the end, the top two teams from each group will reach the semi-finals.
Groups
Round 1
Group A: Sri Lanka, Ireland, Netherlands, Namibia
Group B: Bangladesh, Scotland, Papua New Guinea, Oman
Super 12 stage
Group 1: England, Australia, South Africa, West Indies, top seed Group A, second seed Group B
Group 2: India, Pakistan, New Zealand, Afghanistan, second seed Group A, top seed Group B
Which grounds will host the World Cup matches?
The 45 games will be played across fours stadiums in UAE and Oman:
Dubai International Stadium, Dubai, UAE
Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah, UAE
Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Oman Cricket Academy Ground, Al Amerat, Oman
The Round 1 Group A matches will take place in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Oman will host all of the Group B matches. The Super 12 stage matches will be played across Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. One of the semi-finals will be hosted in Abu Dhabi while the other one will be played in Dubai.
Dubai will also host the final of the T20 World Cup.
Fixtures and match timings:
Round 1 qualifiers
October 17 — Oman v Papua New Guinea, Muscat (3:30 pm); Bangladesh v Scotland, Muscat (7:30 pm)
October 18 — Ireland v Netherlands, Abu Dhabi (3:30 pm); Sri Lanka v Namibia, Abu Dhabi (7:30 pm)
October 19 — Scotland v Papua New Guinea, Muscat (3:30 pm); Oman v Bangladesh, Muscat (7:30 pm)
October 20 — Namibia v Netherlands, Abu Dhabi (3:30 pm); Sri Lanka v Ireland, Abu Dhabi (7:30 pm)
October 21 — Bangladesh v Papua New Guinea, Muscat (3:30 pm); Oman v Scotland, Muscat (7:30 pm)
October 22 — Namibia v Ireland, Sharjah (3:30 pm); Sri Lanka v Netherlands, Sharjah (7:30 pm)
Super 12
Group 1 fixtures
October 23 — Australia vs South Africa 3:30 pm Abu Dhabi
October 23 – England vs West Indies 7:30 pm Dubai
October 24 – A1 vs B2 3:30 pm Sharjah
October 26 – South Africa vs West Indies – 3:30 pm Dubai
October 27 – England vs B2 – 3:30 pm Abu Dhabi
October 28 – Australia vs A1 – 7:30 pm Dubai
October 29 – West Indies vs B2 – 3:30 pm Sharjah
October 30 – South Africa vs A1 – 3:30 pm Sharjah
October 30 – England vs Australia – 7:30 pm Dubai
November 1 – England vs A1 – 7:30 pm Sharjah
November 2 – South Africa vs B2 – 3:30 pm Abu Dhabi
November 4 – Australia vs B2 – 3:30 pm Dubai
November 4 – West Indies vs A1 – 7:30 pm Abu Dhabi
November 6 – Australia vs West Indies – 3:30 pm Abu Dhabi
November 6 – England vs South Africa – 7:30 pm Sharjah
Group 2 fixtures
October 24 – India vs Pakistan 7:30 pm Dubai
October 25 – Afghanistan vs B1 7:30 pm Sharjah
October 26 – Pakistan vs New Zealand 7:30 pm Sharjah
October 27 – B1 vs A2 – 7:30 pm Abu Dhabi
October 29 – Afghanistan vs Pakistan – 7:30 pm Dubai
October 31 – Afghanistan vs A2 – 3:30 pm Abu Dhabi
October 31 – India vs New Zealand – 7:30 pm Dubai
November 2 – Pakistan vs A2 – 7:30 pm Abu Dhabi
November 3 – New Zealand vs B1 – 3:30 pm Dubai
November 3 – India vs Afghanistan – 7:30 pm Abu Dhabi
November 5 – New Zealand vs A2 – 3:30 pm Sharjah
November 5 – India vs B1 – 7:30 pm Dubai
November 7 – New Zealand vs Afghanistan – 3:30 pm Abu Dhabi
November 7 – Pakistan vs B1 – 7:30 pm Sharjah
November 8 – India vs A2 – 7:30 pm Dubai
November 10 – Semi-final 1, Abu Dhabi, 7.30pm
Semi-finals and final
November 11 – Semi-final 2, Dubai, 7.30pm
November 14 – Final, Dubai, 7.30pm
Where can I watch the T20 World Cup in India?
The T20 World Cup matches will be shown on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2, Star Sports 3, Star Sports HD, and DD Sports.
Where can I watch the match online in India?
The T20 World Cup matches can be streamed online on the Disney+ Hotstar app and website. Firstpost.com will also run the live blog for World Cup matches.