T20
T20 World Cup: All You Need To Know
The 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup promises to be a unique addition to the catalogue of international cricket competitions, marking the first time matches will be hosted in the United States alongside the Caribbean.
We break down all you need to know about the tournament over the next month.
When is the T20 Cricket World Cup?
Set to take place from June 1st to June 29th, this edition of the T20 Cricket World Cup features four weeks of what promises to be some blistering action between the 20 competing countries.
Where is the T20 Cricket World Cup?
For the first time, cricket enthusiasts in the USA will witness World Cup action on home soil. Key American venues include Central Broward Park in Florida, Nassau County Stadium on Long Island and Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas. Notably, the Nassau County Stadium, with its pitch imported from Adelaide, will host the much-anticipated Pakistan vs India clash on June 9th. The tournament opener features a North American derby, with USA taking on Canada on June 1st in Dallas.
Six Caribbean nations—Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago—will also host matches, bringing their vibrant cricketing atmosphere. The semi-finals will take place in Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana, with the grand finale to be played at Kensington Oval in Barbados on June 29th.
Tournament Format
The tournament will see an intriguing mix of experienced teams and newcomers. Alongside hosts USA and West Indies, traditional powerhouses like England, India, Australia and Pakistan will vie for glory. Making their World Cup debuts are Uganda and Canada after their successful runs in regional qualifiers.
The 20 teams are divided into four groups of five for the initial round-robin stage:
- 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
The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super 8s, which will then be split into two groups of four. Each team in the Super 8s plays the others in their group once, with the top two from each group moving on to the semi-finals.
What are the rules?
The T20 World Cup format ensures high stakes and thrilling watches. Each win awards two points, with one point for a no-result and none for a loss. In case of ties, a Super Over will determine the winner, continuing until a victor emerges. Matches require at least five overs per side to constitute a result, increasing to ten overs for semi-finals and the final. Both semi-finals and the final have reserve days to account for inclement weather.
Who are the favourites?
India – 5/2
Rohit Sharma’s India have entered the vast majority of Cricket World Cups as the pre-tournament favourites and this month’s competition is no different as they begin as the 5/2 frontrunners.
India’s white-ball programme has been elevated by the expansion of the Indian Premier League in recent years, allowing and actively encouraging for a plethora of homegrown talent to showcase their ability against the best in the business.
Despite this, India never seem to be able to get over the line in international tournaments, with their shock defeat to Australia on home soil in last year’s ICC World Cup the latest instalment in a catalogue of failures on the big stage. Let’s see if this year’s tournament serves them differently.
Australia – 7/2
Australia seem to perform a role in international tournaments that completely contradicts that of India’s – their white ball programme often comes across as undercooked and basic, yet they always seem to get the job done on the big stage, exemplified by their triumph in last year’s ICC World Cup despite an awful start to their group stage campaign.
On paper, there are certainly more teams who possess more devastating batting line up and variation with the ball, but the experience of white ball veterans like Pat Cummins, David Warner and Mitchell Starc always proves invaluable when it matters most.
England – 9/2
England’s era of white ball dominance was dealt a sobering blow by their pitiful group stage exit in last year’s ICC World Cup. It certainly seemed as if England’s gung-ho approach with both bat and ball lacked the sophistication and nuance required to succeed in the 50-over game, and their methods in the longer format will definitely need revisiting.
Their T20 game however seems to be in relatively good nick, with a convincing 2-0 series win over Pakistan showcasing some brilliant top-order batting from the likes of Jos Buttler, Will Jacks and Phil Salt, while it was great to see Jofra Archer back bowling and among the wickets.
This may not be as good of an England outfit that won the last T20 World Cup in Australia two years ago, but only a fool would write off a squad that has won it all in both white ball formats.
