Cricket without the craze is like tea without a cup. Impossible right? So cricket lovers, the wait is finally over, and the excitement is palpable as the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 is here.
Cricket enthusiasts worldwide are ready for this most awaited tournament in sports, where the best teams from different countries will clash in a battle for supremacy. Co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States, this year’s World Cup promises thrilling matches, unforgettable moments, and a competition like never before.
Here’s a brief about how these games started and their journey to 2024. Let’s delve into what makes this year’s tournament special, the key teams to watch, and a glimpse of the schedule. Cricket extravaganza is here!
A sneak peek into its history
With the ending of Benson & Hedges Cup in 2002, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) needed another competition to engage the younger generation in response to declining sponsorships. Stuart Robertson, the marketing manager of the ECB proposed this 20 over per innings game in 2001 and this new format was adopted.
The first tournament was in 2007 in South Africa where India defeated Pakistan in the finals. The 2014 was the first to feature 16 teams including all ten full members and six associate members. In June 2021, ICC announced that the T20 World cup tournaments in 2024, 2026, 2028, and 2030 will be expanded to include 20 teams. The winner’s list from 2007 to 2022 is here:
Journey to ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024
The 2024 T20 World Cup will be hosted by the West Indies and the United States. While West Indies is hosting the tournament for the second time, having done so as a single host in 2010, it is the first time the USA is hosting a major ICC tournament, with three of its venues — Central Broward Park (Florida), Nassau County International Cricket Stadium (New York) and Grand Prairie Stadium (Texas) — scheduled to have 16 games of the tournament. The 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is the ninth edition of the World Cup organized by ICC and contested by Men’s national teams.
This tournament will be held from 1 to 29 June 2024 which includes the two hosts, the top eight teams from the 2022 edition, the next two teams in ICC Men’s T20I Team rankings, and eight teams determined by regional qualifiers. In this tournament, 20 qualifying teams will be divided into four groups of five teams; the top two teams in each group will advance to the Super 8 round. In this stage, the qualifying teams will be split into two groups of four; the top two teams from each group will qualify for the knockout stage, which will consist of two semi-finals and a final.
The International Cricket Council announced the groups and its fixtures on 5 January 2024, with the opening encounter played between USA and Canada, the teams who played the first-ever international cricket match in cricket history, on 1 June 2024 at the Grand Prairie Stadium, Texas.
While West Indies is hosting the tournament for the second time, having done so as a single host in 2010, it is the first time the USA is hosting a major ICC tournament, with three of its venues — Central Broward Park (Florida), Nassau County International Cricket Stadium (New York) and Grand Prairie Stadium (Texas) — scheduled to have 16 games of the tournament.
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 will break new ground as 20 teams are competing for the first time ever. It will be the first tournament of the ICC World Cup with 55 games, which makes it the biggest cricket tournament in ICC history. Three new teams are being welcomed in this tournament including the United States, Canada, and Uganda. With such new faces and new fields, the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 is extremely interesting and unpredictable.
The ninth edition of the T20 World Cup 2024 has begun in the United States of America (USA) and the Caribbean (West Indies), with the first match already done and dusted between host USA and Canada on June 1.
ICC World Cup 2024 schedule
GROUP STAGE SCHEDULE:
| Date | Match | Venue |
| June 1 | USA vs Canada | Dallas |
| June 2 | West Indies vs Papua New Guinea | Guyana |
| June 2 | Namibia vs Oman | Barbados |
| June 3 | Sri Lanka vs South Africa | New York |
| June 4 | Afghanistan vs Uganda | Guyana |
| June 4 | England vs Scotland | Barbados |
| June 4 | Netherlands vs Nepal | Dallas |
| June 5 | India vs Ireland | New York |
| June 5 | Papua New Guinea vs Uganda | Guyana |
| June 5 | Australia vs Oman | Barbados |
| June 6 | USA vs Pakistan | Dallas |
| June 6 | Namibia vs Scotland | Barbados |
| June 7 | Canada vs Ireland | New York |
| June 7 | New Zealand vs Afghanistan | Guyana |
| June 7 | Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh | Dallas |
| June 8 | Netherlands vs South Africa | New York |
| June 8 | Australia vs England | Barbados |
| June 8 | West Indies vs Uganda | Guyana |
| June 9 | India vs Pakistan | New York |
| June 9 | Oman vs Scotland | Antigua & Barbuda |
| June 10 | South Africa vs Bangladesh | New York |
| June 11 | Pakistan vs Canada | New York |
| June 11 | Sri Lanka vs Nepal | Lauderhill |
| June 11 | Australia vs Namibia | Antigua & Barbuda |
| June 12 | USA vs India | New York |
| June 12 | West Indies vs New Zealand | Trinidad and Tobago |
| June 13 | England vs Oman | Antigua & Barbuda |
| June 13 | Bangladesh vs Netherlands | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
| June 13 | Afghanistan vs Papua New Guinea | Trinidad and Tobago |
| June 14 | USA vs Ireland | Lauderhill |
| June 14 | South Africa vs Nepal | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
| June 14 | New Zealand vs Uganda | Trinidad and Tobago |
| June 15 | India vs Canada | Lauderhill |
| June 15 | Namibia vs England | Antigua & Barbuda |
| June 15 | Australia vs Scotland | Saint Lucia |
| June 16 | Pakistan vs Ireland | Lauderhill |
| June 16 | Bangladesh vs Nepal | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
| June 16 | Sri Lanka vs Netherlands | Saint Lucia |
| June 17 | New Zealand vs Papua New Guinea | Trinidad and Tobago |
| June 17 | West Indies vs Afghanistan | Saint Lucia |
SUPER 8 SCHEDULE:
| Date | Match | Venue |
| June 19 | A2 vs D1 | Antigua & Barbuda |
| June 19 | B1 vs C2 | Saint Lucia |
| June 20 | C1 vs A1 | Barbados |
| June 20 | B2 vs D2 | Antigua & Barbuda |
| June 21 | B1 vs D1 | Saint Lucia |
| June 21 | A2 vs C2 | Barbados |
| June 22 | A1 vs D2 | Antigua & Barbuda |
| June 22 | C1 vs B2 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
| June 23 | A2 vs B1 | Barbados |
| June 23 | C2 vs D1 | Antigua & Barbuda |
| June 24 | B2 vs A1 | Saint Lucia |
| June 24 | C1 vs D2 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
KNOCKOUTS:
| June 26 | Semifinal 1 | Guyana |
| June 27 | Semifinal 2 | Trinidad and Tobago |
| June 29 | Final | Barbados |
Indian Cricket Team in ICC World Cup
The Indian cricket team has opened its treasure by winning the inaugural edition of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2007. Under the captaincy of MS Dhoni, the team incredibly beat Pakistan at Wanderers Stadium. Since then India has been close to winning in every edition of the tournament. The other editions were rather disappointing ones but the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 India team is now looking forward to winning this time with their experience and passion.
Where to watch the T20 World Cup 2024?
For viewers in India, T20 World Cup 2024 will be telecast live on the Star Sports Network while it can also be live streamed on the Disney+ Hotstar app.
Conclusion
With teams prepared and stages set for battles, the World Cup is more than just a series of cricket matches; it’s a celebration of sports and a testament to the passion of players and fans. Whether you are cheering for the all-time winning teams or new ones, the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 is sure to captivate your attention.