Rivals India and Pakistan will play their Twenty20 World Cup group game in New York on June 9 while co-hosts United States will take on Canada in the opening match, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said. The ninth edition of the T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States and the West Indies, runs from June 1-29, starting with the U.S. playing Canada in Dallas. The India v Pakistan game will be played in a 34,000-seat modular stadium which will host eight matches. A record 20 teams were split into four groups with 55 games to be played in the month-long tournament, with the top two from each group qualifying for the Super Eight round. Dallas, Florida and New York will host only group matches, while the Super Eight, semi-finals and final will be held in the West Indies. The final will be played in Barbados on June 29. "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," ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said in a statement.

"It's going to be an incredible spectacle bringing together 20 international teams from Africa, the Americas, Asia, East-Asia Pacific and Europe." Defending champions England are in the same group as Australia, who won the 2021 tournament and also won the 50-over World Cup last year. The two Ashes rivals play each other on June 8 in Barbados. The 2023 one-day international World Cup schedule was announced barely four months before the tournament began while there were also many matches rescheduled at the last minute, leaving travelling fans irate. With the T20 World Cup schedule being released six months before the tournament, Cricket West Indies Chief Executive Johnny Grave said it marks a "significant milestone" in their preparations. "We know that teams, fans and cricket enthusiasts worldwide have been eagerly awaiting this announcement. And now that it is available, it provides a roadmap for the thrilling journey that lies ahead," Grave said.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)