What is the Competition?
The 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is the ninth edition of the tournament and the third in the past four years. This year’s event is co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States and features an expanded roster of 20 participating nations, a format set to continue until at least 2030.
When Does It Start?
The tournament kicks off with the United States facing Canada on June 2. The initial group stage runs until June 17. Teams that advance will compete in the Super 8s starting on June 20, with semi-finals on June 26 and 27. The final is scheduled for June 29 in Barbados.
Where is it Happening?
Matches will be played at seven venues in the Caribbean and three in the USA, the first time a major ICC event is hosted there. Caribbean venues include Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Guyana, St Lucia, St Vincent, and two venues in Trinidad and Tobago. The USA venues, used only during the first round, are located in Florida, New York, and Texas. All matches from the Super 8s onward will be in the Caribbean.
Who is Taking Part?
For the first time, 20 countries are competing, making this the most global edition yet. Participants include the hosts and two-time champions West Indies, defending champions England, and former winners India, Australia, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. Other full members competing are New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Ireland. Making their debut are the USA, Canada, and Uganda. Papua New Guinea and Nepal return for their second appearance, the Netherlands and Scotland for their fifth and fourth times respectively, and Namibia and Oman are back after recent tournaments.
What is the Tournament Structure?
The tournament is divided into three phases: the group stage, the Super 8s, and the knockout phase. Teams are split into four groups of five, with a single round-robin determining which teams advance. The top two teams from each group will move on to the Super 8s, while 12 teams will be eliminated.
The groups are:
Group A: Canada, India, Ireland, Pakistan, USA
Group B: Australia, England, Namibia, Oman, Scotland
Group C: Afghanistan, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Uganda, West Indies
Group D: Bangladesh, Nepal, Netherlands, South Africa, Sri Lanka
In the Super 8s, teams will be split into two groups of four, playing each other once. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, with group winners playing the runners-up from the opposite group. If India reaches the semi-finals, they will play in Guyana.
The final is on June 29, with a reserve day if needed.
What is the Format?
The tournament follows the standard T20 international format. Each team bats for up to 20 overs, with the highest score winning. In the group stage, at least five overs must be bowled to constitute a game, increasing to 10 overs for the semi-finals and final. Bowlers can bowl a maximum of four overs each. No-balls result in a penalty run and a free hit.
Each innings begins with a six-over powerplay, allowing only two fielders outside the inner 30-yard circle. Teams have two unsuccessful reviews per innings via the Decision Review System (DRS). The Duckworth/Lewis/Stern method will be used for weather-affected matches. Tied matches will be decided by unlimited Super Overs until a winner is found. If both final days are washed out, the trophy will be shared.
What is the History of the Tournament?
The Men’s T20 World Cup has had eight previous editions with six different winners and only two teams winning twice. No nation has won on home soil, and the last Caribbean-hosted tournament was won by England. India has the highest win percentage (63.9%), followed by Australia (62.5%) and Sri Lanka (61.76%). No team has won consecutive titles.
Who are the Favourites?
India, ranked top by the ICC, are the favourites with odds of 5/2. Australia follows at 7/2, and defending champions England at 9/2. Hosts West Indies are at 6/1, and South Africa at 7/1. New Zealand and Pakistan are both at 9/1. The outsiders include Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh at 33/1. Debutants Uganda and Canada are long shots at 2,500/1.
Where Can I Follow it on TV?
England: Sky Sports
India: Star Sports Network and Disney+ Hotstar
Pakistan: PTV and Ten Sports
USA & Canada: WillowTV
West Indies: ESPN Caribbean
Australia: Prime Video
New Zealand: Sky Sport NZ
South Africa, Uganda & Namibia: SuperSport
UAE: STARZPLAY
Middle East and North Africa: CricLife MAX and CricLife MAX2
Sri Lanka: Maharaja TV
Rest of the world: ICC.tv
