The 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is shaping up to be one of the biggest and most exciting cricket tournaments in recent memory. For the first time ever, matches will be held in the United States in addition to the West Indies, bringing top-level international cricket to a massive new market.
This biennial event features the world’s best Twenty20 international teams competing in a thrilling knockout format. With a record 20 teams participating, expanded from 16 in the previous edition, fans are in for an incredible show.
In this ultimate guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the 9th edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup – from teams and qualifiers to venues, fixtures, broadcast details, and more. Get ready for an action-packed journey through the pinnacles of T20 cricket!
ICC T20 World Cup:The Qualified Teams
A stellar lineup of 20 teams has qualified for the 2024 tournament through a variety of methods:
Automatic Qualifiers:
- Hosts: West Indies, United States
- Top 8 teams from 2022 edition: England (defending champions), Pakistan, India, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Sri Lanka, Netherlands
- Top 2 teams in ICC T20I Rankings as of November 2022: Afghanistan, Bangladesh
Regional Qualifiers:
- Europe: Ireland, Scotland
- East Asia-Pacific: Papua New Guinea
- Americas: Canada
- Asia: Nepal, Oman
- Africa: Namibia, Uganda
Some big names missed out, with Zimbabwe being the only Test nation that failed to qualify. But the inclusion of emerging forces like Uganda and the United States as co-hosts promises an incredibly competitive tournament.
Format
The expanded 20-team tournament will follow a group stage into Super 8s format before the knockout rounds.
Group Stage:
The 20 teams are divided into four groups of five teams each. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super 8 round.
Super 8 Stage:
The 8 qualifying teams are split into two groups of four. The top two teams from each Super 8 group will progress to the semifinals.
Knockout Stage:
Two semifinals and the final to determine the champion.
Host Venues
For the first time, the United States will host matches alongside the West Indies during an ICC event. After a thorough bidding process, the following venues were selected:
West Indies:
- Antigua & Barbuda: Sir Vivian Richards Stadium
- Barbados: Kensington Oval (Final)
- Guyana: Providence Stadium (Semi-final)
- Saint Lucia: Daren Sammy Cricket Ground
- Saint Vincent & the Grenadines: Arnos Vale Stadium
- Trinidad & Tobago: Brian Lara Cricket Academy (Semi-final)
United States:
- Florida: Central Broward Regional Park Stadium
- New York: Nassau County International Cricket Stadium (Temporary, 34,000 capacity)
- Texas: Grand Prairie Stadium
Several Caribbean nations like Grenada, Jamaica, and Saint Kitts & Nevis opted out of hosting duties, while a proposed temporary venue in New York City’s Van Cortlandt Park was scrapped due to resident objections.
The star attraction is undoubtedly the new $100 million Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in Long Island, expected to host the massive India-Pakistan group clash.
ICC T20 World Cup:Broadcast and Marketing
Thanks to the inclusion of cricket’s biggest market, the U.S., this World Cup is set to shatter viewership records. The tournament will be broadcast by major rights holders across the globe:
- Afghanistan: ATN
- Australia: Amazon Prime Video
- Bangladesh: Nagorik
- India & Subcontinent: Star Sports, Disney+ Hotstar
- Malaysia & Singapore: Astro Cricket, StarHub
- Netherlands: NOS
- New Zealand: Sky Sport NZ
- Pakistan: PTV, Ten Sports
- UK & Ireland: Sky Sports, BBC Radio
- North America: Willow
- Caribbean: ESPN Caribbean
- Middle East & North Africa: Etisalat
- Sub-Saharan Africa: SuperSport
- Rest of World: ICC.tv free livestream
Top stars like Yuvraj Singh, Chris Gayle, Shahid Afridi and Usain Bolt have been roped in as event ambassadors, while the “Trophy Tour” has been hitting major cities worldwide in the run-up.
Thrilling Matches to Watch Out For
While the full schedule is still being finalized, a few potentially epic clashes have cricket fans buzzing:
- India vs Pakistan (Group Stage): The heavyweight rivalry hits American soil for the first time at the Long Island stadium. You can’t miss this one!
- West Indies vs Any Opponent (Home Matches): The two-time champions will be desperate to put on a show for their passionate fans across the Caribbean.
- Uganda’s Debut: The bright new African force plays all their matches in the unfamiliar Americas against strong opposition like Afghanistan and West Indies.
- Canada vs United States (Opening Match): In a symbolic start, the two nations that played the first-ever international cricket match in 1844 kick off this World Cup as well.
ICC T20 World Cup:Squads and Stars to Watch
All 20 teams have announced their squads loaded with batting superstars, crafty spinners and fiery pace batteries. Here are a few marquee names to look out for:
Batting Stars:
- Suryakumar Yadav (India)
- Babar Azam (Pakistan)
- Jos Buttler (England)
- Aiden Markram (South Africa)
Spin Wizards:
- Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)
- Adam Zampa (Australia)
- Yuzvendra Chahal (India)
- Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka)
Pace Batteries:
- Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
- Jofra Archer (England)
- Anrich Nortje (South Africa)
- Lockie Ferguson (New Zealand)
The expanded format also gives lesser-known stars from associate nations a big stage to announce themselves.
ICC T20 World Cup:Prize Money Purse
For the first time ever, the winners of the 2024 T20 World Cup will take home a minimum of $2.45 million out of a record total prize pool of $11.25 million!
The runners-up get $1.28 million, while the losing semi-finalists earn $787,500 each. Even teams finishing 13th-20th will pocket a cool $225,000 each, with more prize money allocated for every win.
This massive monetary incentive will surely drive the world’s best cricketers to give their all in the quest for T20 supremacy.
Final Thoughts
With cricket’s emergence in the United States, a host of rising talents, mouth-watering matchups, and a record prize purse, the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup promises unmatched action and drama.
Whether you’re a hardcore fan or a newcomer to cricket’s fastest format, this tournament is an unmissable event. Stay glued to the TV screens and follow the action across digital platforms as the best T20 players on the planet battle for the most lucrative purse in tournament history!
Who will emerge as champions in the grand finale at the iconic Kensington Oval in Barbados? The answers will unravel over an electrifying four weeks in June 2024. Get ready to embrace the T20 extravaganza!