DUBAI (Kashmir English): The International Cricket Council (ICC) has shortlisted eight venues for the T20I World Cup, scheduled to be held India and Sri Lanka in February–March next year.
According to the plan, Sri Lanka, the co-host, will host games at three venues.
India media reported that the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and the Eden Gardens in Kolkata have been shortlisted to host the semifinals of the World Cup.
It said the ICC finalized the venues for the tournament in consultation with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).
As far as India is concerned, matches will be held across five cities — Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Chennai, and Kolkata — while Sri Lanka will host games at three venues — two stadiums in Colombo and one in Kandy.
The decision on the venue for the final is yet to be made as it will depend on the teams that reach the final, particularly whether Pakistan qualifies. Ahmedabad remains a potential host for the final if Pakistan does not make it to the final.
Regarding the semifinals, if Pakistan or Sri Lanka reach the last four, that match will be played in Colombo.
If neither of these two teams reach the semifinals, both matches will take place in India. Should Pakistan reach the final, it will be played in Colombo. The ICC has kept these options flexible for now.
According to an ICC release on October 17, the 20-team tournament will follow the same format as the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies.
The teams are divided into four groups of five sides each. Apart from the 13 Test-playing countries, Canada, the Netherlands, Oman, UAE, Nepal, and Namibia have also qualified for the month-long event. European minnows Italy will make their debut at the global event.
T20I World Cup plan
The group stage will be followed by a Super Eights phase, featuring the top two teams from each group.
“The Super Eights will feature two groups of four sides, with the top two finishers from each group then progressing to the knockout semifinals,” the ICC said.
India entered the tournament as defending champions, having defeated South Africa in the last year final. The world governing body is expected to announce the full schedule and groupings in the coming days.
