Get ready for a feast of cricket, as the 10th edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup heads to India and Sri Lanka. As many as twenty nations will aim to take home the top prize.
The T20 World Cup is the second-largest cricketing event in the world, after the 50-Over World Cup.
India, Pakistan, England, West Indies, Sri Lanka, and Australia have all tasted success in this tournament, with India winning the 2024 edition in the West Indies and the USA.
New Zealand and South Africa have also reached the Final once.
The 20 teams will be put into Groups A, B, C, and D.
Group A will feature: India, USA, Namibia, Netherlands, and Pakistan.
Group B includes: Australia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Ireland, and Oman.
England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Italy, and Nepal will play in Group C.
Group D will include: South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Canada, and the UAE.
Each win is worth two points
The top two teams from each group will progress into the Super Eight stage, with the top four qualifying for the semi-finals in Mumbai.
The final will take place on Sunday, 8th March in Ahmedabad.
The winners of the tournament will not only receive the T20 World Cup but also $3 million in prize money from the ICC.
T20 World Cup: Venues
The tournament will be played at eight venues across India and Sri Lanka.
Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Embed from Getty ImagesWankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Embed from Getty ImagesMA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Embed from Getty ImagesSinhalese sports club(SSC), Colombo
Embed from Getty Imagesarun jaitley stadium, New dehli
Embed from Getty ImagesR Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Embed from Getty ImagesNarendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
Embed from Getty ImagesPallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy
Embed from Getty ImagesT20 World Cup: Toss is important
As dew can play a significant factor in how the ball reacts off the pitch and on the outfield, don’t be surprised if most captains opt to bowl first. Particularly if it’s a night game.
The dew helps the ball slide onto the bat at a quicker pace, which makes it easier to score runs.
There are some places, like Chennai, where it may be better to bat first, as the pitch can get slower.
However, most captains prefer to chase, as they have a target set in front of them, so they can plan how to achieve it.
So that’s it for the first part of our preview of the 2026 T20 World Cup.
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