ICC T20 World Cup 2021 Preview: Stage Set For Showpiece Event

The ICC T20 World Cup begins today with co-hosts Oman taking on Papua New Guinea in the opening match.

The seventh edition of the ICC T20 World Cup is set to start in the UAE and Oman on Sunday, with as many as 16 teams battling it out for the coveted prize. The showpiece T20 event is returning after a five-year gap, with the initially planned 2020 edition being postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Originally scheduled to be held in India, the tournament was subsequently moved to the UAE and Oman. The 2021 edition will see the tournament start with an eight-team Round 1, which will be divided into two groups of four each.

Ireland, Namibia, the Netherlands and Sri Lanka are in Group A while Bangladesh, Oman, Papua New Guinea and Scotland are in Group B.

The T20 World Cup will begin with co-hosts Oman taking on Papua New Guinea in the opening game on Sunday.

The two best finishers from each group will move to the Super 12 phase, where they will join the eight teams who have directly made it to the round on the basis of their rankings.

The Super 12 phase will see two groups of six teams each, with Australia, England, South Africa and the West Indies directly placed in Group 1 and Afghanistan, India, New Zealand and Pakistan in Group 2.