ICC T20 World Cup 2021 guide

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Five years on from the last edition, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup returns this month as 16 teams duke it out for supremacy in the game’s shortest format.

Commencing on October 17 at the Oman Cricket Academy Ground, the showpiece event is scheduled to finish on November 14 in Dubai when the tournament’s two best teams meet in a decider that has plenty to live up to after 2016’s epic conclusion.

Carlos Brathwaite etched his name into cricketing folklore in 2016 when he hit four consecutive sixes in the last over of the Final to power West Indies to their second Men’s T20 World Cup trophy.

The West Indies will be out to become the first team to ever defend their status as Men’s T20 World Cup champions this time around having already become the first to win the trophy twice.

They won’t have an easy time doing that however with 15 high-quality opponents ready to make the trophy theirs.

Here’s everything you need to know about the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021.

The tournament format

This year’s Men’s T20 World Cup takes place in three stages.

Round 1 sees two groups of four teams participating in a round-robin. The top two teams from each group progress to the Super 12 stage. Each of the Round 1 Groups features three teams from the 2019 Qualifier and one of the two automatic qualifiers - Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

The top seed from Group A and the second seed from Group B enter Group 1 of the Super 12s, with the top seed from Group B and the second seed from Group A going into Group 2.

The Super 12 stage sees two groups of six play a round-robin with the top two teams from each group progressing to the knock-out stage, consisting of two semi-finals and a final.

The two Super 12 groups each feature four of the automatic qualifiers – tournament hosts India and the top seven teams on the MRF Tyres ICC rankings at the cut-off date – and two Round 1 qualifiers.

The points system

In both group stages the following points system will apply:
Win - Two points
Tie, no result or abandoned: One point
Loss or forfeit: Zero points

Are their reserve days?

Yes, for both semi-finals and the final. No other matches shall have a reserve day allocated.

For both the semi-finals and final, every effort will be made to complete the match on the scheduled day with any necessary reduction in overs taking place. Only if the minimum number of overs necessary to constitute a match (at least 5 overs per side) cannot be bowled on the scheduled day will the match be completed on the reserve day.

If a match starts on the scheduled day and overs are reduced following an interruption but no further play is possible, the match will resume on the reserve day at the point where the last ball was played.

Key dates

Tournament commences: October 17

The event kicks off with a Round 1, Group B match between co-hosts Oman and Papua New Guinea at Oman Cricket Academy Ground in Al Amerat. Later that day, Group B opponents Bangladesh and Scotland begin their campaign against one another at the same venue.

Group A begins the following day in Abu Dhabi, with Ireland and Netherlands playing the afternoon match, and Sri Lanka and Namibia the evening encounter.

Round 1 finishes: October 22

Round 1 concludes after a Group A Namibia-Ireland and Sri Lanka-Netherlands double-header at Sharjah.

Group B’s final matches take place in a double-header at Oman Cricket Academy on October 21.

The top two teams from each group progress to the Super 12 stage.

Super 12 stage commences: October 23

The Super 12 stage of the tournament kicks off just a day after Round 1 concludes, with Group 1 sides Australia and South Africa meeting in Abu Dhabi.

Group 2 begins the following day with a mouth-watering clash between India and Pakistan in Dubai

Super 12 stage concludes: November 8

The Super 12 stage wraps up on 8 November with India playing the final match of the phase at Dubai against their group’s Round 1 Group A qualifier.

Semi-finals: November 10 and November 11

The top two teams from each Super 12 Group progress to the semi-finals, scheduled to be played at Abu Dhabi and Dubai on November 10 and 11 respectively.

Final: November 14

The tournament reaches its conclusion on 14 November at Dubai International Stadium.

Groups

Round 1

Group A
Sri Lanka, Ireland, Netherlands, Namibia

Group B
Bangladesh, Scotland, Papua New Guinea, Oman 

Super 12

Group 1
England, Australia, South Africa, West Indies, top seed Group A, second seed Group B

Group 2
India, Pakistan, New Zealand, Afghanistan, second seed Group A, top seed Group B