T20 World Cup 2022: The ICC T20 men’s World Cup in the UAE is scheduled to begin on October 17, only two days after the Indian premier league 2021 final is currently scheduled for October 15. The suspended edition of IPL has been confirmed by BCCI to be held in the UAE from September 19 after which it was supposed to be postponed in May this year.
As for the t20 World Cup of the 16 teams, reports in ESPN Cricinfo confirmed that the BCCI has yet to be in touch with the ICC about moving to the tournament UAE, but in this direction, the steps board has taken in keeping with the situation of Covid 19 in India.
T20 World Cup 2022 Format
The first round of the T20 World Cup will see 12 matches, comprising the eight teams – Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Ireland, Netherlands, Namibia, Scotland, and Papua New Guinea. Four of them will progress to the Super 12s, where they will join the other eight teams. The matches for Round 1 won’t be played at the major venues.
The T20 World Cup’s Super 12-leg will comprise 30 matches and will be played at the three major UAE venues – Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah. This leg of the World Cup is scheduled to start on October 24. The teams will be split into two groups, with two from each making it to the semi-finals, followed by the final.
With the first round being hosted in smaller venues in the UAE and Oman, the BCCI will ensure that post-IPL, the grounds of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah will have enough time to have fresh pitches for the Super 12s.
India plays it safe with the T20 World Cup due to COVID-19 times
The BCCI had been granted time till the end of June to let ICC know where they would host the T20 World Cup. The COVID-19 pandemic saw the 2020 edition of the T20 World Cup that was supposed to be held in Australia being postponed to 2022.
Just when things seemed slightly better in India, the IPL 2021 commenced but was suspended abruptly midway as the second wave of the pandemic wreaked havoc in the country. With the threat of a possible third wave looming large, the BCCI isn’t keen to take any more risks.
Previous T20 World Cup winners
India was the last host of the T20 World Cup that was played in 2016. The tournament final was played in Eden Gardens, Kolkata, where the West Indies beat England to win their second title. Here is the list of the T20 World Cup winners:
- 2007 (South Africa): India beat Pakistan in the final
- 2009 (England): Pakistan beat Sri Lanka in the final
- 2010 (West Indies): England beat Australia in the final
- 2012 (Sri Lanka): West Indies beat Sri Lanka in the final
- 2014 (Bangladesh): Sri Lanka beat India in the final
- 2016 (India): West Indies beat England in the final
