The game of cricket is popular all around the globe. England and many former British colonies (India, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the West Indies) notably see the most action across the world. While it has yet to truly catch on in the United States, that is set to change today! The 2024 T20 Cricket World Cup arrives in the U.S. and West Indies from today, June 1st to the end of the month (June 29th). The Twenty20 format brings excitement to an age-old game, with batters only having 20 overs or 120 balls to score as many runs as possible. Showcased in the Indian Premier League (IPL) this season, scoring is at an all-time high, highlighting the unpredictability of the format. Many of the world’s top cricketers will suit up for their countries in an attempt to win one of the game’s biggest international trophies.
Stadiums and Tournament Information
16 matches will be hosted by the United States, split between Florida, Texas, and New York. The remaining 41 matches will be hosted by the West Indies. The semifinals will take place in Trinidad and Tobago, with the final taking place in Barbados. Several high-profile matchups, all from Group A, will take place in the United States. India and Pakistan will face off on June 9th at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in Long Island, New York. It’ll be one of the most highly-anticipated showdowns of the entire tournament.
Photo Cred: YouTube- TFC Stadiums
A record 20 countries will battle it out for supremacy, split into four groups of five teams. The first group stage will feature each team playing every other team in their group once, similar to the FIFA World Cup. The top two teams from each group then advance to the Super Eight stage, where they will be divided into two groups of four. Each team will then play the other three teams in their group. The top two teams in each Super Eight group will advance to the semifinals, with the winners facing off in the final at the end of June. Let’s take a deeper dive into each World Cup group.
Group A: USA Witnesses High-Profile Cricket
Group A features perennial cricket powers India and Pakistan going against challengers Ireland, Canada, and the host nation United States. The Indian team features world-class bowlers such as Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah. India also features elite batters, especially at the top of the order. Captain Rohit Sharma is one of the game’s best opening batters, and he will be joined by long-time star Virat Kohli. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant are three explosive, T20-ready hitters to always keep an eye out for.
Photo Cred: Forbes
India’s archrival Pakistan will be led by captain Babar Azam, alongside power-hitting all-rounders Imad Wasim and Shadab Khan. The Pakistani bowling unit is set to be pace-heavy, featuring the always ferocious Shaheen Shah Afridi and veteran Mohammad Amir. Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, and keeper Mohammad Rizwan will also be key figures for the side. Ireland has always been a scrappy side in the T20 World Cup, having made it into the Super Eight stage in 2009 as an Associate nation. After becoming a Full Member nation in 2017, they even reached the Super 12 in 2022. Captain and opener Paul Stirling will lead the way, with the Adair brothers (Mark and Ross) also featuring for the Irish. Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, and Josh Little will help in challenging India and Pakistan for a top-two spot.
The North American Brethren
Canada, making their T20 World Cup debut, is led by captain and all-rounder Saad Bin Zafar. The Pakistani-Canadian cricketer brings experience, batting, and bowling for the relatively young Canadians. Top-order batter Aaron Johnson and star bowler Kaleem Sana will be joined by several veterans, including the country’s highest T20 run-scorer Navneet Dhaliwal, their second-highest T20 wicket-taker Dilon Heyliger, and one-time wonderkid Nikhil Dutta.
Photo Cred: YouTube- Fever Of Game
Finally, the host nation United States features a diverse lineup, with wicketkeeper-batter Monank Patel leading the Stars and Stripes as captain. Vice-captain Aaron Jones and opener Steven Taylor will lead the batting front, while Saurabh Netravalkar joins Ali Khan as the team’s best bowlers. Former New Zealand star Corey Anderson provides a boost to the Americans, as he has international experience on one of the world’s top cricket teams.
The U.S. and Canada will be underdogs to India, Pakistan, and even Ireland. However, the United States recently pulled off an improbable series win against Bangladesh and has an upset win against Ireland in 2021 that almost resulted in a 2-0 series win.
Group B: Two Old Rivals and Three Upstarts
Group B similarly features two top teams and three teams vying to challenge them for a spot in the knockout stage. Australia is fresh off an ODI World Cup championship, winning it last year in India after defeating the host nation in the final. Travis Head scored 137 runs to chase down India’s target of 240 runs in just 43 overs. Long-time all-rounder Mitchell Marsh will captain the Aussies, with some of the other big names including David Warner, Pat Cummins, and Glenn Maxwell. Star bowler Mitchell Starc (a star contributor for 2024 IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders) will be joined by Josh Hazlewood and Adam Zampa.
Photo Cred: ESPNcricinfo
Australia’s Ashes rival England will be their biggest competition in the group. England won the most recent T20 World Cup in 2022, with Australia winning the previous tournament in 2021. Captain Jos Buttler will lead the way for the defending champions, alongside Will Jacks, Phil Salt, and Jonny Bairstow at the top of the batting order. One person who we are all looking forward to is Jofra Archer. He will make his return to the English national team after more than a year of being sidelined with injuries.
Three Experienced Associate Nations
England’s geographic rival Scotland will also be a feisty contender to advance out of the group. Michael Jones and Brad Wheal are two players with prior World Cup experience who’ve made a return for the Scots. They managed to upset the West Indies in the 2022 T20 World Cup and in the 2023 ODI World Cup Qualifier. Richie Berrington will serve as captain, while Mark Watt and George Munsey round things up in terms of form and experience.
Oman should also not be underestimated, as eight members of their 2021 T20 World Cup team return this year. Additionally, those who participated in the recent ACC Premier Cup finals team also keep their place. Batting all-rounder Aqib Ilyas was named captain, while former captain Zeeshan Maqsood also returns to the team. Both serve as reliable all-rounders. The team’s top bowling options include different styles from Bilal Khan, Kaleemullah, and Fayyaz Butt. The opening pairing of Kashyap Prajapati and Naseem Khushi have contrasting styles (steady anchor, power hitter) that will balance things out. Wicket-keeper batter Pratik Athavale should help in bolstering the lower-order.
Photo Cred: SportsTiger.com
Finally, Namibia makes their return to the T20 World Cup after advancing to the second group stage in 2022. They went unbeaten in the ICC’s T20 Africa Qualifier, led by impressive all-rounder Gerhard Erasmus. The bowlers are led by spinner Bernard Scholtz and pacer Jan Frylinck, with assistance from former South African international David Wiese. There might be a little disappointment that Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton was left out despite scoring a century in just 33 balls against Nepal. That being said, this fairly young roster still has the potential of new talent being discovered through this tournament.
Group C: Three Island Countries Face Off!
Moving on to Group C, West Indies, New Zealand, and Afghanistan will all be contenders to advance. They are joined by the newcomers from Uganda and Papua New Guinea.
The West Indies are co-hosting the tournament along with the United States and are one of the most successful T20 teams. They’ve previously won two T20 World Cups, tied for the most all-time along with England. Rovman Powell will captain the side, while Alzarri Joseph will be the vice-captain. The West Indies have many big hitters, with Johnson Charles and Brandon King taking the top-order spots. Veterans Andre Russell, Romario Shepherd, and Shimron Hetmyer bolster the rest of the batting order. Debutant pacer Shamar Joseph will be must-see TV on the bowling side. The West Indians will look to delight their home fans and compete for a title after failing to advance to the Super Twelve stage in 2022.
One of their biggest competitors in the group is New Zealand. A semifinalist in 2022 and runner-up in 2021, the Black Caps look to make another run for the title and win their first T20 World Cup this year. Kane Williamson will lead the way as captain for New Zealand, while fellow veterans Tim Southee and Trent Boult will serve as the team’s top fast bowlers. Youngster Rachin Ravindra and vet Matt Henry look to bolster the Kiwis as they make their T20 World Cup debuts. Other notable vets include Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, and Glenn Phillips.
Photo Cred: Sky Sports
So Much Young Afghan Talent
Afghanistan has climbed up the cricketing ranks in the last few years, developing many stars to compete against the world’s best. Rashid Khan is one of the game’s top spin bowlers and will captain the Afghans. Rahmanullah Gurbaz will serve as the team’s wicketkeeper as well as an opening batter. Both players play for some of the world’s best cricket clubs in the Indian Premier League.
At one point, the Afghans were known to produce numerous spinners, but they’ve recently produced fast bowlers such as Naveen-ul-Haq and Fazalhaq Farooqi. Wicketkeeper batter Mohammed Ishaq makes his T20 World Cup debut after promising showings in international youth cricket. Afghanistan has a very good shot to upset the West Indies or New Zealand in a bid to advance to the Super Eight stage, especially with the services of Mohammad Nabi and Najibullah Zadran. One point of contention is that 26-year-old opener Hazratullah Zazai is a standby player and not in the 15-man roster. In 2019, Zazai hit Afghanistan’s highest individual score of 162 not out in 62 balls, signifying his potential with the bat.
Two of the Lowest-Ranked World Cup Teams
Papua New Guinea makes their second appearance in the T20 World Cup after first participating in 2021 during COVID complications. Winning the East Asia-Pacific Qualifier Regional Final against Japan, Assad Vala will captain the side. He will be assisted by all-rounder Charles Amini. The island nation features multiple dual-threat contributors with bat and ball, including Norman Vanua and Sese Bau. Tony Ura, the country’s only centurion and leading run-scorer, will lead from the front as an opener. While PNG shouldn’t be taken lightly, they will have a tough road ahead against more experienced competition.
Photo Cred: InsideSport
Similarly, Uganda makes their T20 World Cup debut, qualifying out of Africa with a win over regional power and Full Member Zimbabwe. The Zimbabweans are the lone Full Member to not qualify for the World Cup, despite the expansion to 20 teams. Brian Masaba leads the side along with his vice-captain Riazat Ali Shah. The Ugandans also feature 43-year-old Frank Nsubuga, as well as many other players with a decade or more of international experience. Ugandan top scorer Simon Ssesazi and top wicket-taker Henry Ssenyondo will try to add to their respective tallies. While Group C will likely be tough sledding for them, their best chance of a World Cup victory could come against PNG. Both teams will look to make their mark on the biggest world stage.
Group D: The Potential “Group of Death”
Moving on to Group D, perennial powerhouses South Africa will face steep Asian competition in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, as well as up-and-coming challengers in Nepal and Netherlands. The South African side is one of the top in the world but often struggles to win tournaments. Hopefully, they get to change this narrative in the West Indies starting June 3rd. The Proteas have a strong batting lineup with captain Aidan Markram joining Quinton De Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, and David Miller. The pace bowlers will be led by Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, while Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi will be the top spinners for the side.
Can the Two Asian Sides Break This Rut They Are In?
Despite losing the series to the USA, Bangladesh is still a top-10 T20 nation in the world. Full Members should only be doubted at their own peril. They will be led by captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, while veteran Shakib Al Hasan returns to the side after nearly a year off. Wicketkeeper Litton Das and all-rounder Mahmudullah will look to keep up their six-hitting prowess.
On the bowling side, vice-captain Taskin Ahmed and star pacer Mustafizur Rahman should help their country challenge South Africa and Sri Lanka for a spot in the Super Eight. “The Fizz” is the reason why the US could not complete the 3-0 sweep on May 25th. In his four-over spell, he took six wickets at an economy rate of 2.50. One thing they will be keeping an eye on is the health of Shoriful Islam, who might’ve picked up a hand injury in today’s warmup match against India.
Photo Cred: Times of India
Sri Lanka brings a mixture of star power and experience to the T20 World Cup, previously winning the tournament in 2014. All-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga will serve as captain, while middle-order batter Charith Asalanka will be his vice-captain. Hasaranga’s side features plenty of spin not only from their specialist bowlers, which should be good for depth and flexibility purposes. Veterans Angelo Mathews (former captain), Dasun Shanaka (former captain), ODI captain Kusal Mendis, and Test captain Dhananjaya de Silva will provide further leadership to the side. Five of their top specialist bowlers, including Dushmantha Chameera and Matheesha Pathirana, have taken part in recent IPL seasons, thus enhancing their credibility. The Sri Lankans will look to break out of the group stage and return to their former glory as one of the world’s top cricketing nations.
Two Similarly-Ranked Associates Grouped Together
Nepal has one of the youngest sides of the tournament, with only one player past the age of 30. Regardless, they do have some stars to compete with the bigger names in the group and tournament. The Nepalis played well in the recent ACC Premier Cup as well as in a home series against the West Indies A team. Captain Rohit Paudel hit a century in the first game against West Indies A, while Dipendra Singh Airee recently hit six sixes in one over against Qatar.
Both will lead an explosive batting lineup including the two Kushals, Bhurtel and Malla. Sompal Kami and Karan KC are the veteran fast bowlers providing valuable international experience for this young side. One key player missing from the side is the nation’s leading wicket-taker Sandeep Lamichhane, who was caught up in legal troubles. After being cleared of his charges, he had the opportunity to participate in the tournament but was denied his US visa. After making their T20 debut in 2014, Nepal looks to challenge the powers and stay competitive in a group with three full-member nations.
Photo Cred: Sky Sports
The Netherlands have definitely been a standout team over the last few years. They were the only associate nation to play in the 2023 ODI World Cup and finished in the top 12 of the 2022 T20 tournament. The only issue is that the country is fielding a weaker side than they normally would. Former South African pair Colin Ackermann and Roelof van der Merwe chose to continue playing county cricket instead of the World Cup. Meanwhile, four top bowlers (Brandon Glover, Timm van der Gugten, Fred Klaassen, and Daniel Doram) have been lost to injury.
The nation’s leading run-scorer (Max O’Dowd) and wicket-taker (Paul van Meekeren) feature in the country’s fourth consecutive World Cup. Captain and wicketkeeper Scott Edwards has made it popular to maximize running between the wickets for two-run opportunities. The Netherlands has managed to be a scrappy side and look to continue their recent success in a crowded group with a real chance to advance. Group D might be the most competitive of them all, with three test-playing nations and two associate members that are climbing up the rankings.
The Super Eight Contenders
The First Two Groups
So, who will advance to the Super Eight stage and beyond? In Group A, the United States team looks promising after two victories over Bangladesh. Ireland is capable of springing many upsets of their own and has more experience than the Americans and Canadians. Both the US and Canada are making their T20 World Cup debuts, yet both are capable of taking on tough opponents. However, at the end of the day, India is one of the world’s top cricketing nations. They boast a team with world-class batters and bowlers, many of whom are coming off the Indian Premier League season and are in top form. Pakistan is coming off of a runners-up finish in 2022 and is bringing a talented squad to the US and Caribbean. A few upsets might occur, but expect India and Pakistan to advance out of Group A.
In Group B, Scotland is not an easy opponent, while both Namibia and Oman bring some experience and talent to the big stage. Scotland joins Ireland as teams who could spring some big upsets. However, Australia and England are just on a different level. England is coming off the T20 World Cup championship and looks to repeat. The Aussies recently defeated host nation India in the ODI World Cup and brings a talented side to the T20 tournament. Many of its top hitters and bowlers participated in the IPL and had huge impacts as overseas players, so they will be in top form in the West Indies. Expect both the Australians and the English to continue their dominance.
Photo Cred: Gulf News
The Last Two Groups
Group C presents an interesting case, with New Zealand, the West Indies, and Afghanistan all being capable of advancing. Newcomers Uganda and Papua New Guinea will likely struggle against much more experienced nations, but each team has the chance to record at least one win in the group stage. The Windies have recently struggled in the T20 format, even failing to advance to the Super Twelve stage in 2022. However, the side has the batting firepower and has won the tournament twice. Having matches on their own turf should help them advance this time.
New Zealand advanced to the semifinals in 2022 and brings back a very talented team in their own right. Afghanistan is very capable of making a deep run with star players of their own, but I believe they will fall short of taking a spot away from the West Indies and New Zealand. Home-field advantage will help the Caribbean side finally break out of their slump.
Finally, in Group D, South Africa should be the favorites. They feature a powerful hitting lineup with international superstars, similar to Australia and India. Bangladesh has struggled lately, despite having a veteran lineup, while Sri Lanka brings a lot of experience and talent in their own right. Despite making it to the Super Twelve stage in 2022, the Dutch side will likely fall short this time. So will a young Nepal side lacking the experience other teams have. South Africa and Sri Lanka are likely to make it out, while Bangladesh and the Netherlands are likely left behind.
Photo Cred: LatestLY
Who Will Be This Year’s Upset Picks?
I predict two teams who will cause upsets in the group stage: Afghanistan (Group C) and Netherlands (Group D). Afghanistan has been on the rise for many years, featuring such stars as Rashid and Gurbaz. Gurbaz, notably, was one of KKR’s openers in this year’s IPL, making two notable contributions in crunch-time situations. This is as good a year as any for the Afghans to advance, especially if one or both of New Zealand and West Indies struggle.
Photo Cred: Al Jazeera
The door to the Super Eight could also be wide open for the Dutch as well. They’ve been a thorn in South Africa’s side in two of the last combined World Cups (T20 and ODI). If they can pull off another upset against the Proteas, I feel like the Dutch could have a good shot at advancing further. The Flying Dutchmen will also have to take down a couple of Asian sides, which is no easy task. However, they might just be better than Bangladesh based on current form. They should not be too much of an underdog against Sri Lanka, who they just recently took down in a warmup match.
Honorable Mentions
The Americans and Irish will be fired up to produce some upsets as well, but India and Pakistan will likely be too much to overcome in Group A. Since Australia and England should dominate Group B, it doesn’t leave much room for upsets to occur.
Playoff Predictions!
In the end, I see the four semifinalists being India, England, Australia, and the home team West Indies. This could produce scintillating semifinals, with India possibly battling their old rivals England. A top Australian team could take on the always explosive West Indies side, one that is looking to regain their old dominance. A rematch of the 2023 ODI World Cup final may be in order, as both India and Australia appear to be above all others. However, this time, my prediction has India’s star-studded lineup powering through. They should be able to avenge their prior defeat to take home their second T20 title, their first since 2007.
Stay Tuned!
The T20 Cricket World Cup starts today, Saturday, June 1st. The United States and Canada will battle in Dallas at 8:30 PM ET/7:30 PM CT for an exciting matchup under the lights. Be sure to catch the action and stay tuned for select game recaps and tournament updates throughout the month of June!
