Everything you need to know about ICC Men's T20 World Cup: format, rules & past winners

As the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup approaches, excitement is building for this global cricketing event set to take place in the United States and the West Indies. This year’s tournament promises to be the most thrilling yet, with a record number of teams competing and a wide-open field vying for the title. England, the defending champions following their triumph in Australia in 2022, will face stiff competition from around the world. This guide provides an overview of the tournament’s schedule, format, and key details to keep you informed and ready for all the action.

Defending champions and open competition

England enters the tournament as the defending champions, having won the title in Australia in 2022. However, this year’s competition is wide open with a record-breaking number of teams set to participate.

Schedule and start date

The 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup begins on 2 June at 01:30 BST with hosts United States facing Canada in Texas. Matches will also take place in the Caribbean, resulting in games occurring overnight in the UK (00:30 or 01:30 BST) and in the afternoon (15:30, 16:30, 18:00, or 20:00 BST).

The initial group stage, featuring 20 teams split into four groups of five, runs until 18 June with at least one game daily, often two or three. The Super 8s stage follows with two games most days until 25 June, leading up to both semi-finals on 27 June. The final will be held on Saturday, 29 June at 15:30 BST in Barbados.

Tournament format

The 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup is the biggest yet, with 20 teams participating. The tournament returns to an old format where all teams play from the start. In the initial group stage, each team plays four games, and the top two from each group advance to the Super 8s.

The Super 8s will take place solely in the Caribbean and consist of two groups of four. Eight teams (India, Pakistan, Australia, England, New Zealand, West Indies, South Africa, and Sri Lanka) are seeded to aid in planning and scheduling. These teams will be placed into Group 1 or Group 2 based on their seeding, not their performance in the initial group stage.

In the Super 8s, the top two teams from each group progress to the semi-finals, where the group winners face the runners-up from the opposite group.

Competing teams in the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup

The expanded format of the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup means that almost all major cricketing nations are participating. The only Test-playing nation not to qualify is Zimbabwe, who failed to advance through their qualifier tournament.

The 20 teams are divided into the following four groups for the initial phase:

• Group A: Canada, India (A1), Ireland, Pakistan (A2), USA
• Group B: Australia (B2), England (B1), Namibia, Oman, Scotland
• Group C: Afghanistan, New Zealand (C1), Papua New Guinea, Uganda, West Indies (C2)
• Group D: Bangladesh, Nepal, Netherlands, South Africa (D1), Sri Lanka (D2)

Venues and stadiums for the 2024 T20 World Cup

The 2024 T20 World Cup marks cricket’s first major global event in the United States, with 16 of the 55 matches taking place there. The three venues hosting games in the U.S. are:

• Florida: Central Broward Park & Broward County Stadium
• New York: Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, a new venue featuring a pitch flown in from Adelaide, Australia, and temporary seating
• Texas: Grand Prairie Stadium

In the Caribbean, matches will be held at the following locations:

• Antigua & Barbuda: Sir Vivian Richards Stadium
• Barbados: Kensington Oval
• Guyana: Guyana National Stadium
• Saint Lucia: Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium
• St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Arnos Vale Playing Field
• Trinidad & Tobago: Brian Lara Cricket Academy

Rules for the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup

The tournament follows the T20 format, with each team playing 20 overs unless bowled out earlier or the chasing team reaches their target before completing the overs. Key rules include:

• Powerplay: The first six overs with specific fielding restrictions.
• Match Duration: Each match lasts three hours and 10 minutes, with each innings allotted one hour and 25 minutes and separated by a 20-minute interval.
• Stop-Clock: The bowling side must be ready to bowl each over within 60 seconds of the previous one finishing.
• Reviews: Each team is allowed two unsuccessful reviews per innings.
• Super Over: In case of a tie, a super over will determine the winner, with additional super overs played if necessary.
• Minimum Overs: In group phases, a minimum of five overs per side is required to constitute a result, increasing to 10 overs in the semi-finals and final.
• DLS Method: The Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method will decide the winner if play is halted due to weather after the minimum overs are bowled.
• Reserve Days: The first semi-final and final have a reserve day, while the second semi-final has an additional 250 minutes for extra time. If India reaches the semi-finals, they will play in the second game.

Previous Men’s T20 World Cup winners

There have been six winners in the eight editions of the Men’s T20 World Cup:

• 2007: India
• 2009: Pakistan
• 2010: England
• 2012: West Indies
• 2014: Sri Lanka
• 2016: West Indies
• 2021: Australia
• 2022: England

See Also: MS Dhoni not retiring soon – Reports

The 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup promises to be an exciting and historic tournament, with a record number of teams and a mix of traditional and new venues. As cricket expands its global reach, fans around the world can look forward to thrilling matches and unforgettable moments in this year’s competition.