Defending champions Australia will begin their title defence against New Zealand at Sydney Cricket Ground in a repeat of last year's final.
India will take on arch-rivals Pakistan in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 campaign opener at the MCG on October 23 in a Super 12 fixture while Australia begin their title defence against New Zealand in a repeat of last year’s final, the world governing body announced on Friday. (More Cricket News)
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 starts on October 16. Melbourne Cricket Ground will host the final on November 13. The two semifinals will be in Sydney and Adelaide on November 9 and 10 respectively.
Incidentally, India had started their campaign against Pakistan in the last edition in Dubai with the latter winning by 10 wickets. It was also the first time Pakistan defeated India in any World Cup game. The tournament will be played in two halves. The first round consists of eight teams divided into two groups.
Sri Lanka, Namibia, Scotland, and the West Indies have already confirmed their places in the first round while another four will join from global qualifiers. The top two teams from each of the groups in the first round will advance into the Super 12 stage while will be again divided into two groups of six teams each.
In Group 1 of the Super 12s, Australia are alongside New Zealand, England, Afghanistan plus two other qualifiers. India and Pakistan have been drawn in Group 2 alongside South Africa, Bangladesh and the other two qualifying teams.
The First Round will consist of daily double-headers, held on alternate days at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval and Geelong’s Kardinia Park, with all Group A matches at the latter venue and all Group B matches held in the Tasmanian city.
The winner of Group A and runner-up of Group B will join Group 1 in the Super 12 stage, with Group B’s winners and the second-placed team in Group A heading into Group 2. The entire tournament will be played across seven venues.
Kardinia Park in Geelong will host six matches, exclusively in the opening week’s First Round, while Bellerive Oval in Hobart will host nine games in total, six in the first round and three further matches during the opening three days of the Super 12 stage.
The remainder of the Super 12 matches will be held at the Gabba, Perth Stadium, Adelaide Oval, Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) and MCG. Speaking on the occasion, Australia’s T20 World Cup-winning captain Aaron Finch said it will be tough to defend the title on home soil.
“Our planning was ultra-detailed last time,” Finch said at the MCG on Friday. “Knowing what the groups look like eight, nine months out is really helpful because it can help your level of detail in that planning phase. It’s a tough group though.
“They’re both tough and when you throw in qualifiers like West Indies, Sri Lanka, you've got to play really well to get out of the group stage,” added Finch, under whom Australian won the title for the first time last year, beating New Zealand in the final in Dubai.
October 23 – India vs Pakistan at MCG
October 27 – India vs Group A Runner-up at SCG
October 30 – India vs South Africa at Perth Stadium
November 2 – India vs Bangladesh at Adelaide Oval
November 6 – India vs Group B Winner at MCG