The Virat Kohli-led India are one of the favourites to win the 7th edition of the ICC T20 World Cup. The tournament starts on October 17 with a qualifying Round 1, Group B fixture between one of the hosts, Oman and debutants Papua New Guinea. For the record, India are the official hosts. The tournament was moved to Oman and the UAE due to the coronavirus pandemic. (More Cricket News)
India begin their campaign with a clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on October 24 in a Super 12 fixture. Indian players are already in the UAE as part of the IPL entourage, representing different franchises. Now, they will have a collective goal.
Also, the presence of former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni as a mentor in the dugout will help the team. Skipper Kohli already said that Dhoni's "eye for intricate details" and "practical advice" will help in enhancing the confidence of the squad. By the way, Dhoni just led Chennai Super Kings to their fourth IPL title with a convincing victory against Eoin Morgan's Kolkata Knight Rider in Dubai.
India will play two warm-up matches before taking on Babar Azam's Pakistan. Here's all you need to know about India's ICC Men's T20 World Cup campaign:
How to watch
TV Channels: Star Sports Network
Live Streaming: Disney+ Hotstar
ICC awarded Star Sports the global broadcast rights for all ICC Events 2015-2023. This included exclusive live and highlights rights across all platforms for ICC major events.
Check complete global telecast details HERE.
India Squad
India on October 13 named Shardul Thakur as the replacement for Axar Patel in the 15-man main squad for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
India’s squad for ICC T20 World Cup: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Rahul Chahar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammad Shami
Stand-by players: Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Axar Patel
India Group And Matches
India are in Group 2 along with Afghanistan, New Zealand, Pakistan, Group B winners and Group A runners-up.
Match 16: India vs Pakistan, Super 12, Group 2
- On October 24 (Sunday) in Dubai, UAE
- 7:30 PM IST/ 06:00 PM Local/ 02:00 PM GMT
Match 28: India vs New Zealand, Super 12, Group 2
- On October 31 (Sunday) in Dubai, UAE
- 7:30 PM IST/ 06:00 PM Local/ 02:00 PM GMT
Match 33: India vs Afghanistan, Super 12, Group 2
- On November 3 (Wednesday) in Abu Dhabi, UAE
- 7:30 PM IST/ 06:00 PM Local/ 02:00 PM GMT
Match 37: India vs B1, Super 12, Group 2
- On November 5 (Friday) in Dubai, UAE
- 7:30 PM IST/ 06:00 PM Local/ 02:00 PM GMT
Match 42: India vs A2, Super 12, Group 2
- On November 8 (Monday) in Dubai, UAE
- 7:30 PM IST/ 06:00 PM Local/ 02:00 PM GMT
Other 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, A1, B2
The BCCI also unveiled a fan-inspired team jersey for the tournament. “This is the first time in the history of Indian cricket that fans have been memorialised on a jersey. It carries their chants and cheers from iconic past matches, transformed into unique soundwave patterns,” the board said in the statement.
