For the first time, the women’s and men’s T20 World Cups will be held as standalone events in the same year and in the same country.
The fixtures for the ICC T20 World Cup Australia 2020 were revealed in Sydney, Australia on Tuesday morning. For the first time, the women’s and men’s T20 World Cups will be held as standalone events in the same year and in the same country.
The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 will take place from 21 February – 8 March 2020, culminating in the final at the MCG on 8 March 2020, International Women’s Day. This presents a groundbreaking opportunity to set a new world record for attendance at a women’s sporting fixture.
A spectacular opening celebration will mark the start of the women’s tournament, when hosts and defending champions Australia take on India at Sydney Showground Stadium on 21 February 2020. The women’s tournament will also feature double-header semi-finals at the iconic SCG on Thursday 5 March 2020.
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020 will take place later in the year, from 18 October to 15 November 2020. Hosts Australia will play the opening match of the Super 12 stage of the tournament on Saturday 24 October under lights at the SCG in a blockbuster match-up against the world’s top-ranked team, Pakistan.
The first men’s semi-final will take place at the SCG on Wednesday 11 November, with Adelaide Oval hosting the second semi-final the following night. Like the women’s final earlier in the year, the men’s final will be played at the MCG, on the evening of Sunday 15 November 2020.
Both tournaments will be held right across Australia in eight Host Cities and 13 venues.
Men’s defending champions, the Windies, will start their title defence when they clash with New Zealand on Sunday 15 November at the MCG. India’s first match of the men’s tournament will be on Saturday 24 October against South Africa at Perth Stadium. This contest will follow the Australia-Pakistan opening match in Sydney, marking a spectacular opening night for the men’s Super 12 stage.
Having finished ninth and tenth in the MRF Tyres ICC World T20I Team Rankings, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh respectively are the two currently known qualifiers in the First Round of the men’s event, with matches to be played in Geelong and Hobart from October 18-23. The remaining six teams for the First Round will be determined via a qualifying tournament to be held later in 2019. A total of four teams from the First Round, two from each of Group A and Group B, will progress to the Super 12 stage.
ICC T20 World Cup Australia 2020 Local Organising Committee CEO Nick Hockley said: “We’re so excited to be able to let fans all around Australia and the world know when and where their teams will play, so they can start planning now.
“World Cups are all about bringing people together. We know that passionate fans of all generations and cultures will travel from near and far to support their teams and that they will receive the warmest of welcomes in our wonderful host cities.”
“Putting on events of this scale is a big team effort and we would like to thank all our valued partners for making sure that the T20 World Cup is not only a spectacular celebration in 2020 but that it leaves a lasting positive impact.
“With the Women’s T20 World Cup up first, we’ll be calling on cricket fans to bring their families, friends and communities to support the best players in the world.”
ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said: “Whenever we host an event in Australia we know we can guarantee the one billion cricket fans around the world a great show. The world’s best players. Outstanding venues. Noisy, passionate, knowledgeable fans. Exciting cricket. This is the perfect combination for a T20 World Cup and in 2020 we go one step further with two T20 World Cups in one year.
India’s first clash of the tournament will be on Saturday 24 October against South Africa at the state-of-the-art Perth Stadium. Hosts Australia will play the opening match of the Super 12 stage of the tournament on Saturday 24 October under lights at the SCG in a blockbuster match-up against the world’s top-ranked team, Pakistan.
“To hold two T20 World Cup finals at the world’s largest cricket stadium in front of 92,000 people with hundreds of millions more watching around the world is a particularly exciting prospect as we look to grow the fans around the world and make 2020 the year of cricket.”
Fans can visit t20worldcup.com to register before 13 February 2019 to get priority access to women’s tickets, before they go on sale to the public on 21 February 2019. Men’s tickets pricing and on-sale dates will be announced later in 2019.
FIXTURES SUMMARY
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020
Hosts and defending champions Australia take on India at Sydney Showground Stadium to kick start the tournament.
• Group A
◦ Australia (Defending champions and four-time winners – 2010, ’12, ’14, 18)
◦ New Zealand
◦ India
◦ Sri Lanka
◦ Qualifier 1
• Group B
◦ England (2009 champions)
◦ West Indies (2016 champions)
◦ South Africa
◦ Pakistan
◦ Qualifier 2
◦ Group A (Kardinia Park, Geelong): Sri Lanka plus three qualifiers
◦ Group B (Bellerive Oval, Hobart): Bangladesh plus three qualifiers
◦ Group 1:
▪ Pakistan
▪ Australia
▪ West Indies
▪ New Zealand
▪ First Round Group A team 1
▪ First Round Group B team 2
◦ Group 2:
▪ India
▪ England
▪ South Africa
▪ Afghanistan
▪ First Round Group B team 1
▪ First Round Group A team 2
(As issued in an ICC Media Release)
