Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane
The marquee T20 World Cup is reportedly set to start from October 17 in the UAE, with the final of the 20-over spectacle scheduled on November 14. The tournament will start after the remainder of IPL 2021 wraps up in the Gulf nation, according to a report by ESPNcricinfo.
The IPL 2021 was shelved midway due to growing cases in its bio-bubble. The lucrative T20 league is set to resume from September 19 in the UAE, with the final likely to be held on October 15, just days before the start of the T20 World Cup.
Earlier, the ICC had given the BCCI time till June 28 to take a call on whether it would host the men's T20 World Cup amid the alarming COVID-19 situation across the country. A second wave of the raging pandemic had left India tottering, also leading to the postponement of IPL 2021.
The BCCI also had reportedly asked for a four-week window to take a final call over hosting rights of the T20 World Cup. UAE, as well as Oman, are now likely to host the first round of the tournament, which will be a 12-match affair featuring eight teams -- Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Netherlands, Scotland, Namibia, Oman, Papua New Guinea.
Four (top two from each group) would qualify for the Super 12s comprising the top eight T20I ranked nations. The 30-match Super12 phase is scheduled to start on October 24.
The Super 12s matches will be spread across three venues -- Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. The tournament will come to a crescendo with three playoff games including two semi-finals and the final clash.
