T20 World Cup: Pakistan, India to face off on October 24 in Dubai

Published August 17, 2021
In this file photo taken on June 28, 2019 Pakistan (L) and Indian super fans cheer during the 2019 Cricket World Cup group stage match between West Indies and India at Old Trafford in Manchester. — AFP
In this file photo taken on June 28, 2019 Pakistan (L) and Indian super fans cheer during the 2019 Cricket World Cup group stage match between West Indies and India at Old Trafford in Manchester. — AFP

Pakistan will face India on October 24 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium for the men's T20 World Cup, according to the scheduled announced by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday.

The 16-nation tournament — to be held in the United Arab Emirates and Oman — will begin on October 17 with Oman taking on Papua New Guinea in the opener followed by an evening match between Scotland and Bangladesh in round one of the competition.

The top two teams from both group A and group B in the first round will advance to the so-called Super 12 stage, where the game's heavyweight nations join the tournament.

Australia will play South Africa and holders West Indies meet England in Group 1 matches on October 23 at the start of the Super 12, which will eventually decide the four semi-finalists.

England will take on Australia in another key clash on October 30 in Dubai.

The matches will be held across four venues — the Dubai International Stadium, the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, the Sharjah Stadium, and the Oman Cricket Academy Ground.

The final will be in Dubai on November 14 with a reserve day kept aside on November 15.

In a statement, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said that the two countries will come face to face for the first time since the 2019 50-over World Cup fixture at Manchester.

On October 26, Pakistan — the champions of the 2009 edition — will play Kane Williamson’s New Zealand at the historic Sharjah Cricket Stadium, before returning to Dubai to play Afghanistan for the first time in a T20 World Cup on October 29, the statement said.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have played only one T20I against each other to date which the former won in 2013, it added.

In their last two matches of the Super 12 stage, which will feature the top eight T20 teams and four teams who secure qualification from Round 1, Pakistan will play the runner up of Group A and winners of Group B on November 2 and 7 at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium and the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, respectively.

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