ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 finally drew to an end with a blockbuster final between hosts England and New Zealand. The two finalists played an all-time classic with the game at Lord’s swinging like a pendulum before England emerged victorious on boundary count. But the game moves on and after being part of a thrilling contest, teams will now start preparing for the upcoming ICC Tournament: T20 World Cup 2020. ICC T20 World Cup 2020: MS Dhoni to Dinesh Karthik, 5 Indian Players Who May Not Be Part of Team India Squad For Next Edition of Twenty20 World Cup.

It was a fitting end to the 2019 Cricket World Cup that kept fans on the edge for most of it especially after incessant rain and poor weather conditions has spoiled the fun for the opening two weeks. Fans will now be rearing for more of such thrilling contests when the World Cup comes calling again this time in the 20-overs format. The ICC T20 World Cup 2020 is just over a year away. It is scheduled to start on October 18, 2020, and will go on till November 15, 2020.

The T20 World Cup will be held in Australia and will involve 12 international teams, 8 of which will be Test-playing nations, while Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will have to come through the group stages along with four other qualifying teams.  The qualifying teams will play the Continental T20 World Cup qualifiers among themselves from which top four teams will qualify for the tournament. We bring all the details you need to know ahead of the commencement ICC T20 World Cup 2020. Jofra Archer to Alex Carey And Other Best Finds of 12th Edition of CWC 2019 Who Can Shine Bright in ICC T20 World Cup 2020.

ICC T20 World Cup 2020 Schedule - Date and Time

The ICC T20 World Cup 2020 will begin on October 8, 2020, and will run till November 15, 2020. All the games as mentioned in ICC’s website will have start timings of 2 pm and 7 pm. Both the semi-finals will be played on November 11 and 12 and will start at 7 pm respectively. The final will be played on November 15.

Number of Teams Participating at ICC T20 World Cup 2020

Overall 12 teams will participate in the T20 World Cup 2020. Australia by virtue of being of the hosts will directly qualify for the final tournament, while seven more teams from the ICC rankings will also make direct entries to Super 12 based on their performances till December 31, 2018. India, Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand, West Indies, England and Afghanistan are the seven teams that are eligible.

Which Country is Hosting ICC T20 World Cup 2020?

Australia, who came runner-up in the 2010 edition, will host the T20 World Cup 2020. ICC contemplated to host it in South Africa but later shifted it to Australia.

What Are The Venues Decided For ICC T20 World Cup 2020 Fixtures?

All matches of the T20 World Cup 2020 will be played at the Adelaide Oval, Brisbane Cricket Ground (The Gabba), Geelong Cricket Ground (Kardinia Park), Bellerive Oval (Hobart), Melbourne Cricket Ground, Perth Stadium (Waca Stadium) and Sydney Cricket Ground. Among these stadiums, Adelaide and Sydney will be hosting the two semi-finals, while the final will be played at Melbourne.

Format - Groups, Points and Basic Rules and Regulations

The ICC T20 World Cup 2020 will be played in a Super 12 format. The Afore-mentioned eight teams have already qualified for the Super 12 stage, while four others including Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will have to progress through the group stages.

Eight teams – including Sri Lanka and Bangladesh – will be participating in the group stage. Six teams, to be decided later, will join Sri Lanka ad Bangladesh in playing the league phase. They will be divided into two groups of four teams each. Top two of each group will then qualify for the super 12 and join the other eight.

Similarly, in the Super 12 stage, 12 nations will be divided into two groups of six teams each. Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand and West Indies have been placed in Pot 1. India, England, South Africa and Afghanistan are in pot 2. Both teams will also involve two more sides each, which will be decided after the group stage. Victory will earn the teams two points each, while a draw will be decided by a super over.

Who Will Be The Defending Champion at ICC T20 World Cup 2020?

West Indies are the defending champions of ICC T20 World Cup. The West Indies beat England in the 2016 final at Kolkata to lift the trophy. They are the most successful team in the history of T20 World Cup with two titles to their name.

The 2020 edition of the T20 World Cup will be the seventh T20 World Cup. Both the men’s and women’s T20 World Cup will be held in Australia in 2020 and will also be played simultaneously. West Indies are defending champions in both the men’s and women’s category.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 16, 2019 07:11 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).