The top eight teams in the ICC T20 team rankings directly qualified to the Super 12s phase. The remaining four teams will be determined through a group phase, which will begin a week before the main event. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka did not qualify for the Super 12, thus they will compete in the group stage to advance to the next round. The six teams who qualified for the tournament through the 2019 ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier will join them. Let's have a look at the T20 World Cup 2021 group phase fixtures.
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Group A Fixtures of T20 World Cup 2021
Ireland, Namibia, the Netherlands, and Sri Lanka are the four teams in Group A. Among the teams, Sri Lanka are the clear favorites to advance to the Super 12s. However, the Lankan side may encounter stiff challenges playing against Ireland and the Netherlands.
Ireland are a promising team with the potential to upset strong opponents on any given day. On the other hand, the Netherlands are known for being a giant killer. They have a history of upsetting big teams in World Cup tournaments. Therefore, when confronting these opponents, Sri Lanka must take them seriously.
Namibia are a very weak team, thus making it to the group stage of the World Cup is a significant accomplishment. The winner of this group will play in Group 1, while the runner-up will play in Group 2 in the Super 12s round.
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ICC T20 World Cup 2021 Group A Schedule
Date |
Fixture |
Venue |
Time |
October 18 (Monday) |
Ireland vs Netherlands |
Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi |
4 PM |
October 18 (Monday) |
Sri Lanka vs Namibia |
Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi |
8 PM |
October 20 (Wednesday) |
Namibia vs. Netherlands |
Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi |
4 PM |
October 20 (Wednesday) |
Sri Lanka vs. Ireland |
Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi |
8 PM |
October 22 (Friday) |
Namibia vs. Ireland |
Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah |
4 PM |
October 22 (Friday) |
Sri Lanka vs. Netherlands |
Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah |
8 PM |
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
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Group B Fixtures of T20 World Cup 2021
Bangladesh, Scotland, Oman, and Papua New Guinea are the four teams in Group B. On paper, Bangladesh appear to be the clear favorite to finish top in Group B's points table. Scotland will put Bangladesh to the test when the two teams play on Sunday (October 17). Whoever wins the contest will be favourite to take the first position in the points table.
One of the T20 World Cup 2021 hosts, Oman and Oceania’s Papua New Guinea have a slim chance of progressing to the next round. Participating in the preliminary round of the Twenty20 World Cup will be a significant achievement for both the associate nations of the International Cricket Council.
The winner of this group will play in Group 2, while the runner-up will play in Group 1 in the Super 12s round of the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup 2021.
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ICC T20 World Cup 2021 Group B Schedule
Date |
Fixture |
Venue |
Time |
October 17 (Sunday) |
Oman vs Papua New Guinea |
Al Amerat Cricket Ground, Oman |
4 PM |
October 17 (Sunday) |
Bangladesh vs. Scotland |
Al Amerat Cricket Ground, Oman |
8 PM |
October 19 (Tuesday) |
Scotland vs. Papua New Guinea |
Al Amerat Cricket Ground, Oman |
4 PM |
October 19 (Tuesday) |
Oman vs. Bangladesh |
Al Amerat Cricket Ground, Oman |
8 PM |
October 21 (Thursday) |
Bangladesh vs. Papua New Guinea |
Al Amerat Cricket Ground, Oman |
4 PM |
October 21 (Thursday) |
Oman vs. Scotland |
Al Amerat Cricket Ground, Oman |
8 PM |
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
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Verdict
As per the fixture, the competitive group in the T20 World Cup 2021 is Group A. Ireland, the Netherlands, and Sri Lanka are set to compete for a spot in the Super 12s Round of World Cup. Group B includes Bangladesh and Scotland. These two teams are considerably stronger than the rest of the group. The top two teams in each group will progress to the Super 12s phase. As a result, a tough contest can be expected among the participating teams in the group phase for a berth in the next round.