ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021
T20 World Cup 2021: Bangladesh’s Group Stage Fixtures
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.
ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Dubai to Host Epic India-Pakistan Group Stage Match
The seventh edition of the T20 World Cup was postponed for a year due to the coronavirus. India was slated to host the event, but because of a massive outbreak of covid-19 in India, it will now be hosted by the UAE and Oman. The ICC has already announced the fixtures of the tournament. Interestingly, India and Pakistan are both placed in the same group of Super 12 round. The arch-rivals will go head-to-head in their Opening Encounter in Dubai on 24th October. The possibilities of India and Pakistan winning the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 have been discussed in this article.
What are the chances of India winning the ICC T20 World Cup 2021?
India are one of the favorite teams to win the seventh edition of the Twenty20 World Cup, which will begin in mid-October. India now have some good Twenty20 players by virtue of the IPL (franchise based T20 league). So, we should expect a well-balanced squad from India for the next mega event.
India have one of the finest batting lineups in the world. Led by flamboyant skipper Virat Kohli, India have power hitters Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Rishab Pant, and Hardik Pandya in their lineup. They are capable of scoring swiftly against any opponent in the world. So, India will have no problem scoring runs in this tournament.
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India have a diverse bowling attack that can unsettle any batting lineup in the world. Bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Yuzvendra Chahal are all good in the T20 format. You may expect them to flourish for India in the competition.
India would be a difficult team to beat if they can establish their groove early in the tournament. India have failed to reach the final of any ICC limited-overs event since 2011. Can India win a limited-overs World Cup for the first time in ten years?
Five important players of India
Virat Kohli (batsman), Rohit Sharma (batsman), Hardik Pandya (All-rounder), Yuzvendra Chahal (Spinner), Jasprit Bumrah (medium-pacer)
Probable Squad of India
Virat Kohli (Captain), Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, T Natarajan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammad Shami, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishan Kishan (Wicket-Keeper), Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (Wicket-Keeper), Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah
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What are the chances of Pakistan winning the ICC T20 World Cup 2021?
Pakistan are one of the world's best limited-overs national teams. They have some talented players in the Twenty20 format. We should expect them to go all out for the big tournament. Pakistan may be one of the top contenders to win the ICC T20 World Cup this year if they can maintain consistency throughout the tournament.
Pakistan's premier batsman Captain Babar Azam is ranked among the best batters in the ICC rankings across all formats. Pakistan's batting lineup also includes Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Hafiz, and Shoaib Malik. These players have a lot of experience on the international stage and they know how to win big trophies.
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Pakistan have always produced great fast bowlers, and the current side has a few dangerous pacers as well. Shaheen Shah Afridi has established himself as Pakistan's premier strike bowler over the last two years. Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, and Mohammad Nawaz are all capable of upsetting the batting lineups of the opponent.
Pakistan will be a deadly side in the upcoming tournament if they can find their best form. Pakistan's lone T20 World Cup triumph came in 2009. Will Pakistan win its second Twenty20 World Cup in November?
Five important players of Pakistan
Babar Azam (batsman), Mohammad Rizwan (Wicket-keeper & batsman), Mohammad Hafeez (all-rounder), Shoaib Malik (all-rounder), Hasan Ali(medium-pacer)
Read ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021: Bangladesh Cricket Team’s Full Schedule
Probable Squad of Pakistan
Babar Azam (Captain), Mohammad Rizwan (Wicket-Keeper), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Sharjeel Khan, Haider Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Usman Qadir, Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Danish Aziz, Arshad Iqbal
Verdict
After assessing both sides' squad depths, it is clear that India and Pakistan are the two strong contenders for the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. The two teams will meet in the Super 12 stage's opening match of Group 2 on October 24. In that match, we will be able to see how competitive they are with one another. Whoever win their first match will have a greater belief in their own capabilities. Both India and Pakistan's players are expected to give it their all in this blockbuster contest.
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