The Indian cricket team will open its campaign in the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 against New Zealand in Nagpur on March 15 next year, followed by a marquee clash against Pakistan in Dharamsala four days later. The ICC announced the groups and itinerary for the sixth instalment of the tournament to be held across eight venues in India from March 8 to April 3, confirming that the final will be played at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
In all, the 2016 World Twenty20 will comprise 58 matches - 35 for the men's teams, 23 for women's - over 27 days across Bangalore, Chennai, Dharamsala, Kolkata, Mohali, Mumbai, Nagpur and New Delhi. The semi-finals will be played in New Delhi and Mumbai on March 30 and 31 respectively, with Kolkata hosting the summit clash. The women's semi-finals and final will be followed by the men's knock-out matches.
The men's event will see eight teams divided into two groups of four for the first round of matches, from this the group winners will progress to the Super 10 stage starting March 16; this is two groups of five teams. From the second round, the top two teams from both groups will make it to the semi-finals. In the women's event, 10 teams will be divided into two groups and the top two from each group will progress to the semis.
The men's tournament will start on March 8 in Nagpur, with Bangladesh, Netherlands, Ireland, man (Group A) and Zimbabwe, Scotland, Hong Kong and Afghanistan (Group B) competing until March 13. The first day will see Zimbabwe play Hong Kong followed by Scotland versus Afghanistan. The group winners will join Australia, England, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and India.
India, losing finalists in the 2014 edition, have been pooled with Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand and the Group A winner. After the Nagpur and Dharamsala fixtures, India will meet the Group A winner in Bangalore on March 23 and Australia in Mohali on March 27. Defending champions Sri Lanka are alongside South Africa, West Indies, England and the Group B winner.
"India is a country where cricket is a religion and not many places can match the passion for the game like India. I am fully confident that the Board of Control for Cricket in India will deliver an outstanding world cricket event, just like the ICC Cricket World Cups in 1987, 1996 and 2011," said ICC chairman Shashank Manohar in Mumbai during the launch of the tournament. "The ICC and BCCI are fully committed and will work together to make this a memorable event. I invite fans from across the world to witness fast-paced cricketing action on the field and enjoy the hospitality and culture of India, off it."
Added ICC Chief Executive David Richardson: "The ICC World Twenty20 is an event which puts the world's best cricketers in the shortest format of the game against each other in a nation versus nation contest. The Twenty20 format provides the perfect vehicle by which the ICC can further globalise the game, providing international exposure and opportunity to our top Associate and Affiliate members. The ICC World Twenty20 event structure is designed to provide highly competitive matches throughout, with eight evenly-matched sides fighting it out in the first round and the best two then getting in the mix with the top eight ranked teams in the Super 10 stage where the intensity and competition will be of the very highest level."
The teams will be vying for a prize money of $5.6million, an increase of 86% from last year's event in Bangladesh, the ICC announced. The total prize money for the women's event is $400,000, up 122% from 2014
Don't boycott World T20 in India, Akram tells Pak
Notwithstanding India's delay in giving a go ahead for the proposed Indo-Pak bilateral series this month, former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has advised the PCB against thinking about a boycott of the World T20 in India in March next year. “I realise that the Indians have taken too much time over deciding on the bilateral series with Pakistan, but even if it does not happen now it will happen soon,” Akram said at a function in Karachi. Akram however said the PCB should not even think about boycotting the World T20 for any reason. “The World T20 is an ICC event and we should participate in it at all costs. If we don't it will harm us in the long run,” Akram said.
