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The top two teams from 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.
Defending champions West Indies are in Group 1 along with Australia, England and South Africa. India and Pakistan are joined by New Zealand and Afghanistan in Group 2. 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.
T20 World Cup clash between two countries:
But the spotlight will be on the Group 2 India-Pakistan contest in Dubai, with the two rival nations only meeting in multi-nation events due to tensions over Kashmir, a disputed Himalayan territory claimed by both the nuclear-armed neighbours.
The two South Asian giants last met at the 2019 50-over World Cup in England, where India won, maintaining their unbeaten record against Pakistan in World Cups. England, the 2009 winners, will take on Australia in another key clash on October 30 in Dubai.
The T20 tournament, which will be hosted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), was originally meant to take place in Australia at the end of 2020. But it was called off as the coronavirus pandemic swept across the globe. It was then scheduled to be held in India this year, but was moved to the UAE and Oman after the South Asian nation was hit by a massive surge in virus cases in April and May.
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.
