The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman will jointly host the upcoming T20 World Cup 2021. The tournament is set to run from 17 October to 14 November.
The tournament was originally set to be staged in India, but had to be shifted, given the consequences of the second wave of Covid-19 on the country.
However, the BCCI will remain the hosts of the tournament, which will be played across four venues- Dubai International Stadium, the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, the Sharjah Stadium, and the Oman Cricket Academy Ground.
The first round of the tournament, comprising the eight qualifying teams, will now be split between Oman and UAE. Four of these teams will then progress to the Super 12s round where they’ll join the eight automatic qualifiers.
West Indies are the defending champions, having beaten England in the finals of the 2016 T20 World Cup which was held in India.
The eight teams competing in the preliminary stage are Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Netherlands, Scotland, Namibia, Oman, and Papua New Guinea, before the play-off stage and the Final on 14 November.
BCCI will make sure the T20 World Cup 2021 in UAE is an unprecedented success: Jay Shah
"Our priority is to deliver the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 safely, in full, and in its current window. Whilst we are incredibly disappointed not to be hosting the event in India, the decision gives us the certainty we need to stage the event in a country that is a proven international host of multi-team events in a bio-secure environment. We will work closely with the BCCI, the Emirates Cricket Board, and Oman Cricket to ensure fans can enjoy a wonderful celebration of cricket,” said acting ICC CEO Geoff Allardice.
"The BCCI is looking forward to hosting the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 tournament in UAE and Oman. We would have been happier hosting it in India but considering the uncertainty due to the Covid 19 situation and the importance of a world championship, the BCCI will now continue to host this tournament in UAE and Oman. The BCCI is looking forward to creating a spectacle,” BCCI President Sourav Ganguly said.
(ICC inputs)
