The ICC T20 World Cup 2024 is slated to begin on June 2 and will culminate on June 29, spanning across 10 venues in the United States and West Indies.
The upcoming 20-over tournament is the ninth edition of the ICC T20 World Cup and promises to be the largest one yet as it features 20 teams from around the globe, making it the biggest T20 WC till date.
The 20 teams have been divided into five groups, each comprising four teams each. In Group A, formidable contenders such as India and Pakistan are joined by Canada, Ireland, and hosts United States.
Group B sees arch rivals England and Australia facing off against minnows Namibia, Scotland, and Oman.
Group C includes New Zealand, West Indies, Afghanistan, Papua New Guinea, and Uganda, while Group D has the likes of South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Netherlands, and Nepal.
These teams will compete over the course of 55 matches, including the group stage, Super 8s, semi-finals, and final.
All 55 games will take place in nine different venues across the United States and West Indies. Out of the nine venues that will host the 2024 T20 World Cup, three are in the United States and six are in the West Indies.
The three venues that are in the United States are Grand Prairie Stadium, Central Broward Park, and Eisenhower Park Stadium.
Meanwhile, the six venues across the Caribbean islands are Arnosqueen’s Park Oval, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Kensington Oval, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Providence Stadium, and the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground.
Here’s a brief look at the cricketing history of all the T20 World Cup 2024 venues.
T20 World Cup 2024 venues
Grand Prairie Stadium
Initially opened in May 2008, the Grand Prairie Stadium previously served as the home stadium of American Association of Professional Baseball team Texas AirHogs for 11 years. It was then acquired by the American Cricket Enterprises - the commercial partner of USA Cricket - before redeveloping it as a cricket ground. It has the capacity for 15,000 spectators and is home to the Texas Super Kings in Major League Cricket. The Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas is scheduled to host four matches.
Central Broward Park
One of just two dedicated cricket stadiums in the United States, the Central Broward Park was established in 2007 and has a seating capacity of 20,000. It was the first American cricket pitch to receive certification by the ICC to host international matches. The first ODI game at the venue was between United States and Papua New Guinea in 2019, while its first T20I in 2010 between New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Four T20 World Cup games are scheduled to take place on this ground.
Eisenhower Park Stadium
Eisenhower Park Stadium, more commonly known as the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium is a temporary venue for the T20 World Cup. It has a seating capacity of 34,000 and is set to host the most high-profile match of the tournament when India face Pakistan on June 9. This ground in New York, in fact, will be hosting the most matches by any venue in the 2024 T20 World Cup with eight games scheduled to be held in June.
Arnos Vale Stadium
The Arnos Vale Stadium is one of the oldest stadiums that will feature at the upcoming World Cup. It hosted its first international game in 1981 when the West Indies hosted England for an ODI. While the first Test here was held in 1997 between the Windies and Sri Lanka, it was in 2013 that the first T20I was played here between the hosts and Pakistan. It has a seating capacity of 18,000 and has previously hosted World Cup games during the 50-over World Cup in 2007. Five T20 World Cup 2024 matches are expected to be held on this ground in Kingston.
Sir Vivian Richards Stadium
Established in 2006 in Antigua and Barbuda, the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium has a seating capacity of 10,000 and pays homage to Windies great Viv Richards. It hosted its first ODI in 2007, its first Test the following year, and first T20I in 2010. This ground has also previously hosted a World Cup game having done so during the 2007 ODI World Cup and is slated to host eight T20 World Cup 2024 matches.
Kensington Oval
The Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados will host the most number of matches at the T20 World Cup 2024. It will host nine games, including the final. Established way back in 1871, it has a seating capacity of 11,000 and held its first cricket match between England and West Indies in 1930. Its first ODI and T20I took place in 1985 and 2008 respectively. It has also held World Cup games before having done so for the 2007 ODI World Cup for which it was extensively redeveloped.
Brian Lara Cricket Academy
The Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, San Fernando in Trinidad and Tobago is a multi-purpose stadium. It was established in 2008 and finally completed in 2017. Named after the legendary Brian Lara, this venue hosted its first T20I between India and West Indies in 2022 before hosting its only ODI so far between the same teams the following year. The Brian Lara Cricket Academy will witness as many as five T20 World Cup matches being held on the ground, including a semi-final.
Providence Stadium
Established in 2006, the Providence Stadium in Guyana has a seating capacity of 20,000. It was built keeping the 2007 World Cup in mind and was used for that purpose. The first ODI at the venue was in 2007, while the first Test on the ground took place a year later. Meanwhile, the first T20I on this ground took place in 2010 and the 2024 T20 World Cup will see this venue hosting a total of six games, including one of the semi-final clashes.
Daren Sammy Cricket Ground
The Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in Saint Lucia is named in tribute to the former T20 World cup-winning West Indies skipper. Established in 2002, it has a seating capacity of 15,000 and has previously hosted World Cup games during the 2010 edition of the World T20 and the 2007 ODI World Cup. It hosted its first ODI, Test, and T20I in 2002, 2003, and 2010 respectively. For the 2024 T20 World Cup, this venue is scheduled to host a total of six matches.
Photo credit: Alamy
