The countdown is on to the largest ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, which will be played in the West Indies and USA from 1—29 June, with today, 22 February marking 100 days to the start of the historic event.
During the ballot period, over 3 million ticket applications from over 161 countries were received for the pinnacle global event for T20 cricket. Ticket allocations are currently unavailable to nine T20 World Cup matches scheduled in the USA, with the India v Pakistan fixture on 9 June in New York oversubscribed more than 200 times.
Both semi-finals in Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana along with the final in Barbados were oversubscribed in the ballot, as were two Super Eight matches in Barbados and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Tickets to all other fixtures in the West Indies are available, with fans encouraged to purchase their tickets now to be a part of the biggest T20 World Cup ever.
The 100 days-to-go milestone also marked the launch of the official campaign film ‘Out of this World’, which features T20 superstars Quinton de Kock, Kieron Pollard, Marcus Stoinis, Shaheen Afridi, Shubman Gill and Ali Khan. The full campaign, which blasts off globally today, will utilize a variety of platforms to engage audiences on a global scale and will give the world a visual taste of what they can look forward to in the West Indies and USA come June.
A series of fan engagement events will also blast off at all nine host locations across the West Indies and USA, including a larger-than-life cricket ball taking over Times Square in New York City, Bayside Marketplace in Miami, Klyde Warren Park, Dallas and all Caribbean host locations.
ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said: “With just 100 days to go until the start of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 there is huge anticipation from fans to witness what will be the largest ICC event ever played, with 20 international teams playing across nine host cities. A large proportion of the more than 3 million applications for tickets across the event were from our host countries, so we are confident that this event will not only entertain fans around the world but leave a lasting legacy that will help us continue to grow the sport across the Americas.
“Celebrating the launch of our official campaign film that captures the energy of T20 cricket and features some of the game’s biggest stars is another important milestone, as excitement builds across the global cricket community for what will be a historic event.”
Cricket West Indies Chief Executive Johnny Grave said: “With just 100 days to go until the start of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the global excitement is accelerating at pace and all signs indicate that this World Cup is poised to make history on multiple fronts. With a significant number of games already oversubscribed, it is evident that the global appeal of T20 cricket is growing exponentially. Fans wanting to experience a T20 World Cup with Caribbean flair should seize the opportunity to get their tickets as soon as possible and join the celebration on the grandest stage of cricket – the West Indies and USA.”
T20 World Cup USA, Inc. Chief Executive Brett Jones said: “Today is an extraordinary day for global cricket and that’s especially true in the U.S. While those of us involved in the sport know cricket’s popularity in our market, there is no data point like ticket sales to showcase the level of enthusiasm that’s out there and we’re thrilled with the support we’re seeing. The 2024 T20 World Cup is going to fundamentally change the game of cricket in the U.S. and it’s our job to capitalise on this moment.”
IPL: Fraser-McGurk leads the way as Capitals hold off Mumbai
Delhi Capitals withstood Mumbai Indian’s late surge and held on for a 10-run victory at Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Jake Fraser-McGurk top-scored with 84 – hitting 50 off just 15 balls – while Tristan Stubbs (48) and Shai Hope (41) also chipped in with important contributions as the Capitals set a target of 258.
Mukesh Kumar (3/59) and Rasikh Salam (3/34) did their best to halt Mumbai’s revival, but they turned up the pressure to require 25 runs from the final over.
However, despite Luke Wood and Piyush Chawla’s best efforts, Delhi held out for a second successive win.
Data debrief
Wood almost made amends after conceding 68 runs during the opening innings – the joint-most in the IPL this season, matching Reece Topley’s tally against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Tilak Varma led Mumbai’s attempted revival with 63 for his sixth half-century in the IPL, though they have all come in defeats
Chase outdone by opposite number Paudel as West Indies A suffer four-wicket loss to Nepal
West Indies A’s tour of Nepal got off to an unfortunate start, after they suffered a four-wicket loss to their host in a high scoring opening fixture of their five-match Twenty20 series at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, on Saturday.
Set a formidable 204 by West Indies A, Nepal’s thrilling victory, which was set up by a captain’s knock from Rohit Paudel, etched their names in the history books, as they successfully got to their target at 206-6 with two balls to spare.
Paudel smashed a 54-ball 112, including 10 fours and two sixes to see his team to a 1-0 lead in the series, which West Indies Head coach Darren Sammy said offers his team a chance to define roles and personnel more clearly for their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup squad.
However, the Caribbean side’s all-round effort was found wanting, as only captain Roston Chase (74), Alick Athanaze (47) and Keacy Carty (38) offered any resistance with the bat, while only Obed McCoy (2-34) and Matthew Forde (2-49) had some semblance of success with the ball.
Scores: West Indies A 204-5 (20 overs); Nepal 206-6 (19.4 overs)
Asked to take first strike, after losing the toss, West Indies A suffered an early blow, as they lost Johnson Charles (zero) off the last ball of the opening over, with 16 runs on the board. Andre Fletcher (13) stuck two sixes off five balls, before he too departed via the run-out route, leaving West Indies A at 43-2 in the fourth over.
However, Athanaze went about business, striking three sixes and five fours in a 25-ball knock, as he put on 43 for the third wicket with Chase, prior to his demise. From there, Chase and Carty added another 60 runs in a fourth-wicket stand that defined the innings.
Carty’s 38 off 26 balls, included two fours and three sixes, while Chase, who anchored the innings with a captain’s knock, struck nine fours and two sixes in his 46-ball 74. Kadeem Alleyne, on 14, and Keemo Paul, one, were left not out.
No Nepal bowler took more than one wicket.
With runs on the board, West Indies A would have felt confident of wrapping up a win, even more so, after Forde and McCoy combined to remove openers Anil Sah (five) and Kushal Bhurtel (16) to have Nepal at 38-2 in the fifth over.
West Indies remained in the ascendancy when Fletcher and Charles combined to run out Kushal Malla (16), leaving their host on the ropes at 82-3 at the halfway mark.
However, Paudel showed class, in not only reviving his team’s innings, but pushed them all the way with some aggressive stroke play, assisted by wayward bowling from West Indies A attack at times. Dipendra Singh Airee (24) offered support to his captain in getting Nepal across the line for a famous victory.
Bairstow hails 'ballistic' Kings after record IPL run chase
Jonny Bairstow saluted "ballistic" Punjab Kings following their historic Indian Premier League victory over Kolkata Knight Riders.
The England batter scored an unbeaten century as the Kings successfully chased down 262 - the highest in T20 history - with eight balls to spare at Eden Gardens.
Bairstow hit a wonderful 108 not out from 48 balls - with nine sixes along the way - while Shashank Singh chipped in with 68 from 28 deliveries as the Kings ended their four-game losing streak.
"We knew that we had to go ballistic after how they batted," said the 34-year-old, who made his second IPL century five years after his first. "We had to take risks, and thankfully they came off.
"I've never been faced with a target like that before. So, we knew the powerplay would be important, and if anything is close to being in your area, you've got to make the most of it."
The performances of Bairstow and Singh contributed towards further history, with the overall tally of 42 sixes the highest recorded in a single T20 match.
"Cricket has turned to baseball, hasn't it?!" Punjab skipper Sam Curran added. "Guys can hit balls for long periods of time, the coaches, training, the dew, dot balls become wide after reviews and you get the extra ball. Stats are going of the window."
KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer was left disappointed to see his side's impressive haul overturned, but urged his team-mates to learn from the experience.
"Both teams played tremendously. You have to go back to the drawing board and see where you went wrong," he said. "Not defending hurts, but it's a great lesson for the players."
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