As the initial group stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 comes to a close, the next chapter in the event unfolds, which will see eight remaining teams battle it out for four semi-final spots.

India (Group A), USA (Group A), Australia (Group B), England (Group B), Afghanistan (Group C), West Indies (Group C), South Africa (Group D) and Bangladesh (Group D) are the eight teams who have qualified for the Super Eights.

India, Australia, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh will feature in Group 1 of the next round, while West Indies, South Africa, England, and the USA will feature in Group 2.

Teams will play three matches each during the Super Eight phase, with the top two sides in each group qualifying for the semi-final stage of the event.

Super Eight details

The Super Eight stage commences in Antigua on June 19 with a clash between USA and South Africa.

The same evening West Indies will take on old rivals, England in St Lucia. The two sides have a prolific cricketing history, with the Men in Maroon ensuring a dominant display at home against England in recent years.

The following day will see the unbeaten India and Afghanistan face-off in Barbados in what is a crucial fixture prior to the knockout stages of the tournament. This will also be the first occasion on this tournament that India will play a contest in the Caribbean.

The rampant Afghans will look to make amends for their close loss to Australia at last year’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup when the two sides meet on June 22 in St Vincent.

Back-to-back games against formidable opponents can overwhelm most sides but Rashid Khan’s team have shown an indomitable fighting spirit in the tournament thus far.

More crucial fixtures follow up in coming dates: with co-hosts West Indies taking on South Africa in their final Group 2 clash on June 23 in Antigua. The Proteas have historically dominated the West Indies, but the tables were turned last month when the Men in Maroon clean-sweeped the three-game T20I series between the two sides at home.

Antigua, Barbados, St Lucia, and St Vincent will host all 12 games in this round.

Matches start on June 19 with the last Super Eight match on June 24.

Afghanistan will first face India on June 20; then Australia on June 22; followed by Bangladesh on June 24.

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Australia saw off a determined challenge from Scotland to claim a five-wicket victory in a decisive final Group B match of the T20 World Cup for both teams at the Daren Sammy Stadium in St Lucia on Saturday.

Replying to the Scots’ 180 for five, their highest total in a T20 World Cup match, Travis Head and Marcus Stoinis hit half-centuries to help Australia pace themselves to the target with two balls to spare, and a 100% winning record in their group.

“The plan was the usual: get yourself in, play shots along the ground and then take it from there,” said ‘Man of the Match’ Stoinis in explaining the strategy through his innings and the 80-run fourth-wicket partnership with Head.

“I was just trying to keep him there, keep him batting and it turned the game, even though he got out in the end.”

Tim David’s contribution of 24* off 14 balls finished the job to lift Australia to a five-wicket win.

The result eliminated Scotland and allowed title-holders England to advance to the Super Eights phase of the competition after they beat Namibia in a rain-affected match earlier in the day, and qualified by virtue of a better net run-rate than the Scots. – AFP

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Afghanistan’s spinner Mujeeb-ur-Rahman will miss the remainder of T20 World Cup due to an injury to his right index finger, the International Cricket Council announced on Friday.

Mujeeb played in Afghanistan’s opening fixture of the World Cup against Uganda, but has not featured since because of the injury.

ICC said that its event technical committee had approved Hazratullah Zazai, the opening batter, as replacement for Mujeeeb-ur-Rahman.

Afghanistan sealed their spot in the Super Eight stage after beating PNG. They will face West Indies in their final group game on Tuesday at 5:00 AM (Afghanistan time).

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