Aaron Jones struck an explosive unbeaten 94 from 40 balls as the USA beat Canada by seven wickets in the opening game of the T20 World Cup on Saturday.

Jones, born in New York but raised in Barbados, bludgeoned the Canadian attack, smashing ten sixes as he totally changed the momentum of the game in a superb 131-run third wicket partnership with Andries Gous.

Jones took full control in the 13th over when he went on the attack against the slow left-arm of Canada captain, Saad Bin Zafar, smashing three sixes in one over, AFP reported.

Then the game shifted decisively towards the Americans when Jeremy Gordon’s medium-fast seamers went for 33 off one disastrous over, with the Canadian adding to his misery with three wides and two no-balls, including a no-ball that canceled out a potential dismissal of Gous.

Former South Africa Under-19 batsman Gous made 65 off 46 balls before he holed out to deep midwicket off Nikhil Dutta, ending a partnership that had taken the Americans from struggling at 42-2 in the seventh over to close to their finish line at 173-3 in the 16th.

Corey Anderson, the former New Zealand allrounder, came in to accompany Jones who fittingly ended the contest with his 10th sixth of the night.

It was the perfect start to the tournament for the co-hosts, with the crowd at the compact Grand Prairie Stadium roaring with delight as Jones smashed the Canadian attack around the ground.

“I don’t think it is easy to put it into words,” said Jones, whose 10 sixes are the second most in a T20 World Cup innings behind West Indian Chris Gayle’s 11 against England in 2016.

“With our batting line-up, we knew anything under 200 is chaseable. I go through my processes and I like my power hitting. I know if I get it in the middle, it will go for sure. I like to come in when the team is under pressure, it brings out the best in me,” he said.

Canada, also making their T20 World Cup debut, had set what appeared a challenging target with Navneet Dhaliwal making a well-paced 61 off 44 balls, including six four and three sixes after opener Aaron Johnson had set the early pace with an aggressive 23 off 16 balls.

Nicholas Kirton maintained the momentum in the back half of the innings with 51 off 31 balls and Shreyas Movva’s 32 off 16 was crucial in getting Canada to what looked to be a strong total in the Group A match before Jones wreaked havoc.

“We started well, But Jones and Gous batted exceptionally. Our bowlers had no chance,” said skipper Bin Zafar.

“Our bowlers missed their lines and lengths, and we shouldn’t have given away the no-balls and extras. We played an exceptional game overall. Nothing to be sad about, the effort from the boys was good. This is just the start and hope we can do well in the next game,” he said.

The USA is co-hosting the tournament with the West Indies with 16 of the group stage games being held in three American venues – South Florida and New York along with Dallas.

India, Pakistan and Ireland are also competing in Group A with two nations qualifying for the Super Eight stage.

Broadcasting news!

Ariana Television Network (ATN) has secured the rights to broadcast this year’s T20 World Cup in Afghanistan.

News, updates and information on the event will be published regularly on Ariana News website and digital platforms so be sure to stay tuned.

Afghanistan defeated Scotland by 55 runs in their final warm-up match on Friday ahead of the T20 World Cup.

Batting first after winning the toss at Port of Spain in Trinidad, Afghanistan posted 178-8.

Gulbaddin Naib slammed 69 off 30 balls, while Azmatullah Omarzai struck 48 off 36 balls.

In reply, Scotland posted 123-9.

Mujeeb-ur-Rahman and Karim Jannat picked up two wickets each. Naveen-ul-Haq, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, Azmatullah Omarzai and Gulbaddin Naib claimed one wicket each.

It was the second and final warm-up game of Afghanistan ahead of the mega event.

The first warm-up against Oman had ended with no result due to rain.

The T20 World Cup will kick off on Sunday at 5:00 a.m. (Afghanistan Time) with USA facing Canada.

Afghanistan’s first match will be against Uganda on Tuesday.

Only six months after India hosted the thrilling 50-over World Cup, another global showpiece is upon us – and once again Ariana Television Network will bring all the excitement of the T20 World Cup 2024 into the homes of cricket fans across the country.

The action begins on Sunday, June 2, when the United States host Canada in Dallas and concludes on June 29 at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.

This is the first time in history that a cricket World Cup will be held on American soil. Of the 55 matches, 16 will be hosted in the US, while the rest will take place in the West Indies.

There are 20 teams participating in the tournament, and are divided into four groups of five for the initial round-robin format.

Group A – India, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, USA

Group B – England, Australia, Namibia, Scotland, Oman

Group C – New Zealand, West Indies, Afghanistan, Uganda, Papua New Guinea

Group D – South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Netherlands, Nepal

Each team will play the other teams in their group once, with the top two teams in each group moving on to the Super 8s. Sides earn two points for a win, one for a no result and none for a defeat.

The Super 8s will also be divided into two groups of four, based on pre-tournament seeding, and again each team plays the others in their group once, with the top two reaching the semi-finals.

In the semi-finals, the winner of Group 1 plays the runner-up in Group 2, and vice versa, to determine the two finalists.

GROUP A

India and Pakistan are in the same group and the two rivals will face off in a crucial group match on Sunday June 9 in New York.

The Asian rivals will also however face competition from co-hosts USA, Canada and Ireland.

India meanwhile enter the T20 World Cup with a burning desire to shatter their streak of near misses in world events.

With a formidable squad at full strength, India now stands poised to reclaim the elusive title they last clinched in the inaugural edition back in 2007.

Under the seasoned leadership of Rohit Sharma, who embarks on his second stint as captain in the T20 World Cup, the team boasts a formidable top-order line-up featuring the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav.

India take on Ireland in their tournament opener on June 5 before the focus shifts to the epic clash against Pakistan on June 9 in New York.

Pakistan, much like their counterparts India, have been tantalizingly close to clinching an ICC trophy, having reached the semi-finals and final in the last two editions of the T20 World Cup.

With the disappointment of those near misses driving them, Babar Azam leads Pakistan into the upcoming tournament with a fervent desire to end their trophy drought.

Babar and Mohammad Rizwan have been linchpins of the Pakistan batting line-up for years and will be supported by Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman and Iftikhar Ahmed.

Pakistan take on co-hosts USA in their opening clash on June 6 before facing off against India in a much-awaited clash on June 9.

Ireland on the other hand have earned their spot at this year’s T20 World Cup, a testament to the nation’s evolving cricketing journey over the years.

Ireland will be under new leadership heading into the tournament, with veteran batter Paul Stirling taking over the reins of the team from Andrew Balbirnie, who had led the team in the last two editions.

The batting line-up revolves around the dynamic opening duo of the current and former captain, supported by the likes of Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ross Adair and Curtis Campher.

Ireland face a formidable challenge in their tournament opener against India on June 5. However, a victory in this encounter could serve as a significant morale boost for the team, fueling their aspirations to progress beyond the group stage in the T20 World Cup for the first time in their history.

The USA meanwhile embark on a historic journey as they make their debut appearance at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, earning their spot as co-hosts of the tournament.

This marks their first foray into a major men’s ICC event since 2004 when they competed in the group stages of the Champions Trophy.

Monank Patel will lead USA’s charge and will be a key part of their batting line-up along with Aaron Jones and Steven Taylor.

The inclusion of former New Zealand international Corey Anderson adds depth and experience to the middle order, further strengthening USA’s batting prowess.

USA commence their T20 World Cup campaign against neighbors Canada on June 1, aiming to set the stage for a successful tournament with a victory in the opening match.

Canada, like the USA, will make their maiden appearance at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
However, Canada are no strangers to the big stage, having previously played the 50-over World Cup first in 1979 and then on three consecutive occasions in 2003, 2007 and 2011.

The veteran Saad Bin Zafar will captain Canada at the upcoming tournament in a side filled with experienced players, with only four players under the age of 30.

Canada start their T20 World Cup campaign on 1 June against co-hosts USA in Dallas, marking the beginning of their quest for success on the global stage.

GROUP B

The two most recent champions along with three spirited associates make up Group B of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

England, the defending champions of the Men’s T20 World Cup, and Australia, the winners of the 2021 edition, are in Group B along with Namibia, Oman and Scotland.

Only the top two teams will progress to the Super 8s phase of the event.

While all eyes will be on the big names from Australia and England, there’s enough potential in Namibia, Oman, and Scotland to make the group results interesting.

Despite not reaching the final four stage of their home T20 World Cup in 2022, Australia are among the favorites in this edition. The talented side have a history of doing well in ICC events, and the current unit features several players in rich form with recent ICC success.

The defending champions, England, will yet again look to bank on the attacking style of play that has served them so well in the limited-overs format.

The return of pace spearhead Jofra Archer to the line-up is a big plus in a squad that seems to have all the key bases covered.

Namibia meanwhile qualified for the T20 World Cup on the back of a stellar run at the Africa Regional Qualifier stage.

They were undefeated in the tournament, securing wins over six teams including co-qualifiers Uganda and Test-playing Zimbabwe.

Success over Test nations isn’t a new phenomenon for the Eagles, who stunned Sri Lanka in the last edition of the T20 World Cup, and they’d like to repeat the feat in the upcoming event.

The sole Asian side in the group, Oman, carry a fair mix of tournament experience in their ranks.

This will be their third appearance in the T20 World Cup, and the side would love to leave their mark with a good showing.

Their opening encounter on June 2 against Namibia, a side they’ve defeated twice in the past, could set the tone for their tournament.

Richie Berrington’s Scotland meanwhile have a number of players with a fair amount of global T20 cricket experience and will seek to bring that knowledge to best use in their group encounters in the West Indies.

The Scots have a proud cricketing history, which includes defeating neighboring rivals England in ODI cricket in 2018.

Their meeting on June 4 in Barbados will be the first-ever in T20I format, and Berrington’s side would be more than chuffed if they pull off a similar result to give their campaign a perfect start.

GROUP C

Two-time champions and co-hosts West Indies are grouped with New Zealand, Afghanistan, Uganda and Papua New Guinea at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

West Indies and New Zealand are the top-ranked teams in Group C, but will face strong resistance from Afghanistan, Uganda and Papua New Guinea as they aim to make it through to the second round.

A series victory against defending champions, England, towards the end of last year revealed how dangerous a full-strength West Indies side can be.

Despite their lacklustre performance in the 2022 edition, the Rovman Powell-led side pose a major threat this time around.

They are well covered in all departments with several all-rounders and big-hitters, capable of swinging games, adding to their x-factor.

West Indies also get a fairly easier start to the tournament with games against the lower-ranked teams in the group, PNG and Uganda. If they start well, the co-hosts will be favorites to top the group.

New Zealand made very little change from the 2022 edition to this one with their squad selection. It highlights the consistency in selection on the one hand, and also how well-rounded the Black Caps unit is.

The team are also well prepared for the event with 36 T20Is under their belt since the end of the last T20 World Cup, the most among full-member teams.

The depth of talent at their disposal was evident in the recent T20I series in Pakistan, where a second-string squad managed to level the series.

Kane Williamson, who will be playing his sixth T20 World Cup, will lead a strong side that has a wealth of experience.

New Zealand open their campaign against Afghanistan in Guyana and then take on co-hosts West Indies in Trinidad.

Afghanistan are ranked 10th in the ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings, but are more than capable of pulling off big wins.

They recorded series victories against UAE (twice), Pakistan and Ireland since the end of the last T20 World Cup and also reached the final of the Asian Games Men’s Cricket Competition, where they lost to India.

The squad is boosted by the return of Rashid Khan after the leg-spinner’s long injury layoff.

He leads a versatile spin department that also has the likes of Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Nangyal Kharoti and veteran Mohammad Nabi.

Afghanistan begin their campaign against Uganda in Guyana on June 3.

Uganda secured a spot in the T20 World Cup by comfortably defeating Rwanda in their last match of the Africa region qualifier. With five wins in six games, Uganda was the standout team alongside Namibia in the Africa Qualifier as they sealed their berth in the mega event.

Uganda play their first three games in Guyana and have the opportunity to spring a surprise from Group C.

Papua New Guinea meanwhile come into the tournament with an impeccable record of 14 wins in their last 18 games. They are led by the enterprising Assad Vala. This will be PNG’s second time at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Papua New Guinea kicks off their campaign with a challenging opening match against the host nation, West Indies, on June 2. They then face Uganda on June 5, followed by matches against Afghanistan and New Zealand.

GROUP D

South Africa and Sri Lanka are the two highest ranked teams in the group and this group promises thrilling matches with rivals Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, South Africa and Netherlands pitted against one another.

While Nepal gears up for their second appearance in the marquee event, the group boasts no clear cut favorite with history bearing witness that each team carries potential to beat the other.

Bangladesh enter the T20 World Cup with a bit of uncertainty as they continue to look for their strongest XI.

Nepal meanwhile will feature a young side at the T20 World Cup, with 21-year-old Rohit Paudel leading the team as captain.
This will mark Nepal’s second appearance in the tournament making them the least experienced side in the group.

The Netherlands on the other hand have often brought the element of surprise in an ICC tournament. They have the edge over Proteas, beating them in the last two ICC Men’s tournaments – in the 2022 T20 World Cup and the 2023 Cricket World Cup.

They will face South Africa again on June 8 in New York

South Africa, which is the strongest side in this group have put together a strong squad.

But the pressure will be on as Proteas hope to make their first appearance in a final of the Men’s T20 World Cup.

Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga will undertake his first major assignment as the newly appointed Sri Lanka captain. The Lions have struck balance with a unit that checks most of the boxes.

Broadcasting news!

Ariana Television Network (ATN) announced last week that it has secured the rights to broadcast this year’s T20 World Cup in Afghanistan.

News, updates and information on the event will be published regularly on Ariana News website and digital platforms so be sure to stay tuned.