Team India to play a solitary warm-up game ahead of 2024 T20 World Cup - Reports
Team India will bear the brunt of the short timeframe between the culmination of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) and the 2024 T20 World Cup. The Men in Blue are likely to play only one warm-up game in the build-up to the ICC event, with uncertainty still looming over its venue.
It is to be noted that IPL's league phase ends on May 19 and the final is scheduled to be played on May 26.
According to Cricbuzz, there is still a lack of clarity surrounding why only one warm-up game has been scheduled. Teams usually play two warm-up matches ahead of the group stage of an ICC tournament. As far as the venue for the sole warm-up match is concerned, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are pushing hard for it to be conducted in New York itself, where India are scheduled to play three out of their four group matches.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) currently have India's warm-up match scheduled in Florida. However, the BCCI believe that after playing two months of intense cricket in the IPL, the jaded team members will find it difficult to travel all the way to Florida for a warm-up match.
Although no member of the squad is devoid of match practice, with all of them taking an active part in the IPL, they have not played together since the home series against Afghanistan in January.
Team India had entered the 2023 ODI World Cup with limited or no warm-up action at all. Both their scheduled warm-up contests against the Netherlands and England were completely washed out due to rain.
First batch of squad members from India set to depart on May 25-26
It was initially assumed that the members would start leaving for the United States right after the conclusion of the IPL league stage. However, the first batch will be leaving the country not before May 25, and the members involved in the IPL playoffs will join the squad at a later date.
Team India have been drawn alongside, Pakistan, Canada, the United States, and Ireland in Group A of the 2024 T20 World Cup. Their campaign begins with the clash against Ireland on June 5 in New York.