"You hurt me, but I love you!"- Top 10 funny memes after ICC released the schedule for the 2024 T20 World Cup
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has formally announced the schedule of the 2024 T20 World Cup on Friday, January 5. West Indies and the USA are going to host the grand event jointly for the first time this year.
Australia hosted the previous edition of the tournament, where England emerged victorious after beating Pakistan in the summit clash at the MCG.
A total of 20 teams are going to participate in the 2024 T20 World Cup. The teams will play 55 matches across stages of the tournament. All the 20 nations are divided into four groups for the initial round. India, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, and the USA comprise Group A.
England, Australia, Namibia, Scotland, and Oman form Group B. New Zealand, the West Indies, Afghanistan, Uganda, and Papua New Guinea are placed in Group C. South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Netherlands, and Nepal constitute Group D.
USA and Canada will square off in the curtain raiser of the tournament on June 1 at the Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in Dallas. India will play their first game on June 5 against Ireland in New York. They will then face Pakistan and the USA at the same venue on June 9 and 12. The Men in Blue will square off against Canada in their final group fixture on June 15 in Florida.
Fans received the schedule announcement news enthusiastically this evening through various mediums. They conveyed their anticipation for the tournament by sharing hilarious memes on social media platforms.
Here are some of the best memes:
"It allows us to make a statement in the world’s biggest sports market"- ICC chief executive Geoff Allardice on hosting 2024 T20 World Cup matches in the USA
ICC chief executive Geoff Allardice expressed excitement about the addition of more teams in the upcoming edition of the T20 World Cup. According to ICC's media release, Allardice said:
"The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 marks an exciting expansion of our sport with more teams than ever before set to compete in this event. It’s going to be an incredible spectacle bringing together 20 international teams from Africa, the Americas, Asia, East-Asia Pacific and Europe."
He continued:
"The release of the fixtures is made even more exciting for fans as we enter a new frontier, with the USA hosting a major ICC event for the first time. With 16 matches being played across three venues in the USA, it allows us to make a statement in the world’s biggest sports market."
Which team do you think are favorites for the 2024 T20 World Cup? Let us know your predictions in the comments section below.