The ninth edition of the T20 World Cup will be played in the Caribbean Islands and the United States of America (USA) from June 2 to 29. The Indian team, led by Rohit Sharma, will be hoping to end their ICC trophy drought in the upcoming marquee tournament.
The Rohit Sharma-led team is placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, Ireland, the USA, and Canada. The Men in Blue will take on archrivals Pakistan in their second group stage match at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on Sunday, June 9.
The ICC and United States Cricket have constructed a 34,000-seat stadium in just six months. This stadium, located on Long Island, was inaugurated by legendary Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt on Wednesday. The venue is set to host eight matches, including three featuring India.
It Is Similar To The Size Of Wankhede - Chris Tetley
Chris Tetley, the ICC's head of events, stated that the Nassau County ground comfortably meets international standards. Tetley emphasized the ground is similar in size to Wankhede. He highlighted the world-class drainage facilities at the venue.
"Whenever a new stadium comes up, there are a lot of questions about the size. But the Nassau County ground is not a token-sized ground - it is 75 yards east west and 67 yards north south from the centre. It is similar to the size of Wankhede. The drainage facilities, too, will be world-class," Tetley said during an interaction.
Pakistan has only defeated India once in all T20 and 50-over World Cup encounters since 1992. The Babar Azam-led team beat India during the 2021 T20 World Cup match. The Pakistan team secured a 10-wicket victory at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
A year later, India avenged their previous loss by securing a victory against Pakistan in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Virat Kohli, who scored an unbeaten 82 runs, led India to a victory from nowhere at the iconic venue in Melbourne.
Pitches Will Have Pace And Bounce - Damian Hough
The ICC transformed a municipal park into a cricket facility. Drop-in pitches will be utilized for the tournament. The pitches, under the supervision of Damian Hough, head curator of Adelaide Oval, were prepared in Florida and transported to New York via trucks.
Damian Hough, renowned for his expertise in preparing quality wickets, expressed satisfaction with the pitch preparation. He mentioned that the pitches would offer pace, bounce, and favorable batting conditions.
"The pitches will have pace and bounce and the ball should come on to the bat, something that the players prefer. The idea is to produce good pitches that will stay good throughout the tournament and the players will enjoy playing on," Hough said.
The venue's galleries are temporary and makeshift, brought in from the Formula One track in Las Vegas. These structures will be returned after the tournament concludes.
