T20 World Cup 2024: Jay Shah reveals when Team India will leave for the tournament

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah revealed the departure plans for Indian team players for the T20 World Cup 2024, set to be held in the West Indies and the USA. Jay Shah mentioned that Indian players will depart for the upcoming ICC tournament in two phases.

The Indian players are currently participating in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. The teams are competing for playoff berths in the tournament. Mumbai Indians (MI) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) have been eliminated from the tournament, while other teams are competing for playoff spots.

The IPL playoffs are scheduled from May 21 to May 26, with matches set to be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Qualifier 1 and Eliminator matches will take place in Ahmedabad, while Chennai will host Qualifier 2 and the final match.

During a media interaction at the BCCI headquarters, Jay Shah confirmed that the Indian team will depart in two stages. The first batch, including players and coaching staff, will leave on May 24. The second batch, consisting of players whose IPL teams qualify for the playoffs, will depart after the IPL final on May 26.

India is positioned in Group A alongside Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, and the United States of America (USA) for the T20 World Cup. They will play all their group matches in the USA. The Rohit Sharma team will face Ireland in their first match at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on June 5.

Jay Shah dismissed the idea of resting players from IPL teams that won't make it to the playoffs. Shah emphasized the importance of players facing in-form batters like Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma to improve the skills of bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah.

"Look at how well Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma played the other day. If [Jasprit] Bumrah gets to bowl to Head, what better opportunity is there to practice?" Shah remarked during a media interaction at the BCCI headquarters.

India schedule for the T20 World Cup 2024

Mahendra Singh Dhoni led India to victory over Pakistan in the final of the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007. India won by five runs, marking their sole triumph in the shorter format of the game. The Indian team has only reached the final once in subsequent editions of the T20 World Cup.

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