India will play the upcoming T20 World Cup as the defending champions. It could not be a better opportunity for the side to defend its title as the tournament is being co-hosted by the country, with Sri Lanka being the other nation. It is worth noting that India clinched the T20 World Cup title with a narrow seven-run win over South Africa at Bridgetown, Barbados last year. A lot has changed since then, as three veteran players - Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja - have quit the format, with Team India now having more youngsters in the squad.
With just a few months remaining for the T20 World Cup to start, an Indian Express report has claimed that Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium will host the opener and the final, while Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium will stage one of the semifinals.
It added that if Pakistan reach the semifinals, their match will be played in Colombo, even if the opponent is India. The report further said that Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata are the other three venues likely to host matches in India.
The 2023 ODI World Cup final between India and Australia was also conducted in Ahmedabad, home to the world's largest cricket stadium with a capacity of over one lakh.
That edition of the marquee competition was held across 10 venues in total.
Bengaluru does not feature in the list of finalised venues, having been removed earlier from the Women's ODI World Cup roster after the Karnataka State Cricket Association failed to secure the necessary clearances following the stampede at RCB's IPL victory celebrations in June.
As many as 11 people lost their lives in the incident at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, and no international match has been held there since.
Three venues in Sri Lanka will host the games, including Colombo, claimed a PTI report.
If Pakistan reach the final, the summit clash will be played in Sri Lanka.
Irrespective of the host nation, India and Pakistan will play all their games at a neutral venue till 2027, as per the agreement reached by the ICC, BCCI and the PCB.
(With PTI Inputs)