India to play World T20 match in city

India and Pakistan have been placed in the same group for the ICC World Twenty-20 with the match scheduled on March 19 in Dharamsala, even as a cloud of uncertainty hangs over the possibility of a bilateral series between the arch-rivals.

India will open their campaign against New Zealand on March 15 in Nagpur before taking on Pakistan. India’s other matches will be against the qualifying Group A winners in Bengaluru on March 23 and Australia in Mohali on March 27.

The ICC on Friday unveiled the groups and schedule of the event, which will be staged across eight venues in India from March 8 to April 3.

A total of 58 matches, including 35 men’s and 23 women’s games, will be played in the 27-day tournament in Bengaluru, Chennai, Dharamsala, Kolkata, Mohali, Mumbai, Nagpur and New Delhi.

New Delhi and Mumbai will host the semifinals on March 30 and 31, respectively, while Eden Gardens in Kolkata will be the venue of the April 3 final.

ICC chairman Shashank Manohar, who attended the launch ceremony in Mumbai, said, “India is a country where cricket is a religion and not many places can match the passion for the game like India. I am fully confident that the Board of Control for Cricket in India will deliver an outstanding world cricket event, just like the ICC Cricket World Cups held in 1987, 1996 and 2011.”