The T20 World Cup 2021 is fast approaching and cricket fans would witness some top nations go up against each other in a bid to win bragging rights in the shortest format of the game. The competition was scheduled to be held last year but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament, hosted by India, would have its matches played in the UAE and Oman and a month of exciting cricketing extravaganza awaits. BCCI Unveils New Team India Kit for T20 World Cup 2021, Fans Give Thumbs Up As ‘Billion Cheers Jersey’ Trends on Twitter

India were the inaugural champions in 2007 but have not won a title  since then, despite good performance. In 2014, they had made it to the final where they had lost to Sri Lanka. In 2016, Virat Kohli powered India to the semifinal where they were beaten by eventual champions West Indies. Come October 24, India, led by Virat Kohli and mentored by MS Dhoni, would once again aim to get their hands on the T20 World Cup trophy, 14 years after winning it for the first time. Let us take a look at India's schedule for the showpiece event. India vs Pakistan, ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Did You Know Babar Azam has Never Played Against India in T20Is?

India's schedule for T20 World Cup 2021:

Date

Match Time

Venue

24th October, 2021 India vs Pakistan 7:30 pm IST Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
31st October,2021 India vs New Zealand 7:30 pm IST Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
3rd November,2021 India vs Afghanistan 7:30 pm IST Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
5th November, 2021 India vs B1 7:30 pm IST Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
8th November, 2021 India vs A2 7:30 pm IST Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai

India begin their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan in a much-anticipated clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai. They face Kane Williamson's New Zealand next at the same venue. Kohli's and his men would take on Afghanistan in their next match to be played at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi while they once again return for their fourth and fifth matches in Dubai.

India's squad for T20  World Cup 2021: 

Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma (vc), KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Rahul Chahar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohd Shami.

Standby players: Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, Deepak Chahar.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 15, 2021 11:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).