Himal Press 
Nepali Men's National Team (File Photo)
KATHMANDU: The lineup for the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup has been finalized with Uganda securing the last spot after an impressive victory over Rwanda in the African Qualifiers held in Namibia on Thursday.
This marks a historic moment for the East African team as this is the first time that Uganda has qualified for the global cricket extravaganza to be co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States from June 4 to June 30, 2024.
This Men’s T20 World Cup will feature 20 teams. While 12 teams earned direct qualification in the event, the remaining eight teams battled their way through various continental qualifiers.
12 teams that secured direct qualification
The top eight performers from the 2022 Men’s T20 World Cup – Australia, England, India, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, and Sri Lanka – automatically earned their places in the 2024 event.
In addition, the hosts – West Indies and the US – also secured automatic qualification, while Afghanistan and Bangladesh secured their spots based on their respective world rankings.
Eight selected through qualifiers
Eight teams emerged victorious from different continental qualifiers to fill the remaining slots. Hosts Namibia joined Uganda from the African qualifiers, with Zimbabwe and Kenya missing out.
From the European continent, Ireland and Scotland were selected for the global event, while Papua New Guinea triumphed in the East Asia-Pacific qualifier. Canada secured its place by winning the Americas qualifier, and Oman and Nepal emerged victorious in the Asian Qualifiers held at the TU Cricket Ground.
Tournament Format
The 20 teams will be divided into four groups, each consisting of five teams. The round-robin format will see each team facing off against the others once, with the top two from each group advancing to the Super 8 stage.
In the Super 8, the eight qualifying teams will be divided into two groups of four. The teams will play each other once and the top two teams from each Super 8 group will progress to the semifinals.
