Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The 2024 U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup kicked off in South Africa on Friday.
Hosts South Africa are playing against West Indies, and the United States of America is taking on Ireland on the first day of the age-group tournament.
A total of 16 teams are participating in the event originally slated to be hosted by Sri Lanka. South Africa was chosen as the host after Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) was banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Nepal is pitted against Afghanistan, New Zealand, and Pakistan in Group D. Group A consists of Bangladesh, India, Ireland, and the US, while England, Scotland, South Africa, and West Indies are in Group B. Likewise, Group C has Australia, Namibia, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe.
Nepal will play its first match against New Zealand on Sunday. Similarly, it is scheduled to play against Pakistan on January 24 and against Afghanistan on January 26.
The top three teams from each group will qualify for the Super Six stage. The fourth-placed teams from all groups will play in the placement stage – teams of Groups A and D will face each other, while teams of Groups B and C will play against each other. Each team will play two matches in the Super Six stage against teams from the corresponding group that finished in a different position in the group stage. For example, the team topping Group B will play against the second and third-placed teams of Group C. Similarly, the team finishing second in Group D will play against teams finishing in the first and third positions in Group A. The top two teams from each group in the Super Six stage will qualify for the semifinals.
The semifinals will be played on February 6 and 8, while the final is scheduled for February 11.
