India will take on arch-rivals Pakistan in a group stageencounter of the ICC T20 World Cup in Dubai on October 24, the InternationalCricket Council confirmed on Tuesday.
The tournament, which kicks off in the UAE and Oman onOctober 17, will see the final being played in Dubai on November 14 (Sunday),with November 15 (Monday) acting as the reserve day.
The tournament will begin with the Round 1 Group Bencounter between hosts Oman and Papua New Guinea on October 17, with Scotlandand Bangladesh, the other teams in Group B, clashing in an evening match.
Ireland, Netherlands, Sri Lanka and Namibia -- making upGroup A -- will be in action in Abu Dhabi the next day, with Round 1 matchesrunning till October 22. The top two teams in each group will proceed to theSuper12 stage of the tournament, beginning on October 23.
The Super12 stage -- the second round of the tournament-- will get underway in Abu Dhabi on October 23, with the Group 1 contestbetween Australia and South Africa. This will be followed up with an eveningclash between England and West Indies in Dubai.
Old rivals England and Australia will lock horns in Dubaion October 30. The group will conclude on November 6 with matches betweenAustralia and West Indies in Abu Dhabi, and England and South Africa inSharjah.
Group 2 will commence with a heavyweight clash betweenIndia and Pakistan in Dubai on October 24. Pakistan then take on New Zealand inSharjah on October 26, in a tough start for the 2009 champions. Afghanistanbegin their campaign on October 25 at Sharjah, taking on the winners of Group Bfrom the first round.
The group will conclude on November 8, with India takingon the second-placed Round 1 qualifier from Group A.
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The first semifinal will be held in Abu Dhabi on November10, while the second semifinal will be hosted by Dubai on November 11. Bothsemifinals have reserve days.
The final of the tournament will take place in Dubai onNovember 14, with November 15 acting as the reserve day.