The ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024 tournament schedule has been released as the hosts Sri Lanka get ready to welcome the next generation of cricket stars to the island nation for the first time since 2006.
- Five venues in Colombo set to stage the action from 13 January, with the Final on 4 February at R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium
- 15th edition of the event will see the most exciting young talent in world cricket compete over 41 matches
- Hosts Sri Lanka play Zimbabwe on opening day while defending champions India open up a day later against 2020 champions Banglades
ICC U19 Men’s Cricket
From January 13 to February 4, 16 teams will fight for the trophy over 41 matches. These teams include the 11 Full Member teams with the best finishes from the previous tournament as well as Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Scotland, and the United States of America.The 15th edition of the renowned event will take place in five historic locations in Colombo: the P. Sara Oval, Colombo Cricket Club, Nondescripts Cricket Club, Singhalese Sports Club, and the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, which will host the Semi Finals on January 30 and February 1 as well as the Final on February 4.
On January 13, three games will be played as the action gets underway. At the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, the hosts Sri Lanka play Zimbabwe. At the Colombo Cricket Club, England play Scotland, while at the P. Sara Oval, New Zealand play Nepal.India, who won the 2022 tournament in the West Indies, will begin defending their title against the champions of the 2020 tournament, Bangladesh, on January 14 at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium.
Teams moving on from the group stages will join a new Super Six round, starting on January 24, when two groups of six teams will compete to select the Semi Finalists and subsequent Finalists, according to a revamped system that has been implemented for the 2018 edition.Holders India are listed in Group A along with Bangladesh, Ireland, and the United States. England, South Africa, the West Indies, and Scotland make up Group B. Group D is made up of Afghanistan, Pakistan, New Zealand, and Nepal, while Group C includes Australia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
The ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup has a long tradition of introducing international audiences to the next generation of sporting stars, according to ICC Head of Events Chris Tetley.”Some of the names that made their debuts on the international stage at this event include Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, and Angelo Mathews. We can be sure that this tradition will continue as the drama plays out across the 41 tournament matches.
“We are delighted to welcome the competition back to Sri Lanka for the first time since 2006, in what promises to be a festival of cricket with no shortage of entertainment, and we are proud to offer fans the chance to see the action for free once,” said the organisers.
“Sri Lanka Cricket is delighted to be welcoming this prestigious event back to Sri Lanka after 18 years,” said Samantha Dodanwela, the tournament director.
“We are excited to provide Sri Lanka’s ardent, cricket-loving fans the chance to watch some of the most potential young players in the globe over 23 days of action.
“Many extraordinarily outstanding cricketers have graced the five locations chosen to host the event in January and February of next year, so it will be fitting for these storied grounds to host the game’s future stars.
With so much to look forward to, we have no doubt that the occasion will promote Sri Lanka as a desirable cricket destination.Each competing team will play two exhibition games between January 7 and January 11 prior to the competition. These will be spread out among four of the tournament’s five locations.
The hosts will be aiming to beat their previous best result, in which they finished second behind India in the competition’s Final in 2000.Some of the most known names in the international game have used the historic tournament as a launching pad. India has won the most U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup titles overall with five, followed by Australia with three, Pakistan with two, and England, Bangladesh, South Africa, and the West Indies with one each.
