T20 World Cup 2022 Round 1: Teams, groups, venues, points system & all you need to know

The day has finally arrived when the T20 World Cup 2022 gets underway with two Round 1 matches. Eight teams have already received a direct qualification, however, there are still four vacant spots up for grabs. Big teams like Australia, India, Pakistan, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan and Bangladesh will not be starting their T20 World Cup campaign before October 22, as first-round matches before the Super-12 stage gets underway. Ahead of the Round 1 matches, let's take a look at the teams competing for the four spots and schedule for the T20 World Cup 2022 Round 1 matches. 

Which teams are competing in the T20 World Cup 2022 Round 1?

The T20 World Cup 2022 Round 1 matches will run from October 16 to October 21. The teams which will be competing in the matches are former champions West Indies and Sri Lanka alongside Zimbabwe, Ireland, UAE, the Netherlands, Namibia and Scotland.

How does the format work?

The eight teams have been divided into two groups during the T20 World Cup 2022 Round 1 matches. In Group A, Sri Lanka will go up against the likes of Namibia, the Netherlands and the UAE. On the other hand, in Group B, West Indies will be up against Zimbabwe, Scotland and Ireland. The top two teams from each group will make it to the next round. The top-placed team in Group A and the second-placed team in Group B will be kept in Group 1. The Group B topper and the runner-up in Group A will be placed in Group 2 during the Super 12 stage.

T20 World Cup 2022 Round 1 schedule 

A total of 12 matches will be played during Round 1 of the T20 World Cup and all the matches will be played at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart and Simonds Stadium in Geelong. Here's the schedule of the T20 World Cup Round 1 matches.