India set to face off against Pakistan at MCG in first match of T20 World Cup

Hosts and defending champions Australia will play New Zealand at the SCG on October 22, in the opening fixture

In a blockbuster T20 World Cup opener, India was on Friday drawn against arch-rivals Pakistan for a match on October 23 at the iconic MCG as the International Cricket Council (ICC) released the fixtures.

India had lost to Pakistan for the first time in an ICC tournament when the teams clashed in last year's T20 World Cup in Dubai.

India's second Super 12 match in Group 2 will be on October 27 in Sydney against a qualifier (runner up of Group A) and will be followed by matches against South Africa (October 30 in Perth) and Bangladesh (Adelaide Oval on November 2).

The Men in Blue's last Super 12 match is scheduled for November 6 against the winners of Group B at the MCG.

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The Super 12s -- round two of the tournament, with two groups -- will begin on October 22, with hosts and defending champions Australia playing New Zealand at the SCG on October 22 in a re-match of last year's men's T20 World Cup final. The Black Caps will also face England at The Gabba on November 1 in a re-match of their epic semi-final encounter at the 2021 event.

In Super 12s, Australia are in Group 1, with world number one England, New Zealand, Afghanistan plus the winner of Group A and the runner-up in Group B from the first round.

The semi-finals will be played at the SCG and Adelaide Oval on November 9 and 10, respectively. It will be the first time the Adelaide Oval will host a World Cup semi-final. The MCG will host the final, which will be contested under lights on November 13.

In the first round, 2014 champions Sri Lanka and Namibia will play the opening match at Kardinia Park, Geelong on October 16. They'll be joined by two qualifiers in Group A. Two-time champions West Indies will also start in the first round, joined in Group B by Scotland and two qualifiers in Hobart.

The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super 12 stage.

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ICC CEO Geoff Allardice said, “T20 is the global growth format for cricket and the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 will play a huge role in inspiring our next generation of players and fans as the world’s best players descend on Australia and showcase the very best of our sport."

ICC T20 World Cup Local Organising Committee CEO, Michelle Enright said, "The release of the fixtures gives fans the opportunity to start planning their T20 World Cup experience, which is now just 268 days away."

"By having matches spread across the nation in seven host cities and making tickets accessibly priced, we are hoping as many people as possible will be able to experience the incredible atmosphere that international fans bring to global sporting events, as well as the unique, fast-paced and unpredictable nature of T20 cricket."

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