Chris Gayle, Ali Khan Launch T20 World Cup Trophy Tour in New York; WI Legend pulls Indian Fan's Leg
ICC T20 World Cup 2024 trophy launched at Empire State Building in New York; Gayle picks West Indies as favourite to win tournament, beating India in final
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Former West Indies skipper Chris Gayle and USA star Ali Khan launched the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 trophy at the Empire State Building in New York. The T20 World Cup 2024 will be held in the USA and the West Indies from June 1 to June 29, with the opener scheduled in Dallas and the final in Barbados.
Gayle also then lit up New York city’s most iconic 381-metre skyscraper in navy and magenta colours, with the T20 World Cup trophy on top of the building.
The USA will be hosting the marquee World Cup for the first time in history, with eight matches scheduled to be played at the state-of-the-art stadium in Nassau County, New York. The 34,000 seater stadium will also host the marquee India vs. Pakistan clash in the tournament. Other venues in the USA include the Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in Dallas, which will host the opening match, and Broward County Stadium in Lauderhill. The two stadiums will host four matches each.
Venues in the West Indies include Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and Trinidad, and Tobago.
The launch of the trophy was a glitzy affair, with fans having a gala time with the cricketers. Gayle was in his usual element, sporting a wide smile and engaging in banter with fans. One such Indian fan was at the receiving end of Gayle’s banter, with the fan asking the West Indian player’s favourite to win the tournament. Gayle immediately quipped that the West Indies would win the tournament, and the Indian fan did not look pleased with his answer. Continuing the banter, Gayle said the West Indies would beat India in the final, which added salt to the fan’s wounds.
The ICC T20 World Cup begins on July 1 with teams drawn in four groups with five teams in each group, making it a total of a 20-team tournament. India are drawn in Group A alongside Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, and hosts USA, while the West Indies, who have won the T20 World Cup twice, have been placed in Group C alongside Afghanistan, Uganda, PNG, and New Zealand.
The top two teams in each group will advance to the Super 8 with the eight teams divided into two groups. The top two from each group will progress to semi-finals.
