The biggest cricketing event to take place on American soil gets underway on Saturday, 1 June with co-hosts USA facing neighbours Canada in the opening match of the 2024 T20 World Cup in Dallas.
The ninth edition of the T20 World Cup not only marks the return of ICC’s flagship T20 event to the Caribbean after 13 years, it will also be the first global cricketing event involving the sport’s ‘Full Members’ on American soil.
USA and Canada happen to be in the same group as south Asian arch-rivals India and Pakistan, who are set to collide in a blockbuster clash in New York on 9 June, as well as Ireland in Group A.
Group A Preview: All eyes on cricket heavyweights as underdogs look to impress
Given only two teams can progress into the Super Eights — the second round of the event — it will require the two North American teams to pull off an upset or two if either of them is to progress beyond the group stage.
The USA-Canada fixture will be preceded by the India vs Bangladesh warm-up match — the only practice game for the Men in Blue before they begin their campaign on 5 June. Additionally, two-time champions West Indies open their campaign on the following day against Papua New Guinea at the Providence Stadium in Guyana the following day.
Impact Shorts
View AllBefore the USA vs Canada fixture gets underway, we take a look at Saturday’s weather forecast for Dallas, what the pitch and conditions are expected to be like as well as the head-to-head record between the two teams:
What will the weather be like in Dallas on Saturday?
The weather forecast for Dallas on Saturday predicts scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. There’s a 40 per cent chance of rain during the day which drops to 4 per cent later in the evening, which is expected to remain “mostly cloudy and humid”.
The Grand Prairie Stadium, which hosts four matches in the tournament, had bore the brunt of a thunderstorm and a typhoon recently which had damaged parts of the venue. While there’s a possibility of thunderstorms in the afternoon, fans will be hoping they don’t translate to a delayed start or a washout in the opening game of the tournament.
What is the pitch at the Grand Prairie Stadium expected to be like?
The Grand Prairie Stadium was scheduled to host four warm-up matches, and only one could take place, in which Canada posted 183/7 before bowling Nepal out for 120. The surface is expected to be a lively one which has support primarily for pacers but manages to remain a good batting track. It will also be quite humid on Saturday evening, with thunderstorms forecast for the afternoon.
Where can I watch the USA vs Canada match live?
Cricket fans in India can tune into the live telecast of the USA vs Canada opening fixture on the Star Sports Network, with the live stream on the Disney Plus Hotstar App.
USA vs Canada head-to-head
The United States enjoy a 5-2 lead over neighbours Canada in eight T20I meetings, with one match ending in a ‘No Result’.
The two teams had played a five-match T20I series in April in the build-up to the T20 World Cup, all of them taking place in the venue where they square off later on Saturday, with the Americans winning the series 4-0.