Cricket's T20 World Cup is almost here
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USA's Ali Khan and Monank Patel will compete in the ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup's first match this weekend at Grand Prairie Stadium. Photo: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images
One of the largest tournaments for one of the world's biggest sports will go to bat this weekend in Grand Prairie.
Why it matters: This is the first time the Men's T20 World Cup is coming to the U.S., and Grand Prairie Stadium will host the first match.
- The International Cricket Council is hosting matches here because "Texas is iconically U.S.," T20 USA CEO Brett Jones tells Axios.
The big picture: This is a milestone for the U.S. — the bid for host country took decades of lobbying and professionalizing cricket. The West Indies, in the Caribbean, is a co-host.
- Global viewership is expected to be in the billions on digital, social and broadcast platforms for the tournament, Jones says.
Driving the news: The tournament begins Saturday in Grand Prairie, with the U.S. playing Canada.
- Major League Cricket got its start at Grand Prairie Stadium last year, and there's already a loyal fan base in North Texas.
How it works: T20 is a condensed format of cricket, taking only a few hours instead of a full day or multiple days. If you enjoy baseball, you might like cricket.
- Twenty countries are competing, including the U.S. and Canada.
- There will be 40 matches to decide the Super Eight countries, which will be whittled down to the final two World Cup contenders.
Zoom in: Grand Prairie is hosting the tournament's first match and three other matches. Investors converted the city's dormant minor league baseball stadium into a cricket stadium last year, hoping to make the sport more mainstream in the U.S.
- Cricket legends will likely touch down in North Texas to attend matches and meet fans.
- There are also international media rights deals, sponsorships and thousands of fans traveling to see the matches.
By the numbers: Close to 1,000 accredited people, including squads, coaches, stadium staff and media, are expected to be at every game.
- There's capacity for roughly 7,000 to 8,000 spectators at Grand Prairie Stadium.
How to watch: Tickets for the four Grand Prairie matches, start around $125. The ICC says it will put more tickets on sale as space becomes available.
- The matches will be broadcast on WillowTV in the U.S. and Canada.
- EpicCentral in Grand Prairie will host watch parties throughout the tournament.
- Sheesh, a hookah lounge in The Colony, is also planning a watch party for the Pakistan vs. India game on June 9 in New York.
Plus: The ICC is hosting a World Cup kickoff party Friday evening at EpicCentral. There will be a DJ, vendors and cricket equipment to try out.
Zoom out: The most anticipated match, Pakistan vs. India, will take place in New York. Hundreds of millions of fans are expected to tune in.
- Resale tickets for Pakistan-India are over $900 each. By comparison, tickets for the Saturday match in Grand Prairie start at $125.
- The World Cup final will be June 29 in Barbados.
Worthy of your time: AP has this guide to cricket.
The bottom line: "We want this to be a real opportunity to celebrate the cricket fans that are in the U.S. now, but also grab ahold of some new fans and share what we think is a great game," Jones says.