CRICKET
Top 5 cricket series to look forward to in 2024
2024 is going to be a big calendar year in cricket as there are many high-profile tournaments and bilateral series. It ranges from club cricket to the bilateral series to the big international level tournaments. Many big teams would be touring the other contemporary teams that are considered to be the great teams in the world. The bilateral series between such teams is set to happen in 2024.
India, Australia, and England are the top 3 teams in the world according to the revenues, strengths of the players, bench strength, and influence on cricket. These 3 teams are going to meet each other once in the year 2024 in different formats, which is good news for cricket fans. Likewise, there are some multi-nation tournaments in the year 2024, which will be the highlight of the calendar year.
As 2024 has started, here are the Top 5 cricket series to look forward to in the year.
England tour of India
India vs England (Source: X)
England will be taking on India in a 5-match series which will mark the beginning of the big calendar year. All the 5 matches will be in the longest format of the game. The series will take place in late January and will happen throughout February and end at the start of March. England has already announced its squad for the series.
India is likely to decide on the same after the end of the ongoing tour of South Africa. The two teams will have some of the best players taking on each other in the longest format of the game. The series is a part of the third cycle of the World Test championship which will be crucial for both sides.
Indian Premier League 2024
IPL 2024 (Source: X)
IPL has completed 16 years of its existence. 2024 will be the 17th edition of the biggest cricket league in the world. The last 16 seasons have seen various special moments and winners. The tournament has emerged to be one of the biggest events in any calendar year in cricket. 2024 is expected to be the same for cricket fans.
The importance of IPL 2024 will be greater than ever, given the fact that the T20 WC 2024 will begin just weeks after the conclusion of the IPL 2024. The tournament will not just involve most of the best players in the world but will also act as a preparatory assignment for the players who will take part in the big event in June.
T20 World Cup 2024
T20 WC 2024 (Source: X)
T20 World Cup 2024 will be the biggest tournament of the year without a doubt. the mega events will have several firsts. For the first time in the history of the tournament, the USA will be hosting the tournament, becoming the first nation from North America to host a big event in cricket. Several stadiums in the country will be making debuts in hosting.
Likewise, for the first time in the history of cricket, 20 teams will be taking part in a tournament of any format, which is a huge step towards the expansion of the sport. The format for the tournament has arrived. The schedule for the tournament will be out in the upcoming days, which is expected to increase the excitement of the fans across the globe.
Australia tour of England
England vs Australia (Source: X)
Australia will tour England for a limited-overs series for the first time since 2020. The focus of the series would be to prepare for the Champions Trophy 2025, which will take place in Pakistan. The tour of Australia will feature 3 T20Is and 5 ODIs. It will be one of the few ODI series in the year featuring more than 3 ODIs. It augurs well for the ODI format.
The series will be crucial for both teams. While Australia would be looking for potential combinations for the CT 2025, England would be looking to perform better in the format after having a forgettable 2023 in ODIs. The 2 T20Is would also be helpful for both teams, where they can try out some young players at the highest level.
India tour of Australia
Aus vs India (Source: X)
India will be touring Australia for a long tour, which will be crucial for the chances of both the teams in the WTC cycle 3 and the Champions Trophy 2025. The tour of India involves series in all the formats. The biggest of them all would of course be the Border Gavaskar trophy 2024/25, which will be played in the Australian summer later this year.
The series will happen in December 2024 and January 2025. Before and after the Test series, the T2OIs and ODIs are likely to happen. India and Australia have been the two best sides in cricket over the years. The rivalry between the two sides is on a different level and the tour is likely to be the biggest in the calendar year after the IPL 2024 and the T20 WC 2024.