The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday announced the groups and schedule for the 2016 World Twenty20.

The event will be staged across eight venues in India from 8 March to 3 April.

A total of 35 matches will be played in the 27-day tournament in Bengaluru, Chennai, Dharamsala, Kolkata, Mohali, Mumbai, Nagpur and Delhi.

Delhi and Mumbai will host the semi-finals on March 30 and 3, respectively, while Eden Gardens in Kolkata will be the venue of the April 3 final.

The men’s event will carry a total prize money of $5.6m, which is an 86 percent increase from the 2014 tournament.

Eight sides in two groups of four will feature in the first round matches with the group winners joining eight sides in the Super 10 stage (two groups of five teams). The top two sides from both the Super 10 Groups will then qualify for the semi-finals.

The first round matches will take place in Dharamsala and Nagpur from March 8-13 and will feature Bangladesh, Netherlands, Ireland, debutants Oman (all in Group A), Zimbabwe, Scotland, Hong Kong and Afghanistan (all in Group B).

In a double-header on the opening day on March 8, Zimbabwe will face Hong Kong in the afternoon match, to be followed by the evening match between Scotland and Afghanistan. Both the matches will be played in Nagpur.

The group winners will join Australia, England, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and hosts India in the Super 10 stage.

Defending champions Sri Lanka have been placed in Super 10 Group 1 along with South Africa, West Indies, England and the Group B winner. They will open their title defence against the Group B winners in Kolkata on March 17, and play West Indies in Bengaluru on March 20, England in New Delhi on March 26 and South Africa in Delhi on March 28.

First round (group winners to progress to second round)

Group A - Bangladesh, Netherlands, Ireland and Oman

Group B - Zimbabwe, Scotland, Hong Kong and Afghanistan

Second round groups

Super 10 Group 1 – Sri Lanka, South Africa, West Indies, England and winner group B (Q1B)

Super 10 Group 2 – India, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand and winner group A (Q1A)

Tournament schedule (‘M’ denotes men’s match; ‘W’ denotes women’s match; PM means afternoon match and Eve. means night match. Match timing to be confirmed in due course)
 
Tue, 8 Mar – Zimbabwe v Hong Kong (PM), Nagpur; Scotland v Afghanistan (Eve.), Nagpur
Wed, 9 Mar – Bangladesh v Netherlands (PM), Dharamsala; Ireland v Oman (Eve.), Dharamsala
Thu, 10 Mar – Scotland v Zimbabwe (PM), Nagpur; Hong Kong v Afghanistan (Eve.)
Fri, 11 Mar – Netherlands v Oman (PM), Dharamsala; Bangladesh v Ireland (Eve.), Dharamsala
Sat, 12 Mar – Zimbabwe v Afghanistan (PM), Nagpur; Scotland v Hong Kong (Eve.), Nagpur
Sun, 13 Mar – Netherlands v Ireland (PM), Dharamsala; Bangladesh v Oman (Eve.), Dharamsala
Tue, 15 Mar – India v Bangladesh (W) (PM), Bengaluru; New Zealand v Sri Lanka (W) (Eve.), New Delhi; New Zealand v India (M) (Eve), Nagpur
Wed, 16 Mar – West Indies v England (M) (PM), Mumbai; Pakistan v Q1A (M) (Eve.), Kolkata; West Indies v Pakistan (W) (Eve.), Chennai
Thu, 17 Mar – England v Bangladesh (W) (PM), Bengaluru; Sri Lanka v Q1B (M) (Eve.), Kolkata
Fri, 18 Mar – New Zealand v Ireland (W) (PM), Mohali; Australia v New Zealand (M) (PM), Dharamsala; South Africa v England (M) (Eve.), Mumbai; Australia v South Africa (W) (Eve.), Nagpur
Sat, 19 Mar – India v Pakistan (W) (PM), New Delhi; India v Pakistan (M) (Eve.), Dharamsala
Sun, 20 Mar – South Africa v Q1B (M) (PM), Mumbai; West Indies v Bangladesh (W) (PM), Chennai; Sri Lanka v Ireland (W) (Eve.), Mohali; Sri Lanka v West Indies (M) (Eve.), Bengaluru
Mon, 21 Mar – Australia v New Zealand (W) (PM), Nagpur; Australia v Q1A (M) (Eve.), Bengaluru
Tue, 22 Mar – England v India (W) (PM), Dharamsala; New Zealand v Pakistan (M) (Eve.), Mohali
Wed, 23 Mar – England v Q1B (M) (PM), New Delhi; India v Q1A (M), (Eve.), Bengaluru; South Africa v Ireland (W) (Eve.), Chennai
Thu, 24 Mar – England v West Indies (W) (Eve.), Dharamsala; Australia v Sri Lanka (W) (PM), New Delhi; Pakistan v Bangladesh (W) (Eve.), New Delhi
Fri, 25 Mar – Pakistan v Australia (M) (PM), Mohali; South Africa v West Indies (M), (Eve.), Nagpur
Sat, 26 Mar – Australia v Ireland (W) (PM), New Delhi; Q1A v New Zealand (M) (PM), Kolkata; England v Sri Lanka (M) (Eve.), New Delhi; South Africa v New Zealand (W) (Eve.), Bengaluru
Sun, 27 Mar – West Indies v India (W) (PM), Mohali; India v Australia (M) (Eve.), Mohali; England v Pakistan (W) (Eve.), Chennai; Q1B v West Indies (M) (PM), Nagpur;
Mon, 28 Mar – South Africa v Sri Lanka (W) (PM), Bengaluru; South Africa v Sri Lanka (M) (Eve.), New Delhi
Tue, 29 Mar – Rest/travel day
Wed, 30 Mar – Women’s semi-final (2nd group A v 1st group B) (PM), New Delhi; men’s semi-final (Super 10 Group 1 2nd v Super 10 Group 2 1st) (Eve.), New Delhi
Thu, 31 Mar – Women’s semi-final (1st group A v 2nd group B) (PM), Mumbai; men’s semi-final (Super 10 Group 1 1st v Super 10 Group 2 2nd) (Eve.), Mumbai
Fri, 1 Apr – Rest/travel day
Sat, 2 Apr – Rest/travel day
Sun, 3 April – Women’s final (PM), Kolkata; men’s final (Eve.), Kolkata