Twenty20 World Cup: India lose tournament with the United Arab Emirates and Oman now hosts
- Published
West Indies are the current T20 men's world champions after beating England in Kolkata in 2016
The men's Twenty20 World Cup has been moved from India to the United Arab Emirates and Oman because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The 16-team tournament will still take place from 17 October to 14 November.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) gave India a deadline of Monday to say whether it could still host the tournament amid a rise in Covid cases.
ICC chief executive Geoff Allardice said the move brings "certainty" that the tournament can be held safely.
"Our priority is to deliver the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 safely, in full and in its current window," he said.
"While we are incredibly disappointed not to be hosting the event in India, the decision gives us the certainty we need to stage the event in a country that is a proven international host of multi-team events in a bio-secure environment."
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will retain the hosting rights for the tournament, despite its move out of the country.
BCCI Secretary, Jay Shah, said: "The BCCI made every effort to stage the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in India and provide its passionate fans with a reason to cheer after a long period of gloom.
"However, the prevailing pandemic situation in the country meant that the health and safety of everyone concerned was fraught with risk should a tournament of this stature be held across the country."
The pandemic disrupted the global cricket calendar last year, with the T20 World Cup originally due to take place in Australia in 2020.
India were given the hosting rights for the rescheduled tournament in 2021, with Australia instead picked to host the 2022 edition.
The UAE has also taken on hosting responsibilities for the the Indian Premier League (IPL), which was suspended by the Indian cricket board in May after a rise in Covid-19 cases.
The final of the rescheduled IPL is due to finish two days before Twenty20 World Cup starts on 17 October.