LAHORE: Pakistani team led by Babar Azam will commence ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 campaign on October 24 with the high-octane clash against India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

The International Cricket Council on Tuesday announced the fixtures of the global event.

The two neighbours will come face-to-face for the first time since their 2019, 50-over World Cup fixture at Manchester, and this will be the sixth time they will compete in the global T20 tournament.

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Two days later, Pakistan, the champions of the 2009 edition, will play Kane Williamson’s New Zealand at the historic Sharjah Cricket Stadium, before returning to Dubai to play Afghanistan for the first time in a T20 World Cup on October 29.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have played only one T20I against each other to date, which the former won in 2013.

In their last two matches of the Super 12 stage, which will feature top-eight ranked T20 teams and four teams who secure qualification from Round 1, Pakistan, who have played the most matches (36) in the UAE for an international side and have won 21 of them, will play the runner-up of Group A and winners of Group B on 2 and 7 November at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium and Sharjah Cricket Stadium, respectively.

The two semi-finals will be played on 10 and 11 November, before the final on 14 November in Dubai.

Pakistan have featured in semi-finals of the first four T20 WC editions. They played the final in the inaugural edition in 2007, before lifting the trophy at the iconic Lord’s in 2009.