T20 World Cup 2022: The T20 World Cup is just a day away now and we are all set to witness the biggest teams have a go at each other in their chase for glory. The World Cup will begin with the first round match being played between former winners Sri Lanka and Namibia. However, the Super 12 action will begin on October 22, when Australia will begin their title defence against New Zealand. Have a look at the core of the top eight teams of the World Cup.
Australia- Defending champions Australia are one of the strongest teams in the tournament. They boast a very strong batting lineup followed by some unplayable bowlers in the squad. The likes of David Warner, Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Matthew Wade, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc are all match-winners. Australia is placed in a strong group alongside England, New Zealand and Afghanistan, while two teams will come from the first round stage. However, Australia lost both the T20Is against England as their middle order did not stay longer at the crease. This can be something they would want to enhance before they begin their title defence.
England- The 2010 T20 World Cup winners are another title contender in the tournament. The England side also has an aggressive batting lineup in the form of Jos Buttler, Alex Hales, Dawid Malan and Liam Livingstone. Their bowling also consists of quality pacers and spinners. The English side is also on a high note as they have beaten both Pakistan and Australia in their homes in the T20I series.
New Zealand- The Blackcaps are the 2021 World Cup finalists and are another strong team for the fabled T20 World Cup. Their team boasts strong experience on the side. Players like Kane Williamson, Tim Southee and Martin Guptill have all played more than 75 T20Is each. The New Zealand team recently featured in a Tri-series tournament against Pakistan and Bangladesh and went down in the final against Pakistan. However, their batting order is in fine touch, while their bowling is doing a decent performance. This time around, the Kane Williamson-led side will want to overcome the final hurdle.
India- The 2007 T20 champions, India also has a strong list of players in its inventory. The batters have taken the team to many wins in recent matches. Players like Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli are in brilliant form. The fact that Kohli is back amongst the runs is a big boost to the Rohit Sharma-led side. However, their bowling department needs sharpness. The absence of Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and Deepak Chahar is hurting them while their bowling is also not at its best in the death overs. With the addition of Mohammed Shami in the fast bowling, the Indian team will want to get their act together. The men in blue are in Group B of the Super 12 stage and will face Pakistan first on October 23 in Melbourne. They would want to start well and book a spot in knockouts to have a shot to end the 15-year wait for a T20 title.
Pakistan- India's arch-rivals and 2009's T20 champions Pakistan has a blend of architects and power hitters in their batting lineup. Openers Mohammed Rizwan and captain Babar Azam are their torchbearers with the willow. Also, with Shaheen making a comeback to the team after his knee injury, the bowling lineup is strong. However, Pakistan would need their middle order to fire more often if they want to chase targets frequently. The Babar Azam-led side was in the semifinals of the 2021 edition and will want to go further this time.
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South Africa- South African team is searching for their first title but has the potential of defeating anybody on their day. Their batting has been led by David Miller, Rilee Rossouw and Reeza Hendricks. Proteas also have a robust bowling lineup in the form of Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Wayne Parnell. However, they would want runs from Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock as the two have a big role in Proteas' batting lineup.
Afghanistan- Afghanistan are placed in Group A alongside Australia. The Afghan team was in good form in the Asia Cup. They lost a few nail-biters against Pakistan and Sri Lanka and showed their mettle of being a dark horse. Though, they are placed alongside very tough teams but can upset them if they play at their best. Afghanistan's bowling is strong with Rashid Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Fareed Ahmad and has some good batters up the order too. They would want their batting to perform better and if both these things go in sync, they can dent a team's dream.
Bangladesh- The Bangladesh side led by Shakib Al Hasan in Group B along with India, Pakistan and South Africa. The Bangla side has done well in recent years in the T20I format, however, they were not at their best in the T20I tri-series against New Zealand and Pakistan, and neither in the Asia Cup 2022. Opening batter Soumya Sarkar and left-hand speedster Shoriful Islam have been added to the squad recently. Their batting and bowling need sharpness. The likes of Litton Das, Shakib Al Hasan and Hasan Mahmud have performed but they need others to step up too.
The first match will be played between Namibia and Sri Lanka on Sunday at 9:30 AM IST. The Super 12's first match will be held between Australia and New Zealand on October 22.
