Sri Lanka, Ireland, Namibia and the Netherlands are playing off in a round-robin format in Group A, while Bangladesh, Scotland, Papua New Guinea and Oman do battle in Group B.
A comprehensive victory for Ireland
They win with 7 wickets in hand
#T20WorldCup | #IREvNED | https://t.co/TRm5wxM8Qo pic.twitter.com/GS0pQymV0I
— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) October 18, 2021
The top two in each group will progress to the Super 12 stage with the Group A winner and runner-up in Group B joining England, Australia, South Africa and West Indies in Super 12 Group 1, with the other two qualifiers reaching Group 2 alongside India, Pakistan, New Zealand and Afghanistan.
India Favourites Once Again
There has already been a shock or two in the tournament so far with Scotland stunning Bangladesh on Sunday while the ease with which Ireland beat the Netherlands will not have been expected, and it is far from beyond the realms of possibility to see further surprises over the next three weeks or so.
India go into the tournament as favourites, hardly surprising given their run of form as well as strength in depth, while there is the added motivation of signing off Virat Kohli’s reign as captain in style.
India’s unbeaten run across eight series finally came to an end in their most recent loss to Sri Lanka, although there were mitigating circumstances in that defeat as it was not a full-strength squad.
However, they had beaten all the big guns in their hot streak, including England, Australia, West Indies and New Zealand – with the series against South Africa drawn at 1-1 with the decider abandoned.
Still, they have proven themselves time and again against all opposition and are understandable jollies, but we have been down this road before and India have been unable to deliver on the biggest stage since the inaugural tournament back in 2007.
England Power to Come Unstuck?
There are one or two question marks over the squad selection and the form of some key players to boot, but the same could be said of tournament second-favourites England, already shorn of key players Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer.
Captain Eoin Morgan has endured a torrid time with the bat of late while England’s otherwise powerful-looking batting line-up does not always deliver in the type of conditions that are expected.
One Jos Buttler or Liam Livingstone innings may quickly make that suggestion look ridiculous and there is plenty of power throughout the line-up but at the prices I’m unconvinced.
The margins are finer in the shortest form of the game and it only needs one innings – one over even – to make or break a game, and it’s well worth looking for some value.
Azam Can Lead Pakistan Challenge
The last three winners of the T20 World Cup have been West Indies in 2012 and 2016 and Sri Lanka in 2014, hardly the big boys, and I would be more tempted by a bigger price.
Being the only side to have won the tournament twice, West Indies will no doubt attract some support but the bookmakers have cottoned on to their T20 pedigree, and they are perhaps not in the form that they need to be, while Australia are barely worth a mention in any T20 conversation.
With one of the qualifiers unlikely to upset the odds enough times to reach the knockouts, that leaves Pakistan, New Zealand and South Africa – and I wouldn’t necessarily be against any of them.
However, Babar Azam’s consistent brilliance with the bat as well as a superb opening partnership with Mohammed Rizan, behind a strong, rounded bowling attack, has just swung my pendulum in Pakistan’s favour – even if it is with fingers crossed that their middle order is not a let down.
