ICC T20i World Cup 2022 will be played in the backyard of defending champions Australia from 16 October to 13 November. The tournament will have 16 teams who will face each other for the title. Among the 16 teams, 12 already qualified for the tournament after the conclusion of the 2021 T20i World Cup. (Top 8 teams in ICC T20 rankings and the 4 teams from last World Cup’s performance).
The teams are- Australia, New Zealand, India, England, Pakistan, South Africa, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Namibia, Scotland, Sri Lanka & West Indies. Moreover, Ireland & UAE booked the tickets for T20 World Cup 2022, however, the remaining two positions would be decided by the Qualifier B scheduled to take place in July 2022.
Further, the top 8 teams have been divided into 2 groups as of now.
Group A – England, New Zealand, Australia, Afghanistan.
Group B – India, Pakistan, South Africa, Bangladesh.
The two groups will have 2 more teams each. How? The remaining 8 teams will battle it out in the qualifiers before the Super 12 fixtures to find a final place in the tournament.
4 Teams Who Could Possibly Win The T20i World Cup 2022-
Cricreads believe these 4 teams have the highest chance of lifting the T20i World Cup 2022, considering their team performance in T20i in 2022 and the strength they hold. The teams are-
1) India
India would be keen on making a strong statement in the cricket world after their early exit from T20 World Cup 2021, where they couldn’t reach the semi-final. All bets are placed on Rohit Sharma, the most successful captain in IPL, who overtook the reins of the Indian team in each format from Virat Kohli after the T20i World Cup 2021.
Moreover, India is yet to lose a match under the leadership of Rohit Sharma which depicts the solidarity of the hitman as a team leader.
Also Read, 16 Probable Players Who Can Represent India in T20 World Cup 2022
2) Pakistan
Pakistan had a dream run in the T20i World Cup 2021, where they were the only team who remained undefeated in the league matches ( won 5 out of 5) and it made them look inevitable as Pakistan even defeated India in their opening game. However, Australia defeated Pakistan in the semi-finals and later went on to win the cup.
Pakistan is currently at the 3rd position in T20i rankings but their captain Babar Azam & batter Mohammad Rizwan hold 1st & 2nd positions in men’s T20i batsmen ranking. And these two batters were the ones who defeated India single-handedly last year.
3) Australia
The defending champions would be once again entering as the underdogs in the tournament considering their recent form in T20i, where they have slipped from 1st position in team rankings to 5th position after the World Cup.
Considering, Australia would be defending their title in their backyard it wouldn’t be a cake-walk for other teams to go against them. As Australia becomes more lethal at their home grounds.
4) England
England is right behind India in ICC T20i team rankings in 2nd position. Thus, they hold a significant chance of lifting the T20 World Cup. However, their World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan has announced retirement from international cricket which might be a setback for the team.
Although, England has a new head coach (Brendon McCullum) who has already shown his intentions clear in the test series against New Zealand by defeating them 3-0. England would be riding on a new captain and experienced coach Brendon McCullum to once again bring home the T20i World Cup trophy after 12 years.
Our Prediction
T20i World Cup 2022 Finals
Cricreads believe India & England would lock horns in the finals of the T20i World Cup 2022 and India holds an advantage of lifting the trophy with 60-40 chances in their favor.