Group 1
Sri Lanka
For the defending champions of T20 World Cup, recent performances do not give much hope. After winning the trophy in 2014, Sri Lankan cricket has gone through a rough patch, managing to win just four of the 14 matches it played. After the retirement of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena, no other batsmen from the island nation could show consistency in performance. In the recently held Asia Cup, Angelo Mathews led team has lost to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. But, historically, Sri Lankan cricket is always unpredictable and can go beyond expectations at any moment. The team’s main hopes are in the pace bowling department led by Lasit Malinga.
Source: Getty Images-AFP-Punit Paranjpe
West Indies
It is the only team in the world which remains a strong contender in T20 cricket despite failing poorly in all other forms of the game. The 2012 champions have played only two T20 internationals in the past 12 months, which makes it harder to predict them as a team. However, the three wicket win over Australia, with just one ball remaining, in the warm up match on Saturday gives an extra confidence to the team led by Darren Sammy. Even though the team misses players like injured Kieron Pollard, and Daren Bravo and Sunil Narine - who have opted to stay back home - experience is the key strength. Players like Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo have played 82 and 91 Indian Premier League matches respectively, which give them enormous confidence on the Indian soil.
South Africa
Last year’s ODI World Cup in Australia has seen history repeating for South Africa. After an unimaginable run, they have lost to New Zealand in the semi-finals. This has been the case in most of the T20 and ODI World Cups. But, as usual, most of the cricket pundits have named South Africa as one of the favourites in this event also. The team captained by Faf du Plesis is in all means a well-balanced one, with a deep batting line up that includes AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla, David Miller and du Plessis and bowlers like Dayle Steyn. Last October, South Africa has whitewashed India 2-0 in India. With another four runs’ victory against the hosts in the warm up game, South Africans have made their intentions clear.
England
England is another former champion in T20 World Cup. The team which has lifted the trophy in 2010, flew to India with some big hitters in its batting line up. Jason Roy, Alex Hales, Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes and captain Eoin Morgan come as the strongest hitters of cricket ball. Cricketing legend Viv Richards has commented on this batting line up that he was impressed with the quality and the depth. However, playing conditions in India is always a challenge to the English cricketers, and the young team’s lack of experience on these kind of pitches will be the main hurdle.
Afghanistan reached the Super 10 after crushing Zimbabwe, Scotland and Hong Kong in the group stage. With former internationals like Inzamam Ul Haq and Manoj Prabhakar as coaches, the team has showed a confident performance in the group stage of the tournament. Whenever Afghan team goes out to play international cricket, stories of their initiation to the game are being told over and again. It is the same in India also, which has given them many fans too. The team, inspired by the batting performances of captain Asghar Stanikzai, Mohammed Shahzad and Mohammed Nabi, and the pace attack of Hamid Hassan and Shapoor Zadran, is capable of making some upsets in the group.
Mohammad Nabi of Afghanistan addresses his team before taking to the field during the 2015 ICC Cricket World match Source: Getty Images
Group 2
India
Inaugural world champions in T20 cricket, India has become the first team to lift ODI world cup on home soil in 2011. Recent performances give an extra advantage to the home side. In the 11 T20 international games they played in 2016, India has lost only one. Along with the advantage of home ground, a rich batting line up and balanced bowling department make India a strong contender. Players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Yuvraj Singh and captain M.S.Dhoni have shown exemplary batting performance in the recent times. Along with experienced Ashish Nehra and R Ashwin, youngsters like Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah give an extra edge to the bowling line up.
Indian cricket team poses with paytm champions Trophy during the third T20 international match between India and Sri Lanka Source: Getty Images
Australia
Five time world champions in ODIs and the number one ranked test side, Australia is another strong contender in the title chase. This is the only trophy missing from Australia’s cabinet. But this time around, the team comes with some of the best T20 batsmen ever. With David Warner and Aaron Finch at the top, captain Steve Smith and Glen Maxwell in the middle order and a batsman like James Faulkner as a finisher, Australian batting line up has every right to be super confident. Shane Watson’s experience on Indian pitches and in all previous editions of the T20 World Cup - with a strike rate of 140 - is another advantage for Australia. However, the bowling line up lacks an experienced spinner. Leg spinner Adam Zampa has played only two T20 internationals and left arm spinner Ashton Agar just one. On the slow Indian tracks this can turn out to be crucial.
during game five of the Commonwealth Bank One Day Series
Pakistan
The world T20 champion in 2009 comes as the most unpredictable team in the tournament. The team’s presence was under clouds after the Pakistan government raised some security concerns in India. This has pushed the organisers to move their much awaited clash with India from Dharamshala to Kolkata. Recently Pakistan has lost series to England and New Zealand and could not reach the finals of Asia Cup in Bangladesh, but, their new internal T20 league - Pakistan Super League - gives the players some good practice in the short version of the game. Along with captain Shahid Afridi’s experience with 94 T20 games under his cap, the talents of batsmen like Mohammed Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal will be the key to Pakistani success. Afridi is the leading wicket taker in T20 internationals with 93 wickets and boasts of a batting strike rate of 148.92. The bowling attack led by pacemen Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz and Mohammed Irfan will be crucial too.
New Zealand
It is a new phase in New Zealand cricket after the retirement of their most prolific captain Brendon McCullum. The team led by Kane Williamson has landed in India without much T20 match practice in the recent times, and their performance in the subcontinent has always been poor. But, the presence of many all-rounders like Corey Anderson, Grant Elliot, Mitchell Saunter and Nathan McCullum make them a strong side. Experienced Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor add strength to the batting. Bowlers like Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Nathan McCullum become crucial in the team’s performance.
Bangladesh
If history repeats, Bangladesh should win this T20 World Cup. In the last three editions of the tournament, previous year’s hosts were the champions: England, West Indies and Sri Lanka respectively. Bangladesh was the host of the 2014 edition. Though this comparison may look an odd one, the recent performance of the team in One Day Internationals give a more realistic picture. They have had series wins against Pakistan, India, South Africa and Zimbabwe. In the recently held Asia Cup T20, Bangla Tigers reached final after defeating Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The mix of experience and new blood will be the strength of the team. Players like Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahman and captain Mashrafe Mortaza bring experience to the side while young bloods like Soumya Sarkar and Sabbir Rahman show courage to take on the big names in international cricket. Definitely, Bangladesh is a team to watch in this World Cup.
Bangladeshi cricketers celebrate after the dismissal of the South Africa cricketer Rilee Rossouw during the second ODI July 12, 2015 Source: Getty Images
