The top eight ranked teams in T20I cricket will compete in the Super 12s stage of the 2021 T20 World Cup, along with four qualified teams from the first round. The twelve teams have been divided into two groups of six teams each, with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the mega event’s semi-finals.
After some exciting matches in the first round of the tournament, the super 12s round promises to be even better as top international players compete for the title of T20 World champions Pakistan, India, New Zealand, West Indies, England, Australia, and South Africa all have star-studded squads and are coming into the tournament off the back of some impressive performances in the game’s shortest format. As they aim for the coveted title, all twelve teams in the competition will compete for four spots in the tournament’s semi-finals.
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Group 1
England, the current ODI World Champions, is in Group 1 with the defending champions, West Indies, and cricket powerhouses Australia and South Africa. The four teams will be joined by the first-round winners of Group A and runners-up of Group B.
England is regarded as one of the best white-ball teams in the world, while the West Indies are the only team in the world to have won two World T20 championships. Australia’s strong batting lineup makes them a formidable opponent, while South Africa’s exciting young fast bowling lineup has the potential to turn the game on its head.
England
England is considered tournament favorites ahead of the T20 World Cup in 2021 and will be determined to perform to their usual standards. They have a strong overall squad with a strong batting unit and a diverse bowling unit. While their captain, Eoin Morgan, is out of shape, he remains one of the best white-ball captains in the world. Their batting lineup, which includes Jason Roy, Jos Buttler, Johnny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, and Eoin Morgan, is capable of dismantling any bowling attack in the world.
They have a strong spin-bowling attack led by Adil Rashid, one of the best leg-spinners in the world, and off-spinner Moeen Ali. Mark Wood, David Willey, Chris Jordan, Chris Woakes, and Tymal Mills make up their fast bowling unit, which includes express pacers and specialists for every phase of the game.
Australia
This may come as a surprise, but we believe Australia will advance to the semi-finals ahead of the defending champions, the West Indies. Australia’s batting lineup, which includes Aaron Finch, David Warner, Steve Smith, and Glenn Maxwell, has the talent and experience to advance to the next round of the competition.The fast bowling unit of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, and Kane Richardson is formidable, and when combined with Marcus Stoinis’ all-around
ability, Australia will be difficult to beat. Their spin bowling attack is what propels them ahead of the West Indies in the rankings. While the West Indies only have two spinners, Akeal Hossain and Hayden Walsh Jnr., they lack the quality of Adam Zampa, Ashton Agar, and Mitchell Swepson. In the UAE’s spin-friendly conditions, the trio will form a strong spin attack.
Group 2
Arch-rivals Pakistan and India have been placed in Group 2 with ODI World Cup runners-up New Zealand and underdogs Afghanistan. The four teams will be joined by the Group B and Group A winners and runners-up from the first round of the competition.
Pakistan’s unpredictability, combined with India’s and New Zealand’s strategic dugouts, makes for an exciting group. The Men in Green will be determined to earn their first World Cup victory over their arch-rivals and exact some sort of retaliation on New Zealand for abruptly canceling their tour of the country.
India
India is also regarded as one of the tournament’s favorites, and with a star-studded squad, they are expected to reach the tournament’s semi-finals. India’s batting lineup, which includes Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, and Risabh Pant, is one of the best in the world. Their fast bowling options, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Bhuveshwar Kumar, and Shardul Thakur, are also excellent; they have performed admirably all over the world.
With the additions of Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Rahul Chahar, and Varun Chakravarthy, India has assembled a spin-heavy squad. In spin-friendly conditions, they’ll be a handful.
Pakistan
The Men in Green will be hoping to bounce back from the disappointments of the previous two T20 World Cups and reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2012. They will be led by star batter Babar Azam and will feature an exciting mix of youth and experience.
Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, the openers, are in superb form and have scored the most runs in the format this calendar year. The middle-order experience of Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez, as well as hard-hitting batters Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, and Asif Ali, make Pakistan a strong batting unit in the T20 format. Their pace offense is also among the best in the world.
It features Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, and Mohammad Wasim Jr.
Pakistan’s spin attack will also be useful in the UAE. Shadab Khan’s leg-spin, Mohammad Nawaz and Imad Wasim’s left-arm spin, and Mohammad Hafeez’s off-spin form a strong spin attack. If necessary, Shoaib Malik can be used for a few overs.
Other Contenders
Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, and Lendl Simmons are among the West Indies’ top T20 players. They are considered strong favorites to advance to the semi-finals, but we chose Australia due to a somewhat weak spin attack.
New Zealand has always been pragmatic in its approach, and they have the potential to finish in the top four. They also have a strong squad led by captain Kane Williamson. They will most likely play to their strengths and will likely advance to the next round ahead of either India or Pakistan. Afghanistan is the tournament’s underdog. They have a strong spin attack led by Rashid Khan, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, and captain Mohammad Nabi. Hazratullah Zazai and Mohammad Shehzad are among their explosive batting lineup. It will not be surprising if they pull off an upset and advance to the semi-finals.
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