There will be the usual favourites, off-kilter sides, chokers and unexpected fringe teams – the script is familiar for World Cups, but the scale will be unprecedented when a record 20 teams take part in the T20 showpiece starting in New York on Saturday. While India will be looking to shed the burden of near-defeat, Australia will look to add another chapter to their tale of dominance. For teams like Pakistan and West Indies, the primary goal will be to curb their tendency to fail at the most inopportune moment.
Defending champions England and South Africa will also be a strong team, especially South Africa. Given the presence of match-winners like Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Quinton de Kock and Kagiso Rabada, the Proteas are set to get rid of the tag of chokers.
It will be an unprecedented event not just because of the sheer size of the draw but also because of the fact that it officially marks cricket’s big entry into the US, which will host 16 of the 55 matches to be played over 29 days.
The remaining 39 matches will be held in the West Indies, including the Super 8 stage, the semi-finals and the final on June 29.
Apart from the clear favourites on paper, teams like Afghanistan can never be counted on to pull off upsets at unexpected times.
There will be a lot of stories to unfold over the next month. And perhaps the most interesting one will be that of India, a team that is gunning for an ICC trophy but somehow fell short after winning the 2013 Champions Trophy.
This time around, Rohit Sharma’s reputation as captain will certainly be at stake. Given the unrivalled resources and depth at the disposal of the game’s powerhouse, most experts find it difficult to accurately predict India’s trophy drought at the world stage in the past decade.
Rohit’s predecessor Virat Kohli ended his tenure as the most successful Test captain but the global trophy eluded him.
Now, Rohit is carrying the burden of not winning a world title as India have finished runners-up in two ICC tournaments in the last 12 months, including a loss to Australia in the ODI World Cup final at home.
Their outdated approach cost them heavily in the last two T20 World Cups, but they are unlikely to repeat those mistakes in the USA.
The recently-concluded IPL showed how batsmen are pushing the boundaries and India’s high-profile line-up needs to take that risky path.
India might not have as much batting firepower as some of the rival teams but since the Caribbean pitches are expected to be spin-friendly, they certainly have all the bases covered.
Rohit and Co. are scheduled to play three matches at the temporary stadium here, including the big clash against Pakistan on June 9.
Drop-in pitches will be used at this brand new facility, as all teams will be entering unfamiliar territory.
However, India will have the advantage of playing a practice match against Bangladesh at the same venue on June 1, followed by their first league match against Ireland on June 5.
The opening match of the historic tournament will be between America and Canada
The first international cricket match was played between the United States and Canada in 1844, just a short distance from New York City, India’s headquarters.
However, cricket soon fell behind sports like baseball and centuries later, the sport will make an honest attempt to make its place in the already mature American sports market, starting with the first match between USA-Canada in Dallas on Saturday.
The United States are participating in the World Cup for the first time as co-hosts of the tournament but have shown they are not to be taken lightly, having defeated Canada and recently full member Bangladesh in bilateral series.
Canada, which has previously participated in the ODI World Cup, will also make its T20 World Cup debut on Saturday. Uganda is also another country participating in the competition for the first time.
Defending champions England have a point to prove
Rohit is not the only captain who will enter the tournament under immense pressure.
Jos Buttler will also be out there with a point to prove after England’s poor showing as defending champions in the ODI World Cup in India six months ago.
England were by far the best team of the 2022 T20 World Cup and they will be determined to re-establish their supremacy in the shortest format.
And the teams challenging this dominance will be the likes of India, South Africa and Australia, who have managed to retain the Ashes, win the World Test Championship final and win the ODI World Cup in the last 12 months.
This will also be a tough captaincy test for new Australian captain Mitchell Marsh. Two-time champions West Indies, who could not qualify for the 50-over World Cup in India, are title contenders in their home conditions and their experience in the Caribbean Premier League will come in handy.
The always unpredictable Pakistan team, which made it to the final of the last edition, have concerns in the batting department ahead of their first match against the USA on June 6.
Saim Ayub has not done well for them at the top of the order and it remains to be seen if the management brings back skipper Babar Azam to open the innings alongside Mohammad Rizwan.
Also in focus will be Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim, who have possibly been brought back from retirement into the national team due to their CPL experience.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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