Is T20 World Cup going to be the biggest cricketing spectacle ever?
The tournament had its share of ups and down for all the teams. The teams that were expected to shine and emerge on top of the tournament struggled as the other fellow teams gave them a hard time toiling in the field
Australia: Hosting T20 World cupEvery team played competitive cricket. While India and Afghanistan dominated in the group stage to defeat Pakistan and Sri Lanka, respectively, the Super 4 stage saw a complete reversal. Despite a tough fight, India and Afghanistan couldn't beat the opponents against whom they had won before. This shows that every team is favourite any day to defeat any team.
With less than 40 days left for the next mega tournament, the fans have already begun the countdown to 'The Big Time.'
ICC Head of Events Chris Tetley said: "There is a real sense of excitement and anticipation. With all 16 teams confirmed and the finishing touches to event preparation being undertaken, I can't wait for the cricket to start and to see who will claim the ultimate prize in T20 cricket."
The most competitive T20 World Cup ever
With everything around the corner, this T20 World Cup will be very different due to the competitiveness each team will bring forward. While earlier group A consisting of Afghanistan, Australia, England and New Zealand, looked more competitive and challenging to crack but looking at the ongoing Asia Cup, we never know which team emerges as the underdogs in this much-awaited tournament. Group B is formed with Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and South Africa, which has the potential to give a competitive performance.
Qualifying teams like Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe from the group stage will further intensify the race and competitiveness of the game. These B-grade teams have shown in bilateral series and Asia Cup that they are not easy to defeat and are equally challenging in any condition.
On the other hand, A-grade teams like England and India have cleared their intent of playing attacking and aggressive forms of cricket. South Africa has discovered new talents like Tristen Stubbs to find an edge over other teams. Australia and New Zealand can never go easy on their opponents. No matter where they are struggling, the other department makes up for it.
The intent of every player and team clearly shows no matter which domestic league, bilateral series, or even Asia Cup they played, the apparent target is to prepare for the best and most competitive tournament, i.e., the T20 World Cup.