T20 World Cup 2022: Three successes and failures in the tournament so far

However, even the best tournaments will have several misses with undeniable hits. 

We have picked out three hits and three misses in the T20 World Cup. 

Hits: 

Virat Kohli’s form – Coming into the World Cup, there remained a few question marks over Virat Kohli’s form. This was even though he did well in the Asia Cup and the subsequent bilateral series that followed. 

However, his 53-ball 82* against Pakistan proved without a shadow of a doubt that the King is back. And an in-form Virat augurs well not just for India but also for the tournament – who wouldn’t want to see a free-flowing Kohli at a big game? 

New Zealand’s crushing win over Australia – Not only did New Zealand’s massive win over Australia on the opening day of the Super 12s set the tone for the rest of the tournament, but it also gave the Black Caps their first win in Australia in over a decade. 

And what a performance it was. The bowling ran riot in the second innings, and Glenn Phillips’ catch was also memorable. But it is impossible to forget Finn Allen’s quickfire start or Devon Conway’s big innings. Truly a win – and match – for ages. 

Marcus Stoinis’ innings – Australia has proved that they have too much quality to be put down so quickly. And proof of that came in their second group game against Sri Lanka. 

The defending Asia Cup champions were actually in with a chance of causing an upset – until Marcus Stoinis hit the fastest-ever T20I century by an Australian. His brutal hitting changed the course of the game – and all but set right Australia’s net run rate woes. 

Misses: 

West Indies – It’s rare in a sport like cricket, played by comparatively few nations, that a team who has twice won the T20 World Cup won’t be playing the tournament this year. But that’s precisely the plight of the West Indies. 

The 2012 and 2016 champions could not make it through from the first round and into the Super 12s, leading to a dark day in Windies cricket that has already seen Phil Simmons step down as head coach – and more heads are expected to roll. 

Wanindu Hasaranga’s form – Sri Lanka’s spin twins Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga were expected to be crucial to their chances of doing well in the World Cup. However, the latter has seen his form fall entirely off a cliff. 

Hasaranga was also hit or miss in the Asia Cup but often made up in the batting department. That hasn’t been the case so far in the World Cup, and against Australia, his three overs went for 50 runs – a new low. Lankan fans will hope he can rediscover his touch soon. 

Constant rain interruption – One of the most irritating parts of the tournament so far has been that the rain has remained a consistent threat. 

The India-Pakistan game was almost washed off, and three games after that have been either partially or entirely affected by rain. Fans will hope the rain Gods show mercy to the tournament soon enough.