The T20 World Cup 2022 is underway in Australia, and we are now in the Super 12 stage. 8 teams are divided into 2 groups, and the top 2 teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals. There have been some thrilling matches so far, and the race to the semis is intense. Let’s analyze each team’s performance so far and assess their chances of making it to the final four.
Group 1
Group 1 consists of England, New Zealand, Australia, Sri Lanka, Ireland and Afghanistan. After the first round matches, here is how the points table looks:
| Team | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | NRR | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | +2.233 | 4 |
| England | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | +0.239 | 4 |
| Australia | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | -1.555 | 2 |
| Sri Lanka | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | -0.470 | 2 |
| Ireland | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | -1.544 | 2 |
| Afghanistan | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | -1.86 | 0 |
New Zealand and England are currently in the top 2 positions with 4 points each. Their net run rates are impressive as well. Although Australia are the hosts, they have struggled after losing their first two matches. England beat them convincingly in a rain curtailed DLS match. However, Australia bounced back with a tight win over Sri Lanka. Aaron Finch and his men will be hoping their batsmen find form before it’s too late.
New Zealand
The Blackcaps have looked extremely well balanced. Their only loss came in their tournament opener against Trans-Tasman rivals Australia. After that initial upset, New Zealand has beaten Sri Lanka and Ireland comfortably. Veteran opener Martin Guptill has looked scratchy, but skipper Kane Williamson and Devon Conway have made vital contributions. The bowling unit led by Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Ish Sodhi has fired in unison.
New Zealand will take on England in their final group game which could potentially be a shootout for the top spot. Considering their current form, the Kiwis look favorites to finish as group toppers. Their consistency in major events is remarkable, so expect them to make the semis despite England’s star power.
England
England struggled in the first game against Afghanistan but thanks to some late hitting heroics from Liam Livingstone, they stumbled to a 5 wicket win. After that wake up call, Jos Buttler’s England have dominated Australia and New Zealand. Buttler himself is leading the run charts with 125 runs from 3 innings. Alex Hales has provided great starts at the top while Livingstone is finishing well. England’s batting looks scary good but their bowling is a worry.
Against New Zealand, they failed to defend 179 as Glenn Phillips took them apart. Mark Wood’s pace is a big plus but spinners like Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid need to step up. Sam Curran has bowled excellently with the new ball. England can out-bat any team on their day but bowling remains their weak link. Buttler will hope his bowlers find rhythm before the semi-final. Despite the bowling concerns, England remain favorites to top the group.
Australia
The defending champions Australia have stuttered after two successive losses to New Zealand and England. Their batsmen like David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Marcus Stoinis and Tim David are yet to fire. Only Glenn Maxwell has shown glimpses of his destructive abilities. Another cause of concern is captain Aaron Finch’s poor form. The bowlers led by Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Adam Zampa need to back up their batsmen.
Australia face a must-win contest against Ireland next. They are still capable of topping the group if they win their remaining games, but their poor net run rate is an issue. Ireland and Afghanistan showed Australia are beatable in these conditions. The Aussies need their batters to step up soon and avoid panicking. Under a dynamic leader like Finch, they can qualification, but it won’t be straightforward.
Sri Lanka
Despite being placed 4th in the points table, don’t rule out Sri Lanka yet. They came within a whisker of upsetting Australia and also beat Ireland earlier. The experienced opening pair of Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka has given them solid starts. Bhanuka Rajapaksha has been a revelation at number three with his aggressive strokeplay. Captain Dasun Shanaka provides finishing fireworks alongside Wanindu Hasaranga. On the bowling front, Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana and Lahiru Kumara have troubled opponents with their variations.
Sri Lanka next face bottom placed Afghanistan in a virtual quarter-final clash. Considering Afghanistan’s poor performances so far, Sri Lanka will fancy their chances. Their net run rate is still respectable and they can displace Australia or England with victories in the remaining games. Underdog Sri Lanka should not be taken lightly as they have the potential to frustrate their fancied opponents.
Prediction:
Based on the first round performances and keeping net run rates in mind, my predictions for Group 1 are:
- New Zealand will finish first in the group due to their all-round balance and depth.
- England’s batting firepower makes them favorites for second spot despite bowling concerns.
The third spot will be an intense battle between defending champions Australia and Asian champions Sri Lanka. Going by sheer quality and match winners in their line-up, Australia might just sneak through but don’t rule out the spirited Lankans.
Group 2
This group consists of India, South Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and Netherlands. The points table after initial matches is:
| Team | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | NRR | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | +2.772 | 6 |
| India | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | +0.844 | 4 |
| Pakistan | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | +0.182 | 2 |
| Bangladesh | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | -1.276 | 2 |
| Zimbabwe | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | -0.319 | 2 |
| Netherlands | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | -1.233 | 2 |
South Africa
South Africa have been simply outstanding, winning all their Super 12 matches convincingly. Their batting led by Quinton de Kock, Rilee Rossouw and Aiden Markram has been on fire. Tristan Stubbs has provided great cameos in the middle order while David Miller finished clinically. The pace trio of Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi and Wayne Parnell has dominated opposition batters. Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj have been economical on spin friendly pitches. The Proteas are clearly the team to beat in this group.
India
Despite not starting their tournament favorites, India have won both their completed games against Pakistan and Netherlands. Their batting struggled against quality Pakistan seamers but Suryakumar Yadav produced a special innings under pressure. Since then, Virat Kohli has found form which makes their batting lineup lethal. In Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Kohli, they have a top 3 to envy. Their pace bowling led by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arshdeep Singh has been stellar.
The clash against South Africa rained out but that gives India a chance to top the group by winning their remaining matches. India’s spin twins Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel will play a key role on the slower UAE pitches. India seem to have found the right team balance and momentum after early hiccups. Their match awareness and big match experience make them contenders for the semifinals. But they need batters like Rahul and Pandya to find consistency.
Pakistan
Pakistan have had mixed fortunes after a heartbreaking last ball loss to arch-rivals India but beating minnows Zimbabwe. Their much vaunted pace attack led by Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah were expensive against India. Their batsmen could not accelerate against India’s spinners in the middle overs barring Shan Masood’s unbeaten 52. Skipper Babar Azam has looked out of touch since Asia Cup as their batsmen failed to chase 130 against Zimbabwe.
Pakistan’s chances of qualifying took a hit after the India loss but they are still alive in the competition. Their remaining games against South Africa and Bangladesh will decide their fate. The famed middle order trio of Azam, Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman needs to step up. Their bowlers also need discipline against the likes of Aiden Markram and Quinton de Kock. Pakistan have the talent but they must show resilience to make the knockouts. They could still pip Bangladesh for second spot, but it won’t be easy for the inconsistent Men in Green.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh find themselves in the mix after beating Netherlands and giving India a scare in their rain curtailed game. Liton Das has led the batting with their experienced top order misfiring. Mosaddek Hossain produced a special cameo against India and bolsters their erratic middle order. Mustafizur Rahman is a proven wicket taker complementing Taskin Ahmed well. Spinners like Shakib Al Hasan, Mahedi and Afif Hossain have been decent.
Bangladesh next face in-form South Africa and Pakistan which will test their young team. Their batsmen must step up and not rely solely on Liton Das. Bangladesh have caused upsets of big teams in T20Is by playing without fear. They might just have enough firepower to upstage either Pakistan or South Africa to grab that second spot. But South Africa’s red hot form makes them clear underdogs to progress.
Prediction:
In Group 2, barring any big upsets, my predictions are:
- South Africa will top the group and qualify as expected.
- India are favourites for second spot based on the depth in their batting and spin bowling. But defeat against South Africa might open up the race for second.
An India-South Africa face-off can decide the eventual group winners. For third spot, the clash between Pakistan and Bangladesh will be virtual quarter-final. Pakistan might just prevail over Bangladesh due to the quality of their pacers in Australian conditions.
Conclusion
Based on overall analysis of team strengths, Form Guide and upcoming matches, my predictions for the T20 World Cup 2022 semi-finalists are:
- New Zealand (Group 1 Winners)
- England (Group 1 Runners Up)
- South Africa (Group 2 Winners)
- India (Group 2 Runners Up)
These four teams have looked the most well-balanced and consistent in the Super 12 stage so far. India and Pakistan have an edge over Australia and Sri Lanka respectively if it’s close. South Africa and New Zealand are almost sure to top their groups unless they suffer surprising defeats.
However, T20 cricket is extremely unpredictable and league positions can change within a few overs. Any team in the top 4 can beat their opponents on a given day. Underdog teams like Ireland, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe have challenged the top teams. Injuries, loss of form and momentum will also impact the semi-final race down the business end of the tournament. Hopefully we will get to witness some thrilling contests with semifinal spots on the line. May the best teams progress to the knockout stages and provide exciting cricket till the end!
