The T20 World Cup often throws up surprises and this edition is not expected to be any different. The Super 12 stage has a plethora of stars on display, with Bangladesh, India, Netherlands, Pakistan, South Africa and Zimbabwe part of Group 2.
In this article, we will take a look at how these teams could finish post the Super 12 phase and which sides could make the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup. Without further ado, here is the predicted standings.
T20 World Cup predictions
#6 Bangladesh
This might come as a bit of shock to some but the bare fact is that Bangladesh have been pretty woeful in the shortest format for a while now. Their captaincy revolving door has cast Shakib Al Hasan into the hot seat, although that is no guarantee of success. Not because his leadership is under question, but because Bangladesh, especially in Australia, seem to have too many holes to plug.
Their batting has been a talking point in the past couple of years. At home, where the par total usually hovers around 120-130, they have been able to get the job done. On truer batting surfaces, though, they have struggled and have lacked the necessary impetus to take games away from the opposition.
In Litton Das and Shakib, they have two high-quality batters. Apart from the duo, however, there is not much to shout home about. Yes, the likes of Afif Hossain, Mosaddek Hossain and Najmul Hassan Shanto can impress but consistency is not their greatest asset.
Bowling wise, too, they don’t have the penetration that they had previously. Mustafizur Rahman’s cutters might not be very effective in Australia. Taskin Ahmed, courtesy of his pace, will always be in the game, although he has not shown enough to propel himself as a genuine wicket-taking option at the T20 World Cup.
Thus, don’t be surprised if Bangladesh produce another listless T20 World Cup campaign. Their problems run much deeper than whoever is captaining the side, and this edition might just drive that point home further.
#5 Netherlands
The Netherlands deserve to be here, despite having lost their last first-round fixture to Sri Lanka. This is also only the second time they have emerged from the first round (the last being 2009). So, there is a fair bit of history they have already created, and on evidence, there is another gear that they could click into.
So far at the T20 World Cup, the Netherlands have relied on the strength of the collective. Max O’Dowd has held the batting together and has found support from different sources. Vikramjit Singh can blaze away at the top, so can Tom Cooper in the middle order. Scott Edwards is a shrewd accumulator and in Bas de Leede, they have an excellent all-round option.
Their bowling has been the bigger revelation, though. Paul van Meekeren has bowled fairly briskly. De Leede has bowled in different phases and has been successful. There is a massive injury cloud over Roelof van der Merwe’s participation in the Super 12 stage of the T20 World Cup but with Tim Pringle operating dexterously, they have their left-arm spin base covered.
Hence, the Netherlands, despite being the lowest-ranked side in this group, could cause a flutter or two. They might not trouble India, Pakistan and South Africa much but they have enough at their disposal to cause problems to Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
If you are a Dutch fan, you can dizzily hope for this T20 World Cup to get even better.
#4 Zimbabwe
This T20 World Cup, in many ways, was looked upon as an opportunity for Zimbabwe to reaffirm their credentials as giant-killers. They missed the last T20 World Cup (for non-cricketing reasons) and have fallen off the radar a little in the past few years. But at this T20 World Cup, they have shown why they belong at this level and why it would take a brave man to bet against them creating more ripples.
Zimbabwe have a decent bowling attack, and that should hold them in good stead at the T20 World Cup. Blessing Muzarabani can crank it up, and Richard Ngarava’s left-arm angle will always be a problem for right-handed batters. Luke Jongwe, Ryan Burl, Sikandar Raza, Tendai Chatara and Wellington Masakadza can also chip in when required.
Batting wise, they are a little dependent on Raza. But that is not a crime considering how he has been plundering runs for fun this year. Craig Ervine brings a sense of calm at the top of the order. With Wessly Madhevere adding solidity and Burl providing a bit of muscle lower down, Zimbabwe have the resources to chase down totals.
That could be the tack they adopt at the T20 World Cup. Win the toss, bowl first, restrict the opposition and then track down targets. It is, of course, not a fool-proof plan and they will need the rub of the green to go their way at some point. But they could have an unexpected ace up their sleeve.
#3 Pakistan
Okay, so this is where it gets intriguing, and obviously a little controversial. Pakistan took everyone by storm at last year’s T20 World Cup, and there has not been a lot to suggest that their fortunes have nosedived since. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan continue to score runs. Haris Rauf has emerged as an all-conditions bowler. Shaheen Shah Afridi now has Naseem Shah to wreak havoc alongside him with the new ball, and Shadab Khan is as trustworthy a performer as ever.
So, another semi-final appearance beckons, right? Well, not quite. What has massively changed since the last T20 World Cup is Pakistan’s middle order. There is a lack of experience, and there is also over-reliance on Babar and Rizwan – something that has forced them to bat even more conservatively.
Pakistan, courtesy of their bowling attack, will always find themselves in the thick of contests. If they bowl first, there is a massive chance that they can beat any team at the T20 World Cup. If they bat first, however, they will be faced with the eternal quandary of how many runs are enough to defend.
Their first game, which is against India, could also shape their campaign. At the last T20 World Cup, it set the foundation for a remarkable run to the semi-finals. This time, though, India seem better equipped (more on that later), and Pakistan seem to have a few more flaws to iron out.
For that reason, Pakistan might just be edged out in this qualification race. The margins won’t be huge. But it might lead to an earlier exit than was the case at the 2021 T20 World Cup.
#2 India
We know what all of you are thinking. How can India, one of the strongest teams at the T20 World Cup, only finish second in the group? Well, it’s a combination of a few factors. Firstly, India do not seem as invincible at ICC tournaments as they do in bilateral contests. Secondly, their bowling wears a threadbare look in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence. And they have a few demons to vanquish, especially when it comes to the T20 World Cup.
Rohit Sharma has never led India in a T20 World Cup, although he was, akin to Dinesh Karthik, part of the side that won the inaugural edition. KL Rahul and Virat Kohli are also back in form. Suryakumar Yadav has never been out of form since his T20I debut and in Hardik Pandya, they have an all-rounder who can single-handedly win them games of cricket.
The issue, though, will be around India’s bowling. Their fascination with Harshal Patel has been perplexing, and could define how far they go. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammad Shami add experience, with Arshdeep Singh also capable of holding his own. Axar Patel and R Ashwin can also keep things tight, with Yuzvendra Chahal a more wicket-taking option. That said, this bowling attack has not played together often and that could lead to a bit of uncertainty.
It might not deny India a semi-final berth altogether. But it has the potential to pull them down a touch and make them finish as runners-up in this T20 World Cup Super 12 group. Which brings us to the group winner…..
#1 South Africa
Yes, South Africa have been touted to top this Super 12 group, and it is not because India and Pakistan are slightly weaker than they usually are. Instead, it is because South Africa actually have the talent and the wherewithal to make a splash at this year’s T20 World Cup.
They have plenty of firepower in their batting department, even after discounting Temba Bavuma’s struggles. Quinton de Kock can raze any opposition into the ground, as can Rilee Rossouw. David Miller is batting as well as he has ever done, with Aiden Markram arguably one of the most underrated T20I batters on the planet. Tristan Stubbs, too, can hit a long ball.
The Proteas might have to juggle their bowling resources, based on the balance they want. With Markram not likely to bowl his full quota on most days, they might have to go in with a specialist fifth bowler at No.7, which could make their batting light. But with Marco Jansen and Wayne Parnell having shown potential with the bat, it might not be a very bad outcome, considering the runs they will possibly save as bowlers.
Anrich Nortje should thoroughly enjoy himself on these fast and bouncy Australian tracks. Kagiso Rabada should thrive, irrespective of the conditions, and Lungi Ngidi, with his top-spinning off-cutters could be a handful as well. Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi can also keep the opposition batters tied down and force them to make mistakes.
So, this could actually be the tournament where South Africa get back to where they want to be. There is no guarantee that they will be able to carry over this form when the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup come around. In a round-robin environment, though, it is hard to look past them as group winners.
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