T20 World Cup 2021: Predicting the 4 semi-finalists

The ICC T20 World Cup 2021 is all set to get underway from October 17 in the UAE and Oman. The tournament will begin with Round 1 fixtures. The top two sides from each group will progress to the Super 12 round, which will get underway from October 23.

While England, Australia, South Africa and West Indies are in Group 1 of the Super 12s, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and Afghanistan have been placed in Group 2. Each T20 World Cup team in their group will face the other once and the top two sides from each group will progress to the semi-finals.

The Super 12 round will kick-off with a T20 World Cup Group 1 clash between old rivals Australia and South Africa in Abu Dhabi. England and West Indies will meet in the other Group 1 clash on the same day. Group 2 will see arch-rivals India and Pakistan coming face-to-face on October 24 in Dubai.

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T20 World Cup 2021: Will these teams reach the semis?

As the countdown for the T20 World Cup 2021 continues, we profile four sides who are likely to reach the semi-finals of the mega event.

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#1 England

England won the T20 World Cup in 2010. Pic: Getty Images

2016 T20 World Cup runners-up, England will begin the 2021 edition as one of the firm favorites. A lot has changed since the Englishmen went down to West Indies in the previous T20 World Cup in India. England have undergone a complete overhaul, which culminated in them lifting the 50-over World Cup at home in 2019.

In their squad for the T20 World Cup this year, they have a number of match-winners in the batting and bowling department. Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow are two of the most dangerous big-hitters in the format. In Jos Buttler, they have someone who can turn the match on its head with his incredible talent.

In the bowling department, they have leggie Adil Rashid - one of the best bowlers in T20 cricket. He should enjoy the conditions in the UAE, even though he did not have a memorable IPL debut at the same venue. Chris Woakes and Mark Wood are also quality pacers irrespective of the conditions.

Yes, their skipper Eoin Morgan is in woeful form and England will be missing key players like Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Sam Curran. Still, they have enough arsenal to make the semi-finals of the event.

Check out the list of T20 World Cup hosts from 2007 to 2022 here.

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#2 India

India won the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007. Pic: Getty Images

India will, yet again, begin as one of the favorites in another ICC event. This will be Virat Kohli’s first and last T20 World Cup as captain of the team. Hence, he will be keen to sign off on a high. The personal form of Kohli is a worry though. He will need to lift his game on the big stage.

Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul's great run is one of the major positives for India heading into the T20 World Cup. Across all three formats of the game, Rohit and Rahul have displayed wonderful form. If they can carry on in the same vein, India will be in a strong position to go all the way.

In the bowling, Jasprit Bumrah will hold the key to the team’s fortunes. He is one of the most dangerous bowlers in the T20 format and is at the peak of his powers at present. Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar too are match-winners in the format.

If India are looking at an X-factor in the T20 World Cup, it will definitely be Ravindra Jadeja. On current form and confidence, he is the best all-rounder in the T20 format. Kohli’s men will have to seriously underperform to not reach at least the semis.

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#3 New Zealand

New Zealand are no longer underdogs in ICC events. Pic: Getty Images

Traditionally, New Zealand have not enjoyed low and slow batting conditions. They have been a batting outfit, who like the ball coming onto the bat. However, under Kane Williamson, the current Kiwi squad is a transformed outfit, who are capable of overcoming challenging conditions.

Williamson, himself, will be the batting mainstay of the team at the T20 World Cup. He has been in incredible form across formats and even made an impression for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in what was an otherwise disastrous IPL 2021 campaign.

Martin Guptill is the second leading run-getter in T20I matches so the Kiwis will have high hopes from him. Kyle Jamieson and Jimmy Neesham will provide the X-factor for New Zealand. With their bowling and variations, they can be extremely handy in the UAE and the duo can contribute with the bat as well.

In Lockie Ferguson, Tim Southee and Trent Boult, the Kiwis have match-winning pacers irrespective of the format. The spin department for New Zealand is not as strong as some of the other sides but they will be disappointed if they do not reach the knockouts.

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#4 Australia

Australia are yet to lift the T20 World Cup. Pic: Getty Images

Yes, Australia were pathetic in Bangladesh and lost in West Indies as well before that. But the fact that they played with a weakened squad, minus most of their match-winners, must be taken into consideration. That will not be the case in the T20 World Cup.

Australia have a strong enough side to qualify for the semis of the ICC event. The form of skipper Aaron Finch and David Warner is a worry at present but both are big-tournament players so expect them to lift their performance on the grand stage.

Glenn Maxwell has been in supreme form in the IPL for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). That is a massive plus for the Aussies as they hunt for their maiden T20 World Cup crown. Mitchell Marsh has also made an impressive comeback to the Australian side and his all-round skills could make a big difference.

In bowling, the likes of Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar are proven performers in the T20 format. Both spinners should enjoy the conditions in the UAE. Pat Cummins will be expected to do the job as the lead pacer with the experienced Josh Hazlewood for company.