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Top Three Contenders For T20 World Cup
The T20 World Cup is the next major international tournament on the horizon following England's triumph in the 2019 Cricket World Cup.
The T20 World Cup is the next major international tournament on the horizon following England's triumph in the 2019 Cricket World Cup. The West Indies are the defending champions having memorably claimed the crown due to the heroics of Carlos Brathwaite in 2016. The Windies looked dead and buried in the final over, but Brathwaite dispatched Ben Stokes for four-straight sixes to snatch the crown away from England.
The Windies always seem to fade during the years between the tournaments but will be a threat. However, the pressure will be most of the leading nations to perform, especially the host nation Australia, while India will also come under the spotlight after an underwhelming period in major competitions, failing to reach the final on home soil last time out. We'll now break down the leading contenders for the trophy for the event in 2020.
Australia
No team has underperformed in the T20 World Cup more than the Aussies. They did reach the final of the tournament in 2010, only to be crushed by England in the West Indies. In the last two competitions, they've failed to progress beyond the second round.
They have immense talent with David Warner and Aaron Finch at the top of the order, while Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins are arguably the best bowling tandem in the world. Glenn Maxwell provides flair in the middle order, while the genius of Steve Smith cannot be understated. They won the 50-over World Cup on home soil and they are the favourites at odds of 11/4 in the cricket betting so they're under pressure to deliver and it might be their best opportunity to end their drought in the tournament.
India
India has not quite been on form in the major tournaments of late. New Zealand dumped them out of the semi-finals of the 50-over World Cup, while the Windies bested them in the T20 World Cup semi-finals four years ago. India is in danger of not fulfilling their potential, despite boasting a side that is stacked with talent. Jasprit Bumrah is developing into the finest bowler in the world, especially in the T20 format where his action makes him impossible to attack.
With Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the ranks, their batting line-up is capable of amassing huge totals with ease. The one disadvantage heading into the tournament is that it's being played in Australia where conditions will not suit their style of play. It remains to be seen whether they can raise their game along with coping with the pressure of an expectant Indian nation.
England
The Three Lions could well have held both the 50-over crown and the World T20 crown had Stokes' bowling been as good as his batting. Stokes' brilliance with the bat at Lord's this summer atoned for his collapse in India four years ago against the Windies and Brathwaite. He will be England's lynchpin once again in the middle order and with the ball.
The Three Lions are experimenting with younger players ahead of the tournament, but it would not be a surprise to see the squad comprised of the ones that delivered the 50-over crown. Their batting line-up is arguably the best in the world with Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Jos Buttler and Eoin Morgan in the ranks. The bowling could be an issue, but the exciting figure of Jofra Archer could continue to be an x-factor that could secure the crown for England for the second time.
