The ninth edition of the T20 World Cup gets underway this week, and the ICC’s choice of location is expected to help it break into a major new market.
The tournament has been expanded to 20 teams over the 16 involved when England won in 2022, and the 10 stadiums to be used will be spread throughout the West Indies and the USA. That push into the USA is the most interesting aspect of this tournament, with cricket grounds in Florida, New York, and Texas combining to host 16 matches. These will all be in the group stages, with the knockout rounds played in more traditional cricket hotbeds like Guyana, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago.
England will be looking to defend their trophy, but they will be strongly challenged by many of the long-time forces in world cricket.
T20 World Cup 2024 Preview
T20 World Cup 2024 Odds To Win (BetXchange)
- India – 66/25
- Australia – 89/24
- England – 83/18
- South Africa – 7/1
- West Indies – 29/4
- New Zealand – 49/5
It feels like this could be India’s time. Their resources are vast, their depth is strong, and their players are dominating the most important T20 league in the world. India has been in a shocking trophy drought over the last decade, with their inability to win the T20 World Cup perhaps the biggest failure during that time period.
Part of the problem was an outdated approach that hamstrung the players before they started. It seems unlikely that Rohit Sharma’s men will make the same mistake this time, with the captain dying to prove himself on the sport’s biggest stage. It certainly works to their advantage that the pitches in the West Indies look like they will be spin-friendly.
England is another country with a captain who has something to prove. Their ODI World Cup showing in India was beyond brutal, with the team playing so badly it is almost hard to remember they are currently world champions in this varient of the white ball game. The weather disrupted their recent warm-up series against Pakistan, but the team appeared to be in great form in the matches and survived the conditions.
The second favorite, Australia, is another team in fine form in all game versions. The last 12 months have seen them beat India in India to win the ODI World Cup, retain The Ashes, and be crowned Test champions after winning the World Test Championship final. If winning is contagious, then Australia might be the team to beat.
T20 World Cup 2024: Group Stages
The top two teams go through to the Super 8s from the five initial groups. Group A should be fairly straightforward, with the match between Pakistan and India in New York on June 9th likely dictating who will win the group and who will come second.
This is another group where the results seem fairly obvious. Namibia, Scotland, and Oman will have to spring major surprises to surpass the second and third favorites for the tournament in the opening stages. England is worth a bet to win this group, given it will likely be the match between them and the Aussies that decides it.
Group C
This is the first group where things get interesting. Afghanistan has previously been shocked when it comes to shocking teams in white ball cricket, and they have two cracks at a major upset against the West Indies and New Zealand. The West Indies will be carrying the weight of the combined nations on their shoulders, and it would be a disaster for the event if they didn’t make the Super 8s.
Even so, Afghanistan might be worth a punt as a team to qualify, especially considering bowler Rashid Khan is arguably the best short-format bowler in the world today.
Group D
I like this draw for South Africa. They should have far too much for Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, with those teams fighting for second in the group. This means the Proteas should cruise into the Super 8s, able to use this initial group as a warmup to get their shot-making in the right place for more intense matches down the road.
