The T20 World Cup 2021 is slated to begin late next month. The seventh edition of the ICC’s shorter format World Cup will be co-hosted by the UAE and Oman. The competition's super 12 round will begin on October 23rd, and it will be split into two groups of six teams each. A number of Asian teams will participate in group 2. Which two teams from Group 2 of the super 12 have the best probability of reaching the semifinals in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021? The Group 2 favorites to advance to the semi-finals are discussed in this article.
Favorites to advance to the semifinals from group 2 of the Super 12 round
India
India’s captain Virat Kohli has decided to step down his role after the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. His announcement has surprised many cricket fans around the world given the fact that he is doing well as Team India skipper. But Virat Kohli’s decision will inspire Indian players to do well in the upcoming event. Indian selectors also included experienced off-spinner Ravi Ashwin in the squad who last featured against the Windies back in 2017.
India's T20 World Cup campaign will begin on October 24 in Dubai with a match against Pakistan. This will be a vital contest for India along with the match against New Zealand. The Indian team is expected to finish first in this group because they have some serious talents in the squad.
India's five key players
Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Read T20 World Cup 2021: Favorites to qualify for semifinals from Group 1
Pakistan
Pakistan are always a tough opponent in the limited-overs format. Led by Babar Azam, this team does have some real potential. However, they must play with courage in order to maintain consistent performance throughout the tournament.
Pakistan will be able to solidify their strong position in the points table if they can defeat India in their opening match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. New Zealand, Afghanistan and Bangladesh will also be tough opponents for Pakistan.
Therefore, Pakistan's prospects in the competition will be determined by their consistency. However, they should advance to the next round with their present lineup.
Pakistan's five key players
Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Hafeez, Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali
Read Youth ODI series: Afghanistan register first win with a Mankad
New Zealand
New Zealand are one of the favorites to win the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 this year. The New Zealand Test squad just won the maiden ICC Test Championship and their limited-overs team competed in the 2015 and 2019 ICC ODI World Cup finals. Therefore, they have a high level of confidence in comparison to the other competitors in the tournament.
Kane Williamson-led the Blackcaps Twenty20 International team is well equipped for the ICC T20 World Cup with some of the best T20 players in their roster. New Zealand will face two Asian powers as its main opponents in the Group stage. Two teams from India, Pakistan, and New Zealand are most likely to advance in the World Cup semifinals.
New Zealand's five key players
Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Tim Southee
Bangladesh
Bangladesh are expected to finish first in Group B in the qualifying round. Bangladesh's chances against strong opponents in the Super 12 are slim; since they will likely face New Zealand, India, and Pakistan in the first round.
Senior players will have to shoulder the majority of the burden If Bangladesh are to proceed to the next round of the tournament. Bangladesh’s batting will have to play the most crucial role in the tournament because their batting performance hasn't been up to par recently. Overall, Bangladesh have a good chance in two matches, but qualifying for the first knockout phase will be difficult.
Bangladesh's five key players
Mahmudullah Riyad, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mustafizur Rahman, Mohammad Saifuddin
Read NZ abandons cricket tour of Pakistan over security concerns
Afghanistan
Afghanistan are a very competitive T20 team. They have the ability to beat any team on their day, but they have yet to demonstrate their full potential in the ICC's major tournament. Afghanistan will get a wonderful opportunity to exhibit their talent on this occasion, although qualifying for the next stage will be difficult.
Afghanistan’s main target would be to ensure at least two wins and if possible, make one or two upset. Rashid Khan is their superstar cricketer and he can inspire Afghanistan to excel their performance in the main event.
Afghanistan's five key players
Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Shahzad
Read Virat Kohli to step down as India's T20 skipper
Verdict
After looking at the teams' strengths, it's clear that India, Pakistan, and New Zealand are the favorites to go to the semifinals. Furthermore, both Bangladesh and Afghanistan have a good possibility of doing well during the campaign. Teams must find their best rhythm in order to put up a consistent performance during the main event. Group 2 is likely to be very competitive but the team with the best overall performance will progress to the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 semifinals.