The seventh edition of the Twenty20 World Cup will be held in the UAE and Oman. The 16-team competition will begin on October 17th. The month-long tournament will end on November 14 with the final match. The championship will include 12 Test-playing nations and four ICC associate members. The event will be split into two rounds. Eight teams will compete in the Round 1. The top four teams from Round 1 will advance to the Super 12 round. This round will feature 12 teams separated into two groups. Let's have a look at the favourites for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021?
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021: Super 12 Fixtures
The Super 12 round will be held from October 23 till November 8. There will be a total of twelve teams in this round, divided into two groups. In Group 1, Australia, England, South Africa, West Indies, the winner of group A (Round 1) and the runner-up of group B (Round 1) will compete with each other.
The teams who will participate in Round 1 are as follows:
Group A: Sri Lanka, Namibia, the Netherlands, and Ireland
Group B: Bangladesh, Scotland, Papua New Guinea, and Oman
Read: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021: Bangladesh Cricket Team’s Full Schedule
Group 1 fixtures
Date |
Matches |
Venue |
23/10/2021 |
Australia vs. South Africa |
Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi |
23/10/2021 |
England vs. Windies |
Dubai International Cricket Stadium |
24/10/2021 |
A1 vs. B2 |
Sharjah Cricket Stadium |
26/10/2021 |
South Africa vs. Windies |
Dubai International Cricket Stadium |
27/10/2021 |
England vs. B2 |
Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi |
28/10/2021 |
Australia vs. A1 |
Dubai International Cricket Stadium |
29/10/2021 |
Windies vs. B2 |
Sharjah Cricket Stadium |
30/10/2021 |
South Africa vs. A1 |
Sharjah Cricket Stadium |
30/10/2021 |
England vs. Australia |
Dubai International Cricket Stadium |
01/11/2021 |
England vs. A1 |
Sharjah Cricket Stadium |
02/11/2021 |
South Africa vs. B2 |
Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi |
04/11/2021 |
Australia vs. B2 |
Dubai International Cricket Stadium |
04/11/2021 |
Windies vs. A1 |
Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi |
06/11/2021 |
Australia vs. Windies |
Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi |
06/11/2021 |
England vs. South Africa |
Sharjah Cricket Stadium |
Source: https://www.icc-cricket.com/
Read BAN vs. NZ 2021: Notable T20I Records Between Bangladesh and New Zealand
Most of the teams in Group 2 are from Asia. This group will feature India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, New Zealand, the winner of Group B (Round 1), and the runner-up of Group A (Round 1). Each group's top two teams will advance to the semifinals.
Group 2 fixtures
Date |
Matches |
Venue |
24/10/2021 |
India vs. Pakistan |
Dubai International Cricket Stadium |
25/10/2021 |
Afghanistan vs. B1 |
Sharjah Cricket Stadium |
26/10/2021 |
Pakistan vs. New Zealand |
Sharjah Cricket Stadium |
27/10/2021 |
B1 vs. A2 |
Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi |
29/10/2021 |
Afghanistan vs. Pakistan |
Dubai International Cricket Stadium |
31/10/2021 |
Afghanistan vs. A2 |
Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi |
31/10/2021 |
India vs. New Zealand |
Dubai International Cricket Stadium |
02/11/2021 |
Pakistan vs. A2 |
Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi |
03/11/2021 |
New Zealand vs. B1 |
Dubai International Cricket Stadium |
03/11/2021 |
India vs. Afghanistan |
Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi |
05/11/2021 |
New Zealand vs. A2 |
Sharjah Cricket Stadium |
05/11/2021 |
India vs. B1 |
Dubai International Cricket Stadium |
07/11/2021 |
New Zealand vs. Afghanistan |
Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi |
07/11/2021 |
Pakistan vs. B1 |
Sharjah Cricket Stadium |
08/11/2021 |
India vs. A2 |
Dubai International Cricket Stadium |
Source: https://www.icc-cricket.com/
Read: Shakib Al Hasan Reclaims No.1 Spot in T20I Rankings, Wins ICC's POTM Award for July 2021
Who are the Favourites to WinICC T20 World Cup 2021?
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 will be staged in Asia. Therefore, Asian teams will have a significant edge during the competition. The Asian players will certainly benefit from the environment, weather conditions, and pitches. In this perspective, the Asian heavyweights, India and Pakistan, will be heavy favorites to win this year's competition.
Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka are the other Asian countries whose main goal is to get to the knockout stage (semifinals). It will be a huge accomplishment for them if they can do that.
Aside from Asian nations, the West Indies, England, and New Zealand have a decent chance to win the tournament if they play with their full potential. These three teams have a formidable squad that will allow them to dominate their opponents all through competition. Australia and South Africa have a chance, but they are hardly the tournament favorites. Those who can shine in the Super 12 round have good chances of winning this T20 World Cup.
Read: Shakib Al Hasan Favourite to Win ICC’s Player of the Month for July
Verdict
According to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 schedule, at least one Asian team from Group 2 will proceed to the semifinals. Because New Zealand are the group's only other non-Asian strong team. On the other side, in Group 1, the favourites to advance to the semifinals are England and the West Indies. However, all of the equations may change once the tournament begins. Each team strives to give their best in the major event and we might see some major upsets during the tournament. Overall, the Twenty20 World Cup 2021 is expected to be a competitive and interesting event.