The ICC Men’s/Women’s T20 World Cup is the international tournament for T20 cricket. It is organised by cricket’s governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC). This year, a record 20 teams will battle it out across the USA and West Indies from June 1st to 29th.
The tournament kicks off with a group stage. Here’s how it works:
- 20 teams are divided into 4 groups of 5.
- Each team plays all the other teams in their group at least once (minimum 4 matches).
- Only the top 2 teams from each group advance! The rest head home.
Those 8 remaining teams enter the Super 8s stage. Here’s the lowdown:
- The 8 teams are split into 2 new groups of 4.
- Each team plays 3 matches against their new group rivals.
- The top team from each group clinches a spot in the semi-finals!
The semi-finals pit the winners from each Super 8s group against each other. The victors then clash in the grand finale on June 29th in Barbados. Who will be crowned the T20 World Champion?
The tournament is very hard to predict with six of the top 8 teams having won the tournament in the past. The most successful teams by the number of trophies is Engaland and the West Indies who have won the competition twice. India won the inaugural tournament in 2007 and Australia won the most recent tournament for their first time 2021.
The competitions most successful batsmen, in terms of runs scored, is Mahela Jayawardena of Sri Lanka with 1,016. Whilst other highly recognised batsmen are Virat Kohli of India (highest World Cup average of 76.81 and most runs in a single tournament, 319) and Chris Gayle of the West Indies (most hundreds, 2).
The competitions most successful bowler, in terms of wickets taken is, Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan with 41. Other successful tournament bowlers have been Ajantha Mendis of Sri Lanka who has the best tournament bowling figures of 6 wickets for 8 runs and Sunil Narine of the West Indies who has the lowest economy rate for bowlers with 5.17 runs per over (minimum of 250 balls bowled).
The T20 World Cup’s unpredictability makes it very appealing for betting fans. In addition, the format of T20 cricket also provides a lot of entertainment and facilitates the tournaments unpredictability and excitement. The limited number of overs means there is more excitement in a shorter time frame, with wickets, fours, and sixes in abundance during a match.
T20 World Cup – How To Bet
Sports betting is when a person tries to guess the future result of a certain sporting event, whether that be a match result, an in-play moment in a match or the winner of a tournament. The T20 World Cup is which a potential betting fan is able to place bets on.
Before betting on the T20 World Cup, it is important to have a good basic level of knowledge about the game of cricket, including knowledge about the rules of cricket and also how the T20 format works.
To further enhance your betting experience and hopefully increase the chance of making it more successful you not only do you want to have knowledge about cricket itself but ideally you want to have some background knowledge about the teams and players participating in the tournament or matches within the tournament.
Now that you know you are betting on the T20 World Cup and have sufficient knowledge cricket and the tournament itself you then need to decide which betting site you want to bet with and what type of bet you want to make.
The type of bet you want to make could be on who you believe will win the tournament, or on a single match, for example, predicting the winner of South Africa versus New Zealand, or predicting who will be the top run scorer in a match.
To decide which betting site to use it is important to review the available bets and betting odds between different betting sites to make sure you are getting the best offer for the bet that you want to make. Additionally look carefully for different advantages, for instance, welcome bonuses, promotional offers (e.g., cashback offers), and live streaming and betting.
Furthermore, it is also extremely important for punters to consider the security and trustworthiness of the betting site. To do this, one should read through online reviews about the site to learn about previous user experiences and the customer support available.
Once you have decided which betting site to use and what type of bet you want to make, it is then time to create your account and register with the betting company where you will then need to place a deposit so that your account has funds available for you to bet with.
There are lots of fantastic T20 betting sites out there. You need to be registered with at least one of them in order to place real money bets on a Twenty20 match. The actual registration process only takes a few minutes and you need to access a betting site who can legally operate in India or the country where you reside.
Once you have signed up with one of the top T20 betting sites, then you are able to make a deposit into your account. You can often claim a bonus or a free bet as part of the package. The best bookmakers will have a wide range of payment methods available and you can choose from the option which is the most attractive.
Now that you have money on the betting site, you then choose which particular bet or bets you want to place and how much money out of your deposit you want to put on your bet. Once you have finalised this then it is time to place your bet and keep up to date with what is happening in the sporting event, to see whether you win or not!
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T20 World Cup – Betting Markets
Outright markets are usually the first market accessible and simplest form of betting for betting fans for the Cricket World Cup. The outright market for the T20 World Cup is about betting on who you believe the winner of the tournament will be.
From previous tournaments it is very hard to predict who the winner of the tournament will be. T20 cricket is a very unpredictable format, because of its shortness, in the past a single player from a team has been able to win a game for their team, whether that be through their batting, bowling, or fielding. A lot of T20 games go down to the final over, even ball, to determine which side will win the match.
The fact that it is World Cup and the thought of players representing their own countries adds to the unpredictability of the tournament. The thought of representing your country and the pressure the public puts on you to win the tournament increases the nervousness of the players which can consequently affect the way they play.
A good example of the tournament’s unpredictability can be seen in the most recent tournament. Australia ended up winning the tournament, but before it, were not even considered as one of the top 4 favourites to win it. Whilst in 7 editions of the tournament there has been 6 different winners with only the West Indies winning it twice.
However, due to the tournament’s unpredictability, bookies factor this in and will provide punters with ‘each-way’ betting. An each-way bet is offered by bookmakers and consists of two separate bets, including a win bet and a place bet. For example, at the next T20 World Cup, you could place an each-way bet on Pakistan to win the tournament and a place bet on them reaching the final.
Furthermore, during a tournament, betting fans will also be given the option to cash out on these bets during the tournament. This could be more or less than your original bet depending on the situation of the tournament.
T20 World Cup – Match Betting
Match betting in cricket involves betting on the result of individual matches within a series or a tournament. In relation to the T20 World Cup this would involve betting on the result of individual matches during every stage of the tournament, the global qualifiers, the group stages, the Super 12 and the knockout stage.
For example, a match between Sri Lanka and the West Indies, one could bet on Sri Lanka to win or the West Indies to win. There is always a winner in T20 cricket because if the scores are tied at the end of both innings, the match will then be decided by a ‘Super Over’.
Traditionally in the group stages there will always be matches that a considered more important than others due to some countries’ respective rivalries such as Australia versus England and India against Pakistan.
The Knockout stage of the tournament will also thought of as the most pressurised and competitive for teams and players who reach this stage as these games decides if you reach the final or win the tournament overall.
However, before the finals stage there are the group stages, global qualifiers and Super 12. As the last few games are played at each stage, these matches can be just as competitive as the knockout stage matches as teams may be in must win matches in order to progress to the next stage or failure to do so will mean you are eliminated from the tournament.
Having a placed a bet on a match, a betting fan may be able to cash out their bet depending on the match situation. The match situation will determine whether you cash out for less or more on what you initially bet.
Additionally, match betting can also include the pre match coin toss to see who will bat or bowl first.
T20 World Cup – Player Betting
Cricket is about taking wickets and making runs, so betting markets offer bets on how many runs a batsmen may score or how many wickets a bowler may get. In any format of cricket, including the T20 World Cup, bookies offer odds on players for who might be the top run scorer op top wicket taker in each innings.
Betting options can also be offered in the form of doubles, where one can bet on who will be the top run scorer/top wicket taker for each side in an innings or on one team.
Top wicket taker markets are popular but volatile bets in cricket. This is because bowlers who are perceived as weaker are more frequently taken on by batsmen but as a consequence are batsmen may be more likely to take risks and lose their wicket.
Historically, spinners have been the most successful bowlers in T20 cricket and at the T20 World Cup. For example, as previously mentioned, Shakib Al Hasan, a left-arm spinner, has taken then most wickets at T20 World Cups.
It is also typical for bowlers to finish on the same number of wickets, so the first tie-break for top wicket taker is done by the number of runs also conceded by the bowlers in question.
Bookies also provide bets on players to reach individual milestones, whether that be for batting or bowling. For players earning runs in a match, a punter can place a bet on any player from either side to score more than fifty runs or more than one hundred runs. Whilst for bowlers taking wickets, a bet can be placed on bowlers from either side to take three or more and five or more wickets in a match.
However, due to the limited number of overs in a T20 match the likelihood of a player to score a hundred or take five wickets is very rare, so the odds are typically longer for these two bets.
Offers are also provided for punters other than just players reaching milestones. For batsmen, punters are able to bet on over/under options for a certain number of runs for a batsman to score (e.g., above 30) and the number of fours or sixes they may hit in their innings. For the previously mentioned player bets punters will be given cash out options, however, this may not be as likely for in-play betting.
In-play betting on players is also offered by betting sites. Top bowler markets are normally closed when the match starts, but top batting markets remain open. Within in-play betting markets, punters are also able to place bets on which of the two batsmen who are currently batting you believe will be out next and also by which mode of dismissal you think a batsman who is currently batting would be out by.
Also, for in-play bowling options this could include an over/under options for how many runs they might concede in an over.
Furthermore, match betting can also focus on individual performances, for example, betting on who will be the player of the match or who will be the highest run scorer or wicket taker of the match.
T20 World Cup – Team Betting
Similar to individual player betting, punters are also able to place bets on teams in a match. This is more typical for a team’s batting innings. Like individual player scores, betting sites also provide options for a team to score over/under or between a certain number of runs during their batting innings.
In T20 cricket players skill levels have dramatically increase to be able to score more runs quickly due to T20 limited number of overs. However, it is not easy predict what a good score might be as this is dependent on many external factors, such as the stadium, the pitch, the teams, the players and the importance of the match.
For betting fans, it is worth considering the teams playing, looking at their previous scores and the players’ batting form, as well as, the previous scores of the ground they are playing at to see what a good ‘par’ total might be.
There is also an in-play option to continue betting on the team score throughout their batting innings.
Punters are also given the option to bet on whether they think a team will score more or less than a certain number of fours, sixes or total boundaries during a team’s batting innings.
This is particularly relevant to T20 cricket as the frequency of boundaries drastically increases due to limited number of overs in an innings. It is also important to consider the ground the teams a playing at depending on if they have long or short boundaries.
T20 World Cup – Betting specials
Bookies also offer ‘special markets’ whereby they provide punters with interesting and potentially different bets to the previously mentioned. These are usually random outside bets that typically have longer odds and are often labelled as ‘specials’.
Special market bets could typically include unusual bets. For example, special bets may include someone taking a hattrick or for there to be a ‘Super Over’, (where both teams scores are level).
May be a bit more usual but still considered as ‘special’ is being able to place bets on who the overall leading wicket taker or run scorer will be for the tournament.
Special markets can also include various combinations of bets which are packaged together to make a ‘special’ which would typically have longer odds. For example one player from Team A to make thirty or more runs, another player from Team A to take three or more wickets, and for Team A to win the match.
T20 World Cup – Bet In-Play
There should always be lots of T20 In-Play betting markets available for the big matches and it starts right with the first over of the match. You can bet over or under a certain number of runs and the line might be set at 6.5 runs.
As the match progresses, you can bet on the number of runs that will be scored for each over and you can also bet on outcomes such as whether a wicket will fall in a particular over. You might also be able to bet on a 4 or a 6 being scored and some leading cricket betting sites have ball-by-ball coverage available.
Naturally, you can continue to bet on the outcome of each match In-Play and it might be that you can get a bigger price about your preferred team if they make a slow start to a particular match. The skill is trying to identify value betting options throughout a particular match.
History of T20 Cricket
T20 cricket was first introduced by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in 2003. Since its introduction, this format of has grown ferociously in popularity with it being one of the current three forms of cricket recognised by the International Cricket Council (ICC), alongside First-Class and List-A cricket. The T20 format has also succeeded in spreading the game of cricket around the world.
The format of T20 cricket is similar to List-A cricket. The match includes both teams having a single innings each, and the maximum number of overs for each side is 20. A typical T20 game is completed in around 3 hours, with each innings lasting about 90 minutes and an official 10-minute break between innings.
In terms of the rules, there are some different ones for T20 cricket. For instance, there is a powerplay for each batting innings, where in the first 6 overs the fielding side are only allowed two fielders outside the 30-yard circle and following these 6 overs this increases to 5 for the remainder of a batting innings. Whilst bowlers are only allowed to bowl a maximum of 4 overs and any ball bowled down the leg side is a wide. Otherwise, the same cricketing rules apply.
T20 cricket is so popular that tournaments have formed all around the world. The major tournament for the international stage is the ICC T20 World Cup. Whilst most major cricketing nations have formed their own T20 tournament. For example, the most successful and popular tournament is largely considered to be the is the Indian Premier League (IPL), but there are other tournaments like the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), the T20 blast in England and Wales, and the Big Bash in Australia.
The success of T20 has increased the popularity of cricket around the world. The limited number of overs means there is more excitement in a shorter time frame, with wickets, fours, and sixes in abundance during a match.
The fast-paced nature of the game and its unpredictability has made it very attractive to spectators at the ground and viewers on the television. Ultimately, T20 cricket and some of the previously mentioned tournaments make for exciting betting opportunities.
The History of the T20 World Cup
The first edition of the T20 World Cup took place in 2007. South Africa were the host nation and twelve teams lined up to compete, with India and Pakistan the sides that made it through to the Johannesburg final. On that occasion, it was India who were able to land a victory by five runs to become the first ever winner of the Twenty20 World Cup.
Two years later, it was England’s turn to host the 2009 Twenty20 World Cup, with the final being staged at Lord’s. Once again, Pakistan were able to reach the final and this time they were crowned champions when defeating Sri Lanka by a sum total of eight wickets.
We had two completely different finalists two years later when West Indies had the honour of hosting the 2010 T20 World Cup. England were able to propel themselves into the final of this twelve-team tournament and they clashed with old adversaries Australia. In the end, the former managed to achieve a commanding seven-wicket victory to get over the line.
The last T20 World Cup to feature only twelve teams in the finals was the 2012 renewal and this was held in Sri Lanka. Previous hosts West Indies were able to navigate their way through the business end of the competition and actually ended up meeting a host nation who crumbled under the weight of expectation in the final. They were all out for 101 and lost by thirty-six runs as a result.
In 2014, we had an expanded tournament to accommodate sixteen teams and it was Bangladesh who hosted the competition. The Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka staged the final which saw Sri Lanka reach their third Twenty20 World Cup final and this time they were finally victorious when beating India by six wickets.
The T20 World Cup was held in India for the first time in 2016 although the hosts fell short in front of their own fans, it was the West Indies and England that ended up in an exciting final. The former were able to reclaim their crown and become the first-ever 2-time champions after enjoying a four-wicket triumph in Kolkata. Carlos Brathwaite hitting Ben Stokes for four sixes in a row in the final over, to win the match, is one of the most memorable moments in T20 World Cup history.
The more recent staging of the T20 World Cup took place in UAE and Oman in 2021, with COVID-19 having led to the competition being postponed until that year, although there was no staging of the 2018 World Cup due to various fixture scheduling.
Australia was able to claim their first-ever T20 World Cup title at the Dubai International Stadium and they beat New Zealand fairly comfortably by an eight-wicket margin.
The Aussies would go on to host the 2022 tournament, which saw England face off against Pakistan. For both teams, this was the third time they had made it to a World T20 final and both were looking to add to their one World T20 title. It was England who would take the spoils at the MCG in Melbourne.
England will be the holders of the title until 2024, where the World Cup will be hosted by the United States and the West Indies. The number of teams at the World Cup is set to be the largest ever, with 20 teams set to compete.
T20 World Cup – 2024 Teams
India T20 World Cup Team
India has always been one of the powerhouses in T20 cricket. They won the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup in 2007 and showed the world the potential it has in this format.
Although India has not been able to add to their tally of T20 World Cup titles since then, they have made it to the knockout stages on numerous occasions. It shows how they have been one of the best teams in this format in the last decade and a half.
India has played a total of 159 T20 internationals to date and has won 101 out of them while losing 51. Three more matches have resulted in ties, with one match yielding no result at all. Moreover, India also has a win-loss ratio of 1.980 — the second best among the top 10 teams in the ICC rankings.
As far as their run in the T20 World Cups go, they created history by winning the first ever tournament back in 2007. They beat arch-rivals Pakistan in the final to lift the trophy. Gautam Gambhir was adjudged the Player of the Match for his superb 54-ball knock of 75 whereas Yuvraj Singh was adjudged the Player of the Series for his match-winning contributions throughout the tournament.
India haven’t managed to win the mega event since then but they did finish as runners-up in the 2014 edition. They were one of the semifinalists in the 2016 T20 World Cup as well. However, things didn’t go according to their plans in the 2021 edition as they made a group stage exit. But they have a very strong squad and will be looking to bounce back with a commanding performance in the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia.
The Indian team recorded their highest total of 260/5 against Sri Lanka in Indore in 2017. It was the same game where Rohit Sharma played a breathtaking knock of 118 off just 43 deliveries. Sri Lanka were bundled out for only 172 in response. Talking about their lowest total in the format, it came against Australia in Melbourne as India were bowled out for a paltry 74.
Rohit Sharma is the highest run-scorer for India in T20Is with 3313 runs to his name at an excellent average and strike-rate of 32.48 and 139.55 respectively. He has four hundreds to his name as well, the joint most among all players in the format. His innings of 118 against Sri Lanka in T20Is is also the highest score by an Indian player in the format.
Next in the list of most runs for India is Virat Kohli, who has amassed 3296 runs at an outstanding average of 51.50. KL Rahul is third in the list but there is a wide gap between him and the top two. Rahul has 1831 runs in 56 matches at an average of 40.68.
In terms of bowling, wrist-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal leads the wicket-taking charts with 68 wickets at an average of 25.33. He has two four-wicket hauls and a six-wicket haul to his name as well in T20Is. His best figures of 6/25 against England in 2017 is also the second best bowling figures ever recorded by an Indian bowler in the format.
Jasprit Bumrah and Ravichandran Ashwin are next in the list of most wickets taken by Indian bowlers in T20Is and they aren’t that far away. Bumrah has 67 wickets at 19.89 runs a piece in 57 matches whereas Ashwin has picked up 61 wickets in 51 matches at an average of 21.27.
Pakistan have been a force to reckon with in the T20 format ever since its formative years. They have played 190 T20Is to date, the most among all teams and have won 117 games as well — the most among all teams once again.
Currently, Pakistan plays under the leadership of Babar Azam, who is regarded as one of the best all-format batters in modern day cricket. Legendary former Pakistan player Saqlain Mushtaq is their head coach as well and he has quite a star-studded company too, with former Australia pacer Shaun Tait acting as bowling coach, Abdul Majeed as fielding coach and Mohammad Yousuf as batting coach.
Pakistan T20 World Cup Team
Pakistan has played the most number of matches among all teams in this format and that sums up the love and expertise they have as a team for T20Is. Their journey in T20Is in the last decade and a half has been quite memorable.
Pakistan almost went on to win the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup in 2007, but ultimately lost to India in the finals. They made a strong comeback in the very next edition, though, as they became the Champions beating England in the final.
The Asian giants haven’t managed to taste enough success after that, though. But they delivered a superb performance in the last edition of the tournament in 2021, which saw them finishing as one of the semi-finalists.
They lost to Australia in the semi-finals after a late assault from Matthew Wade. Pakistan have formed an even stronger squad now and will be eyeing another stellar performance in Australia later this year.
Pakistan recorded their highest team total of 232/6 against England in Nottingham last year. Both of their openers Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan scored match-defining fifties whereas Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shadab Khan broke England’s back with three wickets each. Pakistan also have an unwanted record to their name as they registered their lowest ever total in T20Is in 2012. They were bundled out for 74 by Australia in Dubai.
Babar Azam is the highest run-scorer for Pakistan in T20 Internationals. He has amassed 2696 runs in 74 matches at an average of 45.52. Azam has scored a century and 26 fifties as well, and his knock of 122 vs South Africa in 2021 is also the highest score ever recorded in T20Is by a Pakistani batter.
Veteran batters Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik are next in the list of most T20I runs for Pakistan with 2514 and 2423 runs to their names respectively. That’s a commendable achievement too considering they bat in the middle-order mostly.
As far as the bowling records go, wrist-spinner Shahid Afridi sits at the top of the list of most wickets taken by a Pakistani bowler in T20Is. Afridi picked up 97 wickets in 98 matches, at 24.35 runs a piece. Former paced Umar Gul and spinner Saeed Ajmal sit jointly at second position with 85 wickets each.
Gul recorded a better average of 16.97 though, as compared to Ajmal’s average of 17.83. Another wrist-spinner Shadab Khan is third in the list with 73 wickets whereas the record for the best bowling figures belongs to Umar Gul once again. He recorded excellent figures of 5/6 against New Zealand in a T20 World game in 2009 and was adjudged the Player of the Match as well.
Ireland T20 World Cup Team
Ireland have been making regular appearances at the Twenty20 World Cup and they first made their bow in the 2009 tournament. Having been pitched in the same group as India and Bangladesh, they were able to get the better of the latter by securing a six-wicket victory and then go through to the next stage.
The Irish then found life tougher going when being grouped with Sri Lanka, Pakistan and New Zealand, although it was a reasonable first showing and there was another outing at the 2010 T20 World Cup. The West Indies and England were always going to be difficult opponents and there was a 70-run defeat before no result against the English.
At the 2012 World Cup, Australia and West Indies were too strong for the men from the Emerald Isle, while the format changed two years later and it meant an improvement in fortunes for Ireland.
Although Ireland’s T20 team weren’t able to emerge from the group stage in the first round of proceedings, they were able to be a lot more competitive. There was a win over Zimbabwe and the Irish then edged closer to the next phase with a 21 run over UAE through the Duckworth-Lewis method.
However, there was a slip-up against Netherlands in the final match and it was the latter who were able to go through. The 2016 outing saw Ireland end up winless in a group featuring Bangladesh, Netherlands and Oman.
Ireland have played plenty of Twenty20 international matches throughout their career. The highest team score was achieved against Afghanistan on 30 November 2013. At the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, the team managed to clock up 225/7.
Meanwhile, the best innings in terms of bowling were 4/11 and that was notched by Alex Cusack who managed this impressive feat against the West Indies. This has yet to be bettered since the display at Sabrina Park in Jamaica on 21 February 2014.
England T20 World Cup Team
In T20 cricket England are currently captained by Eoin Morgan and coached by the newly appointed Matthew Mott, who was the former Australia women’s coach. England’s current T20 kit comprises of a flame red shirt and navy trousers. England are currently ranked 2nd in the world for T20 international cricket.
England played in the first ever T20 International match versus Australia in 2005 at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton, England, winning the game by 100 runs. In total England have played 148 T20 matches, winning 77 and losing 64 (as well as 2 tie’s and 5 matches with no result). England have also competed in every T20 world cup, making that seven appearances in total since 2007.
In the past, England were relatively slow to adapt to limited overs cricket. An exception came in 2010, when England won the T20 world cup with captain Paul Collingwood and players like Kevin Pietersen, Michael Lumb, and Ryan Sidebottom. This was down to some tactical noose on England’s part as they introduced the slower ball bounce, which seemed to bamboozle batsmen.
Since 2015 though England have one of the trailblazers in limited overs cricket, their aggressive batting approach is unrivalled by other teams. Current players like Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Jofra Archer, Jos Buttler, Adil Rashid, Chris Jordan, and Moeen Ali are some of the best T20 players in the world and may go on to be some of the best T20 cricketers of all time.
As mentioned previously arguably England’s greatest moment in T20 international cricket came when they won the T20 World Cup in 2010. England beat Sri Lanka in the semi-final and then went on to beat rivals Australia comfortably by seven wickets. Kevin Pietersen was named as man of the tournament, and England would subsequently go on to summit the World T20 rankings the following year.
England were also a dominant force in the 2016 T20 World Cup as they went on to reach another final, beating New Zealand in the semi-final by seven wickets. The final versus the West Indies will go down as one of the greatest T20 matches of all time.
The West Indies were virtually down and out as they required a massive 19 runs of the final over. Ben Stokes was bowling and was hit four massive, consecutive sixes by Carlos Brathwaite and the West Indies won with two balls to spare. It was heartbreak for Ben Stokes and England.
Current captain Eoin Morgan is England leading T20 international run scorer with 2,458 runs from 107 innings, including 14 fifties. He is the ninth highest run scorer of all time in T20 international cricket.
Behind him and the only other batsmen with more than 2,000 T20 international runs is batting extraordinaire Jos Buttler with 2,140 from 80 innings. Whilst the highest ever score in a single innings goes to former opening batsmen Alex Hales scoring 116 not out versus Sri Lanka in the 2014 World Cup.
Leg spinner Adil Rashid and fast bowler Chris Jordan have been stalwarts for the English T20 international side and are England most dominant bowlers in the format. Adil Rashid is England leading wicket taker by only a single wicket with 81 wickets from 70 innings.
Whilst Chris Jordan has 80 wickets from 74 innings. Rashid’s best bowling figures in an innings of four wickets for just two runs are the best for any English bowler.
Australia T20 World Cup Team
Australia played in the first ever international T20 match, when they played against England in 2005 at the Rose Bowl. Since then Australia have played in 159 T20 international match, winning 83 and losing 70 (including three ties and three match that had no result). Australia has played in every T20 World Cup and their best year came in the most recent World Cup in 2021 where they were crowned champions.
Australia is currently captained by Aaron Finch and coach by the newly appointed Andrew McDonald who was also former Australian and Victorian player. Their kit is typically some variation of green and gold, which is the national colours of Australia. At the time of writing are ranked fifth in the world for T20 cricket.
Australia has been blessed with some extremely talented T20 cricketers, the likes of David Warner, Aaron Finch, Glenn Maxwell, Michael Hussey, Andrew Symonds, Mitchell Starc, Shane Watson, and Adam Zampa.
Compared to Australia’s other records in other formats of the game many have always thought that Australia have underperformed in T20 cricket. This is largely due to the fact that before 2021 they had never won a T20 World Cup. However, prior to 2021 they had reached the semi-finals twice and were runners up in the 2010 World Cup in the Caribbean when they were comfortably beaten by England in the final. However, Australia’s time eventually came in 2021.
Australia went into the 2021 tournament as severe underdogs because of their recent lack of form and due to it being in UAE which were the sort of conditions that Australia do not normally succeed in. Australia was not expected to make it out of the group stages. But they did so, reaching the semi-finals, beating Pakistan by five wickets thanks to some late power hitting from Matthew Wade and Marcus Stoinis.
Then, against the odds went on to beat local Trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand by a comfortable eight wickets thanks to Mitchell Marsh’s 77 not out. David Warner was named player of the tournament and the win will go down as Australia’s greatest moment in T20 International cricket.
The explosive opening pair of current captain Aaron Finch and David Warner are the two standout batsmen for Australia in it T20 international history. Finch and Warner are ranked first and second on the list for Australia’s highest run scorers in T20 cricket and ranked fifth and seventh for the leading run scorers of all-time in T20 international cricket.
Finch has amassed 2,741 runs in 89 innings which includes the highest ever score in an innings in T20 international cricket, scoring a mammoth 172 versus England at the Rose Bowl in 2013. Warner is close behind him, scoring 2,554 runs in 88 innings with a record 21 fifties.
Australia’s bowling has been less dominant in T20 international cricket. But leg spinner Adam Zampa is a standout, he is the country’s leading wicket taker in the format with 71 wickets from 61 innings.
Mitchell Starc is also one of the most deadly limited overs bowlers in the whole of cricket and he is Australia’s second highest wicket taker with 60 wickets in 50 matches. Whilst left-arm spinner Ashton Agar holds the best match figures for an Australian bowler, taking 6 wickets for 30 runs.
Namibia T20 World Cup Team
Namibia are a relatively inexperienced Twenty20 cricket team, with the Eagles having not made their bow at a T20 World Cup until 2021. There was great excitement when the African side made an appearance at a tournament hosted by Oman and UAE, with the team acquitting themselves very well in the competition.
The Namibians clashed with Sri Lanka in their opening T20 World Cup match on 18 October and it was a difficult assignment, with the Sri Lankans winning by seven wickets. However, there followed a six wicket victory when beating Netherlands on 20 October and that set them on course for qualification.
The clash against Ireland on 22 October saw Gerhard Erasmus rack up 53 unbeaten runs off 49 balls to win by eight wickets, with Namibia one of the four teams to then line up in the Super 12 to meet some of the bigger opponents.
Life was a lot tougher going when it came to facing teams such as Pakistan or New Zealand, although the African side were able to record a four-wicket win over Scotland and they acquitted themselves well ahead of the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Gerhard Erasmus is likely to become the first Namibian batsman to surpass 500 runs and he has led the line well for the team, with JJ Smith currently leading the way when it comes to the most wickets claimed.
Namibia’s highest team total was 324/7 and that was achieved against Oman on 8 January 2020. This was racked up at Oman Cricket Academy, Al Amarat. Meanwhile, the highest individual score was 136 and this was achieved by Jean-Pierre Kotze against the United States on 20 September 2019 at Central Broward Regional Park, Lauderhill.
Scotland T20 World Cup Team
Scotland have made four appearances at the Twenty20 World Cup and they will turn out at the 2022 tournament in Australia. When the T20 inaugural tournament was first staged in 2007 in South Africa, the Scots were in attendance and they found the going fairly tough.
The Scots’ first ever Twenty20 World Cup match took place against Pakistan on 12 September, with this being a match that was won by the latter. It was a convincing victory by 51 runs, with their ensuring match against India being suspended.
Scotland returned to the World Cup two years later when the second T20 international competition was hosted by England, with the team getting beaten by New Zealand in the group stage after losing by seven wickets. A day later, there was a mauling at the hands of South Africa and that would be their final appearance until 2016.
By that stage, the format had changed and the Scots were able to get over the line and achieve their first ever victory. After a defeat against Afghanistan and then a further loss against Zimbabwe, Scotland’s T20 team experienced their first World Cup win when beating Hong Kong.
The 2021 Twenty20 World Cup was something of a breakthrough moment for Scotland who were able to win all three of their first round games, with victories over Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea and Oman ensuring that they finished top of the standings. However, they finished bottom of their Super 12 group.
There are a number of Scottish T20 batsmen who have racked up over 1,000 runs and that includes Richie Berrington who stands on 1,694 at the time of writing. Kyle Coetzer has notched 1,495 and it’s also an achievement that has been managed by George Munsey and Calum MacLeod.
Scotland have managed some big team totals, with the British side having notched 252/3 against the Netherlands in 2019. On 16 September at the Malahide Cricket Club, this achievement occurred and it was George Munsey who also broke the individual batting record by managing 127 runs.
West Indies T20 World Cup Team
West Indies have a rich legacy in the T20 format. They showed the world how to play T20s. If there is anything called T20 genes, the rest of the world inherited that from the Caribbean players.
The format suits their naturally aggressive and attacking style of play and that’s why it didn’t come as a surprise when they went on to claim two T20 World Cup titles, the most among all teams until now.
The Caribbean team has played under 12 captains, with Shivnarine Chanderpaul being the first player to lead them in this format. Darren Sammy has led the West Indies team in the most number of matches (47) while Kieron Pollard is second in the list with 39 caps to his name as the skipper. Nicholas Pooran is leading the team currently in T20Is and Phil Simmons is their head coach.
West Indies played their first T20 international in 2006 against New Zealand in Auckland and it turned put to be a spectacle. The match was tied as both teams ended up scoring exactly 126 runs. Since then, they have played 160 T20I matches and have won 66 games while losing 82. There has been a total of three tied games too, with nine matches yielding no result as well.
As far as their record in T20 World Cups go, the inaugural edition was a rather disappointing affair as they got eliminated right in the group stage. But they dominated the event for the next decade as they won the title twice (2012, 2016) and made it to the semifinals an equal number of times (2009,2014), all in the space of just five editions.
They kept showing the world again and again why they are called the Champions in this format. However, they delivered a really underwhelming performance in the 2021 T20 World Cup as they made an exit from the Super 12 stage. But West Indies will be looking to make ammends when they enter the 2022 edition of the tournament in Australia once again.
Hard-hitting opening batter and former captain Chris Gayle leads the batting charts with 1899 runs to his name in 79 T20Is. That includes two centuries and 14 fifties as well. His best score of 117 came against South Africa in Johannesburg in the 2007 T20 World Cup. It was the highest score by a West Indies batter in T20Is until Evin Lewis broke it with his unbeaten 125 against India in Kingston ten years later.
Marlon Samuels sits in second position in the list of West Indies batters with most T20I runs with 1611 runs in 67 games while Kieron Pollard is in third place with 1569 runs in 101 games.
Dwayne Bravo sits at the top when it comes to the list of highest wicket-takers for West Indies in T20Is. He has claimed 78 wickets in 91 games at an average of 26.10. Wrist spinner Samuel Badree is second in the list with 54 wickets to his name in 50 games whereas mystery spinner Sunil Narine sits in third place with 52 wickets in 51 games.
All of them have been terrific for the West Indies over the years but the record for the best bowling figures in T20Is by a West Indies bowler belongs to Keemo Paul, who claimed 5/15 against Bangladesh in Mirpur in 2018.
New Zealand T20 World Cup Team
New Zealand are also known as the Kiwis or the Black Caps. The Kiwis current T20 kit comprises of a beige shirt with black accents and black trousers. They are currently coached by Gary Stead and captained by Kane Williamson. The Black Caps are currently ranked 6th in the world for T20 cricket.
New Zealand played their first ever T20 match in 2005 versus Trans-Tasman rivals Australia at Eden Park, Auckland. Since then, New Zealand have played 160 T20 matches, winning 78, and losing 70, with 8 ties and 4 games with no result. They have appeared in every T20 World Cup, giving them seven appearances with their best result coming in the most recent World Cup where they finished as runners up.
New Zealand are normally considered as the underdogs in cricket due to the countries small cricket playing population, and its lack of funding when compared to the bigger countries. However, they are always a team who have punched well above their weight. But in saying this they are still a team who have struggled to win limited overs ICC tournaments even though they usually perform very well and reach the semi-finals or even finals.
New Zealand have had some very impressive T20 batsmen with the likes of Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum, Kane Williamson, and Ross Taylor. Whilst in the bowling department, they have always produced some skilful bowlers, like Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Mitchell Santner, Daniel Vettori, and Ish Sodhi.
New Zealand have reached the semi-finals at three separate T20 World Cups. Fistly at the inaugural T20 World Cup where they unfortunately lost to Pakistan by six wickets. Then a period of unsuccessful World Cups followed as they failed to make the finals on the next four occasions. But they reached the semi-finals once again in 2016, but were soundly beaten by England, losing by seven wickets.
Then at the next World Cup in 2021, New Zealand had their best outing. On this occasion they beat England by five wickets to reach the final where they faced rivals Australia. However, it was not to be on this occasion for New Zealand as they were comprehensively beaten by eight wickets despite Kane Williamson scoring 85 of 48 balls.
New Zealand currently have the second leading run scorer and second leading wicket taker in international T20 cricket. Current New Zealand opener Martin Guptill is the second highest ever run scorer in T20 International cricket.
Guptill has scored 3,299 runs from 102 innings, with two hundreds and twenty fifties. Whilst Tim Southee is the second highest wicket taker with 111 wickets in 90 innings and holds the best bowling figures in a match by a Kiwi bowler with five wickets for 18 runs.
Brendon McCullum is another standout for the Kiwis in the batting department. He was ahead of his time playing in the T20 format with his ultra-aggressive style of batting which most T20 players have now adopted. He is New Zealand’s second highest run scorer with 2,140 runs in 70 innings and holds the highest score by a Kiwi batsman in an innings when he hit 123 versus Bangladesh in 2012.
Other than Southee, New Zealand have had some very impressive limited overs bowlers the likes of Ish Sodhi, Mitchell Santner, and Trent Boult all have more than 60 wickets for New Zealand in the format.
Afghanistan T20 World Cup Team
Afghanistan have been appearing at some of the more recent T20 World Cups, with this nation making their debut at the 2010 Twenty20 Cricket World Cup. They were pitched against India and South Africa in a three-team group, losing by seven wickets against the former and then losing by 59 runs against the latter.
The Afghanistan T20 team then clashed with England and India when it came to the 2012 tournament, with the Indians winning by 23 runs although they were humbled by 116 runs against the English.
The format of the Twenty20 World Cup changed two years later and the Afghanistan T20 team were grouped with Bangladesh, Nepal and Hong Kong. They were able to beat the latter by seven wickets, although lost against the other two opponents.
The team’s fortunes improved in the 2016 T20 World Cup where the Afghans were able to secure three victories against Zimbabwe, Scotland and Hong Kong. There were some convincing wins against these opponents, with the team making it through to the second round where they finished bottom of the pile.
In the 2021 T20 World Cup, Afghanistan featured in the second round of the competition and they finished fourth out of six teams in the section. Two wins and three defeats occurred, with the victories coming against Scotland and Namibia.
The Afghanistan Twenty20 cricket team were able to record twelve consecutive wins between 5 February 2018 and 15 September 2019. During this amazing run, they were able to record the highest team total. This was 278/3 against Ireland on 23 February 2019 at Dehradun.
During this match, there was the highest individual score recorded. A knock of 162 came from Hazratullah Zazai against Ireland, with the best individual bowling figures being 5/3 which was achieved by Rashid Khan against Ireland on 10 March
South Africa T20 World Cup Team
South Africa are also known as the Proteas which derives from South Africa’s national flower, Protea cynaroides, commonly known as the “King Protea”. In the T20 format the Proteas wear a green coloured shirt with a yellow gradient and green trousers. They are currently coached by former wicket keeper Mark Boucher and captained by batsman Temba Bavuma and are currently ranked 4th in the world in the format.
South Africa played their first T20 international match in 2005, when they played against New Zealand at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. Subsequently, South Africa have played 147 t20 international matches, winning 85, losing 60, tying one, and one match with no result. They have played in every T20 World Cup, making it seven appearances and their best result came in 2009 and 2014 when they reached the semi-finals.
South Africa have unfortunately earned the tag ‘chokers’ when it comes to ICC cricket tournaments. They are a team that perform well in limited overs tournaments, usually making it to the semi-finals but have not been able to win any silverware and with a team with usually so many classy players it is surprising that they haven’t been able to win any limited overs tournaments.
Some of South Africa’s best T20 players include AB de Villiers, Imran Tahir, Faf du Plessis, JP Duminy, Quinten de Kock, Dale Steyn, Tabraiz Shamsi and Morné Morkel.
South Africa even with some very strong T20 teams over the years have underperformed at T20 World Cups. They have only made it to the final on two occasions, once in 2009 and the other in 2014.
In 2009, South Africa had a strong start to the tournament winning all their group games. But, in their semi-finals were beaten by Pakistan falling an agonising seven runs short and Pakistan would go on to win the tournament.
In 2014, the Proteas once again qualified for the semi-final winning three of their four group matches. However, on this occasion they were beaten by India by a comfortable six wickets. South Africa will hope to improve their T20 World Cup record in the future to hopefully win their first ever limited overs World Cup and drop the tag of ‘chokers’.
South Africa have produced some great all format fast bowlers. The likes of Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada, and Morné Morkel have all been very impressive in T20s, with Morkel and Rabada taking 46 and 49 wickets respectively, and Steyn being the countries leading wicket taker in the format with 64 in 47 matches.
The spin of Imran Tahir and Tabraiz Shamsi are the Proteas’ second and third leading wicket takers with 61 and 57, respectively. Shamsi is also the number one ranked T20 bowler in the world at the time of writing.
In the batting department South Africa has been blessed with some gifted T20 batsmen. JP Duminy (1,934 runs), Quinten de Kock (1,827 runs), and David Miller (1,745) are the Proteas’ leading run scorers in the format.
However, one batsman that stands out is AB de Villiers, although his records are not as impressive as those batsmen mentioned previously, he was an astonishing batsmen who played shots all around the ground and his impact was even greater than what his records suggest.
Sri Lanka T20 World Cup Team
Sri Lanka’s quality of cricket at the international stage may have declined in recent years but they used to be a powerhouse until at least five years since the advent of T20Is. They have had 11 captains in T20 Internationals to date.
Mahela Jayawardene was the first one to lead the Sri Lankan side in this format, followed by Tilakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara. Currently, the Lankan side plays under the leadership of Dasun Shanaka and their head coach is Chris Silverwood, who was appointed recently. Jayawardene is also there as a consultant and former Sri Lankan fast bowling legend Chaminda Vaas is their fast bowling coach.
If we go by the number of matches, Sri Lanka is one of the most experienced teams in this format. They have played a total of 156 matches to date, winning 68 and losing 83 games. Three more games have resulted in ties while two have yielded no result. They played their first T20 match against England in Southampton in June 2006.
Sri Lanka rode on Sanath Jayasuriya’s all-round brilliance to register a thrilling two-run win over the hosts. Jayasuriya scored 41 off 30 deliveries at the top of the order and also picked up two wickets for 32 runs. England all-rounder Paul Collingwood’s bowling effort went in vain as he registered superb figures of 4-0-22-4.
As far as their performance in the T20 World Cup goes, they were one of the best for the first five editions. After finishing sixth in the inaugural edition in 2007, Sri Lanka finished as the runners-up in 2009 where they lost to Pakistan.
They also made it to the semifinals in 2010 and once again finished as the runners-up in 2012. After heartbreaks in four consecutive editions, Sri Lanka were finally able to lift the trophy in 2014 by beating India in the final. But they have finished eighth in consecutive editions since then and will be desperate for a better outing in the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia.
Former captain and opener Tilakaratne Dilshan is the leading run scorer for Sri Lanka in the history ot T20 Internationals. Dilshan amassed 1889 runs in 80 games for his country, including a century and 13 fifties. His best knock of 104* came against Australia in Pallekele in 2011.
Sri Lanka won that match by 35 runs. Dilshan’s 104* is also the highest score by a Sri Lanka batter in T20Is. Next in the list of most T20I runs for Sri Lanka are Kusal Perera and Mahela Jayawardene with 1539 and 1493 runs respectively.
Speaking about the bowling records, legendary pacer Lasith Malinga leads the charts with 107 wickets in 84 matches. Malinga also registered two five-fors in his T20I career, the best of which was figures of 5/6 against New Zealand in Pallekele in 2019.
The record for the best bowling figures by a Sri Lankan bowler in T20 Internationals is held by Ajantha Mendis, though. The mystery spinner recorded brilliant figures of 6/8 against Zimbabwe in Hambantota in 2012. Mendis is also the joint second highest wicket-taker for Sri Lanka along with Nuwan Kulasekara.
Both have picked up 66 wickets but Mendis has done it in fewer matches. The player occupying the third spot in the list is wrist-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, who has 57 wickets to his name in just 35 games.
Bangladesh T20 World Cup Team
Bangladesh have been turning out at the Twenty20 World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 2007. The Tigers were able to reach the second round in South Africa, with the team beating the West Indies T20 team by six wickets before a seven-wicket defeat against the hosts.
In the Super 8 stage, Bangladesh T20 team were beaten by all three opponents, although they would turn out at the 2009, 2010 and 2012 competitions only to be knocked out in the preliminary stages.
In the 2014 Twenty20 World Cup, Bangladesh were the host nation and they were determined to do themselves proud. With a fervent home support behind them, a nine-wicket victory was achieved over Afghanistan and there was a similar margin of triumph over Nepal.
Despite losing against Hong Kong by two wickets, the Bangladesh T20 team were able to line up in the next round and their Super 10 campaign was pretty difficult. Defeat followed defeat when it came to meeting teams such as India, West Indies, Pakistan and Australia.
The 2016 T20 World Cup saw Bangladesh rumble through another first round group stage where the team were able to finish above Netherlands, Oman and Ireland. They won by eight runs against the former and there was no result against the Irish before a convincing win over Oman.
The 2021 World Cup saw Bangladesh finish second behind Scotland and progress through to the Super 12 stage although it was once again a baptism of fire in the next phase.
The Bangladesh Twenty20 cricket team have managed some notable achievements, both as a team and as individuals. The highest team total was 215/5 and this was racked up against Sri Lanka in Colombo. The team were able to rack up this score on 10 March 2018.
The highest individual score achieved by a Bangladeshi batsman is Tamim Iqbal against Oman on 13 March 2016. This was an unbeaten century, while the best bowling figures were 5/13 and that was Elias Sunny against Ireland.
T20 World Cup – Champions
2007 – India
2009 – Pakistan
2010 – England
2012 – West Indies
2014 – Sri Lanka
2016 – West Indies
2021 – Australia
2022 – England
T20 World Cup – Batting Records
Most Runs – Virat Kohli (India) – 1,141 – 2012-2022
Highest Score – Brendon McCullum (New Zealand) – 123 v Bangladesh – 2012
Most Hundreds – Chris Gayle (West Indies) – 2 – 2007-2021
Most Fifties – Virat Kohli (India) – 14 – 2012-2022
Most Sixes – Chris Gayle (West Indies) 63 – 2007-2021
Highest Partnership – Jos Buttler & Alex Hales (England) – 170* v India – 2022
Most Runs in a Tournament – Virat Kohli – 319 – 2014
T20 World Cup – Bowling Records
Most Wickets – Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh) – 47 – 2007-2022
Best Bowling Figures – Ajantha Mendis (Sri Lanka) – 6/8 v Zimbabwe – 2012
Most Wickets in a Tournament – Wainindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka) – 16 – 2021
T20 World Cup – Fielding Records
Most Dismissals (wicketkeeper) – MS Dhoni (India) – 32 – 2007-2016
Most Catches (fielder) – AB de Villiers (South Africa) – 23 – 2007-2016
T20 World Cup – Team Records
Highest Team Total – Sri Lanka – 260/6 v Kenya – 2007
Lowest Team Total – Netherlands – 39 v Sri Lanka – 2014
Largest Victory (by runs) – Sri Lanka – 172 runs v Kenya – 2007
T20 World Cup – Player of the Tournaments
2007 – Shahid Afridi (Pakistan)
2009 – Tillakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka)
2010 – Kevin Pietersen (England)
2012 – Shane Watson (Australia)
2014 – Virat Kohli (India)
2016 – Virat Kohli (India)
2021 – David Warner (Australia)
2022 – Sam Curran (England)
