Written by: Mustafa-ur-Rehman
Posted on: October 26, 2021 | 
| 中文
Pakistan cricket team clicks a photo after defeating India in the ongoing T20 World Cup on the 24th of October, 2021
The T20 World Cup (WC) started in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman on the 17th of October, and will continue till the 14th of November, 2021. The mega-event was shifted to the Persian Gulf countries after the planned host country, India, had a huge rise in COVID-19 cases. This is the first edition of the T20 World Cup since 2016, when West Indies enjoyed a historic win over England at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
The qualifying round of the tournament has ended with Sri Lanka, Namibia, Bangladesh, and Scotland qualifying for the Super 12 round. The Super 12 stage is when the tournament really takes off.
The champions of the 2012 T20 World Cup
The 12 teams are divided into two groups of 6 teams each. Group 1 includes West Indies, Australia, South Africa, England, and the two qualifiers, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Group 2 includes India, Pakistan, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Namibia, and Scotland. The Super 12 round began amid much glitz and glamour on the 23rd of October when Australia defeated South Africa. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals, after each team will play its five games. The team rated number one in Group 1 will face the team rated number two in Group 2, in the semi-finals, and vice versa. The final of the mega-event is scheduled for the 14th of November, 2021 in Dubai.
The 2021 edition is the seventh T20 World Cup since its inaugural event in 2007. In that first-ever T20 World Cup, India defeated Pakistan in a close contest by 5 runs to claim the trophy. Pakistan strongly bounced back in 2009 to win the tournament under Younis Khan’s captaincy, while England won it the following year in 2010. West Indies is the only team to win the mega-event twice, in 2012 and 2016, both times under the leadership of Daren Sammy. Sri Lanka, under Lasith Malinga, was crowned champion in 2014.
The winning captains of all the T20 World Cups so far
On the second day of the Super 12 round (on the 24th of October), Pakistan stunned the world by thrashing India decisively by 10 wickets. This was the first time Pakistan defeated India in a World Cup match (in both ODI and T20 World Cups), ending India’s winning streak of 12-0 against Pakistan in World Cups. Captain Babar Azam and wicket-keeper batsman Muhammad Rizwan, completed the historic feat after their bowling attack, led by the supremely talented Shaheen Shah Afridi, who restricted India to 151 runs in 20 overs.
Shaheen Shah Afridi rattled the stumps of KL Rahul on the 24th of October in the high-voltage Pak-India clash
Pakistan’s next high-stakes game is against New Zealand, with the Kiwis having recently abandoned their tour of Pakistan, just minutes before the first ball was to be bowled, citing security threats.
It is almost impossible to correctly guess the favorites to win the World Cup, because even one player can change the whole dynamics of a T20 game. The recent defeat of India, considered favorites to win the World Cup according to many pundits, at the hands of Pakistan, validates these arguments. Nonetheless, India, Pakistan, New Zealand and England can be regarded as the top favorites to lift the trophy.
Indian cricket team for the T20 World Cup 2021
Indian cricket team is one of the strongest contenders to win the mega-event, despite their crushing defeat by Pakistan in their opening game. The team led by Virat Kohli, the Player of the Tournament in both 2014 and 2016 T20 World Cups, has megastars in it, including Rohit Sharma, Kl Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah and others. The Indian team played the whole 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) in the UAE, which helped them acclimatize to the conditions. They will be eager to roar back in the upcoming matches.
Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam with his Indian counterpart, Virat Kohli in a joyous mood
The current champions of the 50 overs format, England, is another brilliant limited-overs side. Led by the extremely skillful Eoin Morgan, along with big hitters like Joss Buttler, David Malan, Liam Livingston and Moeen Ali, England will look forward to another win in the UAE.
The winners of the 2010 T20 World Cup
As always, mercurial Pakistan remains the dark horse of the competition. Led by the brilliant Babar Azam, Pakistan will be looking to capitalize on their vast experience of playing cricket in the UAE, their adopted home for cricket since 2009. With a strong batting lineup and an exciting array of seamers, Pakistan is going to be a nightmare for its opponents.
The champions of the 2009 T20 World Cup
After a long hiatus, a global cricket event will include crowds, capped at 70% across all four venues, with strict enforcement of all health and safety protocols.
The UAE is generally known for its hot and dry conditions as a cricket destination. Abu Dhabi and Dubai, having recently hosted the 2021 IPL, are difficult batting tracks, with any total above the 160-170 mark being regarded as a competitive score. Since the conditions have forced most matches to be scheduled for the evening, the dew factor becomes critical, and the team that wins the toss is expected to bowl first. Batting under the lights in the UAE is a relatively easier task, since the ball comes onto the bat nicely, while bowlers struggle with their grip and release due to the presence of dew. Plenty of teams, particularly those from outside Asia, might have a difficult time adapting to these conditions. Fast bowlers are expected to struggle on the dry pitches in the UAE. This means that for seamers, different variations will be key, since they will look to adapt to the changed conditions.
All in all, this promises to be an excellent festival of cricket, where minnows get the precious chance of rubbing shoulders with the big boys of the gentleman’s game. This tournament promises it all: crowds, upsets, exciting chases, big hitting and most of all drama at every stage of the tournament.
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