icc t20 world cup 2024

T20 World Cup Group D Preview: Bangladesh-Sri Lanka Battle Resumes, South Africa Aim To Impress

Danijones5 months ago015 mins

Dubai : Former ICC Men’s T20 World Cup champions Sri Lanka find themselves in Group D alongside South Africa, Bangladesh, Netherlands and Nepal for the upcoming tournament. This group promises thrilling matches with rivals Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, South Africa and Netherlands pitted against one another. While Nepal gears up for their second appearance in the marquee event, the group boasts no clear-cut favourite with history bearing witness that each team carries the potential to beat the other. Let’s run through the teams in this group and what we can expect from them. Bangladesh: Bangladesh enters the T20 World Cup with a bit of uncertainty as they continue to look for their strongest XI. Experienced opener Litton Das has been out of form of late with an average of 13.16 this year in six matches. Although teammate Tawhid Hridoy is confident that Das will make a strong comeback in the tournament. Another concern is the injury to vice-captain Taskin Ahmed and his fitness will be monitored prior to Bangladesh’s first contest against Sri Lanka on 7 June after he suffered a side strain before the final match of the recent series against Zimbabwe. The Tigers have backed experience. Other than Das, they have former Bangladesh skippers Mahmudullah and Shakib Al Hasan who can provide Najmul Hossain Shanto much-needed support as he undertakes his first ICC tournament as the new captain. Squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Taskin Ahmed (Vice Captain), Litton Kumer Das, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Shakib Al Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mahmud Ullah Riyad, Jaker Ali Anik, Tanvir Islam, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib. Travelling reserves: Afif Hossain, Hasan Mahmud Fixtures: 7 June: Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh, Dallas 10 June: South Africa vs Bangladesh, New York 13 June: Bangladesh vs Netherlands, St. Vincent 16 June: Bangladesh vs Nepal, St. Vincent Players to watch out for: In conditions that are expected to be slow with some assistance from spinners, Mustafizur Rahman’s skill set including deceptive off-cutters can turn out to be useful. Mustafizur has time and again proven to be a match-winner for Bangladesh. His control in the middle overs and effectiveness in the final overs with a recovering Taskin Ahmed make him a priceless inclusion. Nepal: Nepal will feature a young side at the T20 World Cup, with 21-year-old Rohit Paudel leading the team as captain. Paudel’s recent form against West Indies A in the lead up to the tournament is a big positive with scores of 112, 71*, and 82 in the series. Gulshan Jha, who appeared at the U19 World Cup earlier in the year, along with 19-year-old Pratis GC are the other young stars expected to bring fireworks. Sompal Kami, the fast bowling all-rounder, is the sole player from Nepal’s inaugural 2014 squad to feature in the 2024 edition, with veteran Karan KC joining him as the team’s senior member. This will mark Nepal’s second appearance in the tournament making them the least experienced side in the group. Squad: Rohit Paudel (c), Aasif Sheikh, Anil Kumar Sah, Kushal Bhurtel, Kushal Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Lalit Rajbanshi, Karan KC, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Pratis GC, Sundeep Jora, Abinash Bohara, Sagar Dhakal, Kamal Singh Airee Fixtures: 4 June: Netherlands vs Nepal, Dallas 11 June: Sri Lanka vs Nepal, Florida 14 June: South Africa vs Nepal, St. Vincent 16 June: Bangladesh vs Nepal, St. Vincent Players to watch out for: The latest entrant in the six sixes club, Dipendra Singh Airee, comes in with a hard-hitting reputation. Dipendra bludgeoned six sixes in the ACC Men’s T20I Premier Cup clash against Qatar becoming only the third men’s player to do so in T20Is after Yuvraj Singh (2007) and Keiron Pollard (2021). He also is the current record holder of the fastest T20I fifty. The right-handed batter achieved this feat in nine balls, breaking Yuvraj’s record of 12 deliveries. The 24-year-old’s contribution in the middle overs can help Nepal put up a strong challenge in the group. Netherlands: The Netherlands have often brought the element of surprise in an ICC tournament. They have the edge over Proteas, beating them in the last two ICC Men’s tournaments – in the 2022 T20 World Cup and the 2023 Cricket World Cup. They will face South Africa again on 8 June in New York with the aim to complete a hat-trick of wins. 20-year-old Michael Levitt has found a place in the absence of Colin Ackermann after an impressive hundred against Namibia earlier this year. The Dutch have restored their core players for this edition with captain Scott Edwards, Bas de Leede, Logan van Beek, Max O’Dowd, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Vikram Singh and Wesley Barresi bringing the experience. Squad: Scott Edwards (c), Aryan Dutt, Bas de Leede, Daniel Doram, Fred Klaassen, Logan van Beek, Max O’Dowd, Michael Levitt, Paul van Meekeren, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Teja Nidamanuru, Tim Pringle, Vikram Singh, Viv Kingma, Wesley Barresi. Reserve: Kyle Klein Fixtures: 4 June: Netherlands vs Nepal, Dallas 8 June: Netherlands vs South Africa, New York 13 June: Bangladesh vs Netherlands, St. Vincent 16 June: Sri Lanka vs Netherlands, St. Lucia Players to watch out for: Bas de Leede has been instrumental for the Netherlands with both bat and ball. For his impressive performance last year, de Leede was awarded with the ICC Men’s Associate Cricketer of the Year. However, the 24-year-old all-rounder has played little T20I cricket of late, with his recent appearances in the tri-series with Scotland and Ireland being his first matches in the shortest format since 2022 at the most recent edition of the T20 World Cup. De Leede was one of the Netherlands’ best at the event where he finished as their leading wicket-taker with 13 scalps. South Africa: Perhaps the strongest side in this group and the tournament, South Africa have put together a strong squad. The batting line-up consists of experienced Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller and Reeza Hendricks who can bludgeon bowling attacks with Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs…

T20 WC Warm-Up: Chance To Test Track And India’s Second Pace Option

Danijones5 months ago06 mins

Yashasvi Jaiswal will aim to add his bit to the combination conundrum with a handy contribution while Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj need to put their best foot forward during India’s only T20 World Cup warm-up game against Bangladesh ahead of their tournament opener on June 5. With all 15 cricketers being regular playing XI members of their respective IPL franchises, the team is certainly not short on game time but an assortment of 15 high- calibre players and finding that perfect combination will be key to ending India’s 13-year global trophy drought. In the warm-up game, it is expected that save for Virat Kohli, who is expected to touch down some time before the practice game, all other 14 players will be given a go as it doesn’t have an official status. It will be an opportunity to check everyone’s rhythm after most of the core team members enjoyed a two-week break. There will be two areas where skipper Rohit Sharma and outgoing head coach Rahul Dravid need to take a judicious call. Even if Jaiswal is in good nick, how to fit him in the side will be an issue as it would mean keeping a power-hitter like Shivam Dube out of the playing XI. It is a foregone conclusion that Jaiswal might have to sit out as it would not only allow Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to open but could also open the door for Dube at the back end of the tournament. “Shivam Dube is a six-hitting machine. He can be the ‘x-factor’ in the T20 World Cup. But if Shivam has to be in the XI, then you can’t play Yashasvi. Rohit has to take that call and I prefer both pace-bowling all-rounders in the XI. If Shivam plays, he can take on the opposition wrist spinners in the latter half,” Suresh Raina, one of India’s premier T20 batters of his time, said on Friday when asked about a possible combination. The second teething problem for India would be to find Jasprit Bumrah’s opening pace-bowling partner. Both Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj have blown hot and cold in the IPL and their form has left a lot to be desired. RP Singh, one of the heroes of India’s inaugural edition victory, feels that Hardik Pandya’s four overs will be very important. Besides, he feels that Arshdeep should be the second frontline pacer on the newly-laid drop-in track. Talking about the length to be bowled on the tracks in the US during an early morning start, he felt variations will be important, which make Arshdeep a better bet compared to Siraj. “As per my understanding, there should be a bit of slowness in the wicket. So, the ideal length will be somewhere around just short of good length. There will not be a lot of swing for the bowlers but the bowlers with variations, not only yorkers but also slower ones, leg and off cutters…,” RP replied to a PTI query during a promotional event in Delhi. “These deliveries will be utilised a bit more by Arshdeep, so the success rate will be automatically higher for him and that’s what I understand the wickets in the US,” he explained. Against Bangladesh on a slowish track, it would also be a challenge for the middle-order as to how they deal with Shakib Al Hasan and Mahedi Hasan apart from questions asked by cutter master Mustafizur Rahaman. (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Topics mentioned in this article

England Great Gives Massive Verdict On IPL After Series Win Over Pakistan

Danijones5 months ago03 mins

Jos Buttler in action for England© AFP There has been a lot of chatter over England players not playing in the IPL 2024 playoffs to join the national team for the series against Pakistan just ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024. Former England captain Michael Vaughan criticised the England Cricket Board (ECB) as he thought the IPL would have been a better place for preparation than facing Pakistan. He was even supported by former Pakistan cricketer Kamran Akmal. Following England’s 2-0 series win over Pakistan on Thursday, another former England captain Nasser Hussain also joined the competition and praised the IPL for setting up the players for big games and providing them brilliant practice to play in front of big crowds. “They’re a very balanced side, they’ve played in a lot of big games. We don’t talk enough about the IPL and how that obviously sets you up as a cricketer but also sets you up in big games. And under pressure and big crowds and that’s what you need going into a World Cup. So they’ve done all that they could do,” said Hussain on Sky Sports. Hussain further said that the England cricket team look balanced ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024 but they will need to “They’ve just got to be better than they were at that 50-over World Cup. They went into that with a lot of hope and it didn’t start well and they didn’t react well. So they need to have a Plan B. If we don’t start well, if things don’t go well, how do we react? How do we react to slower pitches? How do we react when better sides come up against us? But under Buttler and what they’ve got in this side they’re in a real good place. They just got to go and do it,” he added. Topics mentioned in this article

T20 World Cup: India Eye Redemption As Big-Ticket Cricket Touches Base In America

Danijones5 months ago09 mins

There will be the usual favourites, the mavericks, the chokers and also the unpredictable minnows — the script is familiar for a World Cup but the scale would be unprecedented when the T20 showpiece, featuring a record 20 teams, spearheads cricket’s audacious charge into the American market starting in New York on Saturday. While India would be eager to shed the baggage of near-misses, Australia would like to add another chapter to their tale of domination. For the likes of Pakistan and West Indies, the primary target would be to keep in check their tendency to implode at the most inopportune time. Defending champions England and South Africa too will be a force to reckon with, especially the latter. Given the presence of match-winners like Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Quinton de Kock and Kagiso Rabada, the Proteas seem primed to get rid of the chokers’ tag. It will be a ground-breaking event not just because of the sheer size of the draw but also for the fact that it officially marks cricket’s big-ticket entry into the USA, which will host 16 of the 55 matches to be played across 29 days. The remaining 39 games will be held in the West Indies, including the Super 8 stage, the semifinals and the final on June 29. Besides the obvious favourites on paper, the likes of Afghanistan can also never be counted out to upset the apple cart at the most unexpected time. There are plots within plots that will unfold in the course of next one month. And perhaps one of the most intriguing would be the one involving India, a team that looks so destined for an ICC trophy but has somehow managed to fall short after the 2013 Champions Trophy triumph. Rohit Sharma’s reputation as captain will definitely be on the line this time. Considering the unparalleled resources and depth that the sport’s powerhouse has, most experts find it difficult to pinpoint India’s trophy drought at the word stage over the past decade. Rohit’s predecessor Virat Kohli ended his tenure as the most successful Test captain but a global trophy eluded him. Now Rohit is carrying that baggage of not winning a world title with India finishing runner-up in two ICC events over the past 12 months, including the juggernaut-ending loss to Australia in the ODI World Cup final at home. Their outdated approach in the previous two T20 World Cups cost them dearly but they are unlikely to repeat those mistakes in the Americas. The recently-concluded IPL showed how the batters are pushing boundaries and India’s high-profile line-up needs to follow that risky path. India may not have the same batting firepower as compared to some of the rival teams but as pitches in the Caribbean are expected to be spin-friendly, they surely have all bases covered. Rohit and Co. are scheduled to play three games at the makeshift facility here including the blockbuster clash against Pakistan on June 9. Drop-in pitches will be used at the brand new facility with all teams entering unfamiliar territory. India, however, will have the advantage of playing a warm-up game against Bangladesh at the same venue on June 1 before they take on Ireland in their opening league game on June 5. USA and Canada to play historic tournament opener Not far from India’s base in New York City, the first ever international cricket game was played between USA and Canada back in 1844. Cricket, however, lost out to the likes of Baseball soon after and centuries later, the sport will make an honest attempt to create a space of its own in the already matured American sporting market, starting with USA-Canada opener in Dallas on Saturday. USA are getting to make their World Cup debut as tournament co-hosts but they have demonstrated that they cannot be taken lightly, having beaten Canada and more recently full-member Bangladesh in a bilateral series. Canada, who have featured in the ODI Word Cup in the past, will also be making their T20 World Cup debut on Saturday. Uganda are the other first-timers in the competition. Defending champions England have point to prove Rohit will not be the only captain who will go into the tournament under immense pressure. Jos Buttler will also be out to prove himself after England’s shambolic performance as defending champions at the ODI World Cup in India six months ago. England were by the far the best team of the 2022 T20 World Cup and they will be determined to reassert their supremacy in the shortest format. And challenging that dominance would be the likes of India, South Africa and Australia, who have managed to retain the Ashes, win the World Test Championship final and the ODI World Cup in the last 12 months. It will also be a stern captaincy test for new Australian skipper Mitchell Marsh. Two-time champions West Indies, who could not qualify for the 50-over World Cup in India, are title contenders in their home conditions and their experience in the Caribbean Premier League is going to come in handy. The always unpredictable Pakistan, who made the final of the previous edition, have concerns in the batting department going into their opener against USA on June 6. Saim Ayub has not delivered for them at the top and it remains to be seen if management brings back skipper Babar Azam to open alongside Mohammad Rizwan. Also in focus would be Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim, who have been brought back to the national fold from retirement, likely because of their CPL experience. (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Topics mentioned in this article

Sandeep Lamichhane’s US Visa Denied For Second Time Despite Nepal Board’s Interference

Danijones5 months ago04 mins

Nepal leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane is set to miss the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World 2024 which is scheduled to take place in the West Indies and the United States, as his US visa application was rejected for the second time. After the cricketer’s first application was rejected last week, the Nepali government and the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) stepped in to support him; but, despite their best efforts, the application was rejected once again. The CAN asserted that despite taking necessary initiatives with various organisations, Lamichhane’s visit to participate in the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the United States and West Indies, the US Embassy has expressed its inability to give travel permission. “Despite taking necessary initiatives, along with the diplomatic note, from the government of Nepal, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Youth and Sports, National Sports Council, CAN, and International Cricket Council (ICC), for cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane’s visit to participate in the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the United States and West Indies, the US Embassy has expressed its inability to give travel permission (visa) to national player Lamichhane to play in the World Cup,” CAN said in a statement as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. A spokesperson of the US Embassy stated that they cannot comment on individual visa cases as visa records are confidential under US law. “The US Embassy in Kathmandu and other US consular posts around the world have made a concerted effort to ensure that members of national cricket teams who qualify for the appropriate visa class are able to travel in time to compete in the World Cup. We cannot comment on individual visa cases as visa records are confidential under US law,” a spokesperson of the US Embassy in Kathmandu said. Nepal has been placed in Group D alongside Bangladesh, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands. Nepal will kick off its campaign on June 4 against The Netherlands in Texas. Nepal squad: Rohit Paudel (c), Aasif Sheikh, Anil Kumar Sah, Kushal Bhurtel, Kushal Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Lalit Rajbanshi, Karan KC, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Pratis GC, Sundeep Jora, Abinash Bohara, Sagar Dhakal, and Kamal Singh Airee. (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Topics mentioned in this article

Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell Make 50s As West Indies Hammer Nine-Man Australia By 35 Runs

Danijones5 months ago03 mins

Fifties by Nicholas Pooran and Rovman Powell helped West Indies outpunch a nine-man Australia by 35 runs in their warm-up match ahead of the T20 World Cup in Port of Spain, Trinidad. As it happened in their first training match against Namibia, the Aussies fielded only nine players against the Windies. Selector George Bailey and head coach Andrew McDonald filled the remaining two spots while fielding. Batting first, West Indies rode on fifties by Pooran (75), skipper Powell (52) and an unbeaten 47 off 18 balls by Sherfane Rutherford to raise 257 for 4 in 20 overs. In reply, Josh Inglis (55) led Australia’s reply and there were a 39 by Ellis and numerous 20s as Australia finished at 222 for seven. Earlier, Australia had Tim David, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa, Nathan Ellis and Ashton Agar as bowlers, and all went for plenty. All-rounder Mitchell Marsh, recuperating from an injury, refrained from bowling, though he later batted. West Indies innings was built around fine partnerships between Pooran and Johnson Charles (40), who milked 90 runs for the second wicket and a 63 for the unbroken fifth wicket between Rutherford and Shimron Hetmyer (18). The absence of skipper Pat Cummins, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Cameron Green and Travis Head was felt as they are yet to join the squad. They are spending a few extra days at home after a taxing campaign in the recently concluded IPL. Namibia beat PNG Namibia defeated Papua New Guinea by three runs under the DLS method. Batting first, PNG were restricted to 109 for seven in 20 overs, and Namibia were 93 for six in 16.5 overs when the skies opened up in Tarouba. But they were three runs ahead in the DLS calculations at that stage. At Dallas, the match between the Netherlands and Canada was abandoned without a ball being bowled. (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Topics mentioned in this article

Suspense Over Virat Kohli’s Absence From T20 World Cup Training Ends. Internet Says “GOAT Is Coming”

Danijones5 months ago04 mins

Star batter Virat Kohli was a notable absentee from India’s first training session ahead of the T20 World Cup. Team India, led by captain Rohit Sharma, trained in New York earlier this week with a light cardio session. The Indian team also hit the nets on Thursday, but there were no signs of Kohli at any of the sessions so far. After Kohli did not travel with the team to the Big Apple, multiple reports emerged on social media, claiming that the former India captain had asked for a break from the BCCI following the conclusion of the Indian Premier League. It had also been reported that Kohli would miss India’s warm-up game against Bangladesh on June 1. Amid suspense around Kohli’s absence, the star batter was spotted at the Mumbai airport on Thursday night. In a viral video, Kohli interacted with the paparazzi outside the airport, and also signed autographs for fans. Virat Kohli giving autograph to fans at the airport. Nice Gesture by King Kohli pic.twitter.com/FPRvP0FaBv — Virat Kohli Fan Club (@Trend_VKohli) May 30, 2024 VIRAT KOHLI HAS LEFT FOR THE USA. – The GOAT of T20 World Cups is coming…!!!pic.twitter.com/EpSnUHx3zw — Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) May 30, 2024 VIRAT KOHLI ON THE WAY TO NEW YORK…!!!! – It’s time to rule the T20I WC again. pic.twitter.com/oXmII9D0An — Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 30, 2024 Virat Kohli giving autographs to young fans at the airport before leaving for New York. What a man #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/5D8S98CKtt — Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) May 30, 2024 It was expected that Kohli would travel to New York with the first batch of players after RCB’s elimination from the IPL. However, he was nowhere to be seen in the photos and videos shared on social media. The 35-year-old has been the backbone of India’s batting line-up since the last decade. His records at the ICC events are spectacular. In the last ODI World Cup in 2023, he broke legendary Sachin Tendulkar’s famous record after amassing 765 runs in the single edition of the tournament to clinch the Player of the Tournament accolade. The right-handed batter, who is also the highest run-getter in T20Is, will eye to replicate his Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 form in the T20 extravaganza after finishing the cash-rich league as the top run-scorer. The 35-year-old will play a crucial role in India’s campaign in the tournament. (With IANS Inputs) Topics mentioned in this article

T20 World Cup: Rishabh Pant Back In Nets For Team India, Says ‘Really Enjoying It’

Danijones5 months ago04 mins

India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has attended his first net session with the team in New York ahead of the T20 World Cup warm-up match against Bangladesh on June 1. Pant has returned to the Indian team after nearly 17 months for the showpiece event. He made his return to competitive cricket in April in the Indian Premier League and also led his side Delhi Capitals. He not only played the full season, but also kept wickets, after recovering from multiple injuries sustained in a horrific car crash. In IPL 2024, he scored 446 runs, including three half-centuries, and finished as the highest run-getter for the franchise. He batted at a strike rate of 155.40 in the middle order. Commenting on his return to the Indian squad, the 26-year-old said he missed his teammates during his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and is enjoying being back with the team. “This is the one thing I missed a lot. Getting back on the field with the Indian jersey on, it is a different feeling altogether. I think seeing the teammates and meeting them again, spending time, having fun with them, enjoying having conversations, really enjoying it,” Pant said in a video posted by BCCI on X. “We are used to playing in certain countries but this is a different prospect. It has opened up a different channel for sport because I feel cricket is growing around the world and getting the exposure in a country like the US would be nice for cricket as well as USA cricket, I guess,” he added. Pant further said he is getting used to the conditions and that the sun shines a little brighter here in the US, and there are new pitches. “So just getting used to conditions over here and let us see how it goes. Hopefully, I make it count and make it better from here,” he concluded. India will take on Ireland in their T20 World Cup opening match in New York on June 5 before the high-octane clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on June 9. (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Topics mentioned in this article

Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Says Strategy In Place For T20 World Cup, Urges Fans To Fully Back Team

Danijones5 months ago04 mins

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has said that the team has a strategy in place for the T20 World Cup and appealed to supports and fans to back the team irrespective of whether it wins or loses matches. With two days left before the commencement of the tournament in the USA and the West Indies, Pakistan are gearing up for the marquee event. They are currently touring England for a four-match T20I series. Ahead of the 4th T20I to be played in London on Thursday, Naqvi made an appeal to the fans to support the team through the tournament. “Support the team and assure them that we [the fans] are with you [the team] whether you win or lose. I just want to request one thing which we really need for the next four weeks. Let us all support our players,” the PCB chairman told the media in London, according to Geo News. The first and the third T20I matches of the ongoing series were washed away due to rain without a ball being bowled. In the second T20I England took a 1-0 lead with skipper Jos Buttler’s 84-run blitz playing a pivotal role. Pakistan have tweaked their team combination during their series against Ireland and England. Unlike other teams, who have opted to bring in more spinners, Pakistan decided to name a pace-laden 15-player squad for the tournament. With the combination undergoing constant changes, Naqvi was asked about Pakistan’s combination for the World Cup. He affirmed that a strategy is in place and the players need to give their best on the field. “Overall, a strategy is in place that they don’t have to panic and give their best [on the field],” Naqvi noted. Pakistan are placed in Group A and will play their first match against the co-hosts USA on June 6 at the Grand Prairie Stadium, Texas. Pakistan Squad for T20 World Cup: Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan. (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Topics mentioned in this article

Former World Cup-Winning Captain Ricky Ponting Predicts Travis Head To Be ‘Highest Run-Scorer’ Of T20 WC

Danijones5 months ago05 mins

Former Australia World Cup-winning captain Ricky Ponting predicted that Baggy Greens star opener Travis Head will be the highest run-scorer of the upcoming T20 World Cup. Ahead of the marquee event starting on June 1 in the USA and the West Indies, Travis Head has been enjoying a purple patch with the bat. Ponting has backed Head to emerge as the top run-getter in the highly anticipated tournament. He believes that the southpaw’s performance over the past couple of years in all formats of cricket has been of the highest quality. “My prediction for the leading run-scorer will be Travis Head. I just think everything he’s done, whether it be red-ball or white-ball in the last couple of years, has been of the highest quality. I think he’s playing fearless cricket at the moment,” Ponting said in the ICC Review Podcast. In last year’s ODI World Cup, Australia showed faith in him by including Head in the squad despite carrying an injury. Head was added to the playing XI when he regained fitness and repaid the management’s faith by scoring a ton in his comeback match. He also won the Player of the Match award in the semi-final and the final of the tournament. In the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL), Head featured for Sunrisers Hyderabad and emerged as the highest run-scorer for the franchise. Overall, he was the fourth-highest run-scorer in the tournament with a whopping tally of 567 runs in 15 matches scoring at an average of 40.50 and a mouth-watering tally of 191.55. En route to the final, SRH were buttressed by Head’s explosive start in the opening slot. He struggled to put up runs at the backend of the tournament but overall showed his destructive potential in the opening front of the shortest format of the game. In the final three games, he registered two ducks and a 34-run knock. Despite his sub-par performance towards the end of the cash-rich league, Ponting expects fireworks from Head’s bat in the World Cup. “His IPL had its ups and downs, but when it’s been good, it’s been very good. And it has won games of cricket for his team,” Ponting noted. “And it’ll be exactly the same for Australia. So, look, he might not be the most consistent on the way through this tournament, but he’ll be right up there, I’m sure, with the leading run scorers. And as I’ve said, if he spends any amount of time at the wicket for Australia, he’ll win more games than ever,” Ponting added. Australia are placed in Group B alongside England, Namibia, Oman and Scotland. They will begin their campaign against Oman on June 6 at the Kensington Oval, Barbados. (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Topics mentioned in this article