The T20 World Cup is underway, generating excitement among Cricket fans. The warm-up matches are in progress as teams finalize their strategies for the upcoming tournament.
Following India’s 4-1 victory in the T20I series against New Zealand, former England captain Michael Vaughan identified India as a top contender for the tournament. He also named England, New Zealand, and Australia as potential semi-finalists, excluding South Africa, which reached the finals last time but lost to India.
“My 4 T20 World Cup semi-finalists will be … India, England, NZ & Australia …” Vaughan wrote on ‘X’.
Defending champions India aim to win the T20 World Cup title for the third time, joining West Indies and England, who also have two titles each.
Under captain Suryakumar Yadav, India has not lost a bilateral series since mid-2024. They recently triumphed over New Zealand with a 4-1 series win and are in Group A, along with Pakistan, Namibia, the Netherlands, and the USA. Meanwhile, Australia is in Group B, facing Oman, Ireland, Zimbabwe, and Sri Lanka.
England, captained by Harry Brook, is in Group C with the West Indies, Scotland, Nepal, and Italy. New Zealand finds itself in Group D with Afghanistan, South Africa, the UAE, and Canada.
Only the top two teams from each group will advance to the Super-Eight stage of the tournament, which follows the same format as the 2024 edition.
The T20 World Cup kicks off on Saturday, February 7, featuring three matches on the opening day. Pakistan will take on the Netherlands in Colombo, the West Indies will meet Scotland in Kolkata, and India will face the USA in Mumbai.
