If there is one sport that can rival football’s popularity status as the most followed and watched sport in the world, it’s cricket. Given its massive popularity it’s no wonder why this sport has become a must follow discipline for sports fans who like to bet online. Now, with the T20 World Cup tournament set to start in October, hosting the best national cricket teams in the planet, let’s break down how the upcoming tournament is being prepared, what’s there to know and who looks best to make a strong title run come the time.
UAE To Host The T20 Tournament Alongside Oman
While at first it was understood and believed that the 2021 T20 World Cup Tournament would be held in India, the ICC decided that given the status of uncertainty due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic threats in India that the tournament will be moved to the country of the United Arab Emirates. Early on the ICC gave the BCCI (Board of control of cricket in India) time enough to show a plan of action towards hosting the tournament, but given that the country has been going through the ravishing effects of a second influx of the pandemic virus and with the real possible threats of a third, the ICC saw the need to pull the tournament away from India and have the UAE be the host country.
After further developments, it was agreed upon by the ICC and BCCI that the tournament would not only be held in the UAE but also in another middle east country with Oman being called upon to co-host the tournament as well. While the BCCI will still remain as the principal hosts of the event, all matches will be played in four different venues between the two middle eastern countries. Matches will be held in Dubai International Stadium, Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Stadium and Sharjah Stadium, all in UAE as well as the Oman Cricket Academy Ground in Muscat, Oman, starting on October 17th with the preliminary first round of matches and running until November 14th when the final is set to be played.
How Will The Tournament Be Played?
The upcoming T20 tournament will host a total of 30 matches and will be played in two rounds, with the first one consisting of 12 matches between eight initial teams, set into two groups. The top two qualifiers from each group will then move on to the Super 12’s where they will be joined by another eight teams in the hopes of landing one of the coveted four sports into the tournament’s semifinals which will then decide the last two teams standing for the finals.
The tournament groups consist of Sri Lanka, Namibia, Ireland and the Netherlands in group A while Scotland, Oman, Bangladesh and Papua New Guinea slated in group B. The top two teams from each group will then move on to compete in the Top 12’s where the winner of group A and the runner up of group B will be joined by the likes of England, Australia, South Africa and the West Indies in group 1. On the other hand, the winner of group B and runner up of group A will be joining India, Pakistan, New Zealand and Afghanistan in group 2. The Top 12’s stage of the tournament is set to start going on October 24th and it will continue until a champion is crowned.
Top Favourites To Take The T20 Title
As of right now a few familiar faces stand out right now as top favourites to take the T20 World Tournament crown in UAE and Oman. While England is sitting tall as the number 1 ranked cricket team by the ICC it is India, the number 2 ranked team in the world who will be coming into the tournament as top favourites to take the crown. India has shown that it has great depth when it comes to its roster in terms of talent, experience and hunger to win. Given that they wish to repeat their 2007 performance, where they were crowned champions of the inaugural edition of this tournament, watch out for India to dominate and come out on top.
The previously mentioned England team will also be looking to cement their status and justify their number 1 spot in the world cricket rankings with a strong showing and a potential title run in October. They will show up to this tournament with a core of players that is very similar to the one they used when they took the 2019 Cricket World Cup Final in London against New Zealand, meaning that they will be gunning for the gold.
Other teams like the West Indies, Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand will all be looking to give the top favourites a true run for the title, all boasting some very strong squads for the tournament ahead.
