Who will play with whom in the Super 12 Round has been revealed after the confirmation of four qualified teams from the first round on Friday. The Super 12s is set to start on October 22 with a match between Australia and New Zealand in Sydney. Let’s have a look at which teams have a strong possibility of reaching the semifinals of the T20 World Cup 2022.
Who will play with whom in the Super 12s?
There are two groups in the Super 12 Round, each containing six teams. The top teams in the points table of each group will secure a place in the semifinals. In Group 1, Australia, New Zealand, England, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Ireland will compete for the top two spots in the points table. On the other hand, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, South Africa, the Netherlands, and Zimbabwe will take on each other in Group 2 in the quest for a semi-final berth.
Read: T20 World Cup: Zimbabwe knock out Scotland to book place in Super 12s
Which teams are the early favourites to reach the semifinals?
Seven teams are realistically in the race for a semi-final spot in the T20 World Cup 2022 and have the squads to fight for it. Here are the teams that can qualify for the semi-finals.
Group 1
Sri Lanka advanced to Group 1 after finishing first in Group A in the first round. The reigning Asia Cup 2022 champions will try to emulate their recent success in the Super 12 round. However, it won’t be easy for the Lankan side as Australia, England, and New Zealand are the top three teams in this group. Afghanistan and Ireland are the other two teams in Group 1 and are unlikely to make it to the semifinals as their main target would be to finish as high as possible in the points standings.
Australia
The reigning World Cup champions, Australia, are the hot favourites in the eighth edition of the competition. Australia are currently the sixth T20I ranked team, but they are way better than their current rankings. The Aaron Finch-led team has what it takes to win a big event. They have the right balance in the squad and have had decent momentum in recent series. The Australian side has 9 wins in 17 outings in 2022. The hosts will start their campaign against New Zealand on October 22.
New Zealand
The New Zealand team was the runner-up in the 2021 ICC Twenty20 World Cup, and they will have a better chance of winning the competition this year due to the familiar conditions. The Kiwi side is led by charismatic captain Kane Williamson, who is back in form. Besides, the team has some seriously talented all-rounders who are well capable of taking a game away from the opposition. The world’s fifth-ranked team has a strong chance of reaching the semi-finals and their 12 wins out of 15 this year have indicated that they are on the right momentum. The New Zealand team will play their opening game against arch-rivals Australia on October 22.
England
The Jos Buttler-led English T20I team will be one of the major teams to watch in this competition. England will try to win their second trophy of the competition after disappointingly failing to advance to the final last year. They have a strong batting unit from top to middle-order and also have a strong bowling unit to do the job for them. What England need is consistency, especially when it matters the most. The world’s no.2 team, England, have 10 wins in 21 outings this year and they should find a place in the semi-finals, given their overall squad strength. The English side will start their campaign against Afghanistan on October 22.
Sri Lanka
The Lankan team will be an outsider in the contest for a place in the semi-finals. The Sri Lankan side has some promising young talents to do the job in the crucial moments. Success in the 2022 Asia Cup would be their biggest inspiration. But can they repeat the same performances in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022? That would be a big question. Sri Lanka have 9 victories in 20 matches this year so far. The Lankan side will play their first Super 12 Round fixture against Ireland on October 23.
Read: Ireland ousts 2-time champion West Indies at T20 World Cup
Group 2
The West Indies were big favourites to move into Group 2 of the Super 12s, but their journey to this year’s event ended with an early exit from the first round. Therefore, only three teams will understandably fight for a place in the knockout round from Group B and they are India, Pakistan, and South Africa. The other participating teams in this group are Bangladesh, the Netherlands, and Zimbabwe, who will try to overcome each other in this round.
India
The world's number one ranked team, India, are one of the favourites in the tournament. The Rohit Sharma-led Indian team has been on a good run in the T20 format this year, winning 23 of 32 games. Their only disappointment this year was failing to qualify for the Asia Cup 2022 final in September. India have multiple match-winners to stand out for the side. But they will surely miss one of their main weapons in bowling, Jasprit Bumrah, in the tournament. India should advance to the last four with this squad, but if they don't, that would be a huge blow. India will play their first match against arch-rivals Pakistan on October 23.
Pakistan
Pakistan have improved a lot under Babar Azam's captaincy and are currently the world's No.3 ranked team. But Pakistan's team relies heavily on their two openers in batting and have lacked depth in the middle-order. However, their bowling line-up is one of the best in the world and will have to shoulder major responsibility in winning games. With 10 wins in 19 games, Pakistan's team is not in their best of form at the moment but are a strong candidate to move to the semi-finals. Pakistan’s opening match will be on October 23 against India.
South Africa
The Proteas national side has improved over the last one year and they have promised to give a strong fight against India and Pakistan in their quest for a semi-final berth. The South African side’s ICC T20I ranking has improved thanks to their consistent performances over the big opposition. The team has some world-class all-rounders who have the ability to win games on their own. The Proteas team has 7 victories in 13 outings this year and will definitely take part in the 2022 Twenty20 World Cup with the intention of winning it. South Africa will play their first match against Zimbabwe on October 24.
Read: T20 World Cup 2022: Bangladesh to face Netherlands on Oct 24
Verdict
The teams who usually play on the fast and bouncy wickets are the strong favourites for the T20 World Cup 2022. In that sense, Australia, New Zealand, England, and South Africa have an advantage over the Asian teams, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. However, momentum is key in any big event. The team that can ignite at the right time has the best chance of advancing to the semifinals.