John Wright
10/16 – 11/14
T20 WORLD CUP
UAE
WAGER : OURIGHT TO WIN THE TOURNAMENT
SELECTION : INDIA
Chennai Super Kings won the IPL on Friday in Dubai by 27 runs securing their fourth title since the event started in 2008
Focus now turns to the T20 WORLD CUP which is being played in UAE previously planned for India but similar to IPL rescheduled.
Twenty teams compete with the weaker associate members ( 8 countries ) looking to qualify as one of four countries that progress into the Super 12 ( 2 Groups of six teams ) with the elite nations have pre qualified.
The Super 12 Phase starts on Saturday 23RD October when Australia play South Africa in the opening match of Group 1.
Looking at the outright market it is clear that the bookmakers see India as +2.50 as strong favorites which is probably been compiled by a number of factors.
Firstly the Indian squad have all competed in the IPL which as stated is in UAE and is recent so they will be conditioned with the pitches & match aware unlike a lot of sides whose members will be travelling and dealing with quarantine
INDIA are ranked second in the ICC World Cup behind World ODI Champions England who currently look undercooked and are missing stars like Ben Stokes & Jorfa Archer
Australia Pakistan and New Zealand all have not played a lot of cricket recently so it might be expected that the biggest dangers to INDIA might come from current T20 World Cup Champions WEST INDIES +7.00 whose players are very mercenary and mostly compete globally in franchise T20 Competitions
The pitches in UAE will be slow and the bowlers who bowl into the pitch with a lot of variation will be suited
INDIA has huge depth and competition for places , players like Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav are returning to batting form while they have a wealth of experience in Rohit Sharma skipper Virat Kohli and Ravi Jadeja
INDIA s bowling options are covered with quality spin bowlers like Ashwin and Chakravarthy who was superb in the IPL while Shami & Bumrah will be the main stay in the seam department.
Take INDIA + 250 to win the tournament which concludes on. 14TH November in Dubai