The T20 World Cup’s second “Super Eights” phase begins on Saturday in Colombo with Pakistan and New Zealand facing off against each other and the round will get underway without former winners Australia who were surprisingly eliminated from their group.
Rather, surprise packages Zimbabwe, who didn’t even make it to the 2024 tournament, topped Group B following an incredible undefeated campaign in which they defeated both Australia and co-hosts Sri Lanka.
For the first time since 2009, an injury-plagued Australia did not advance to the second round of the T20 World Cup after a tumultuous campaign.
The disgrace was attributed to selection “stuff-ups” and “shambolic” preparations, notably a 0-3 pre-tournament series loss in Pakistan, by Australia’s scathing media. Although Australia’s coach Andrew McDonald acknowledged that his team was “devastated,” he said that an investigation into the incident would start only “when we exit the shores here”.
India, the top-ranked T20 team in the world, is a strong favorite to win the title again at home. They will, however, have to contend with a formidable rematch of the 2024 final against a dominant South Africa in Ahmedabad on Sunday at the crowded Narendra Modi Stadium, which can hold 130,000 spectators.
Both teams finished the first round with four victories out of four matches. Since losing to eventual victors England in the 2022 semi-final, India has gone 12 games without a loss at the T20 World Cup.
No team has won consecutive T20 World Cups or lifted the trophy at home and India carry the dreams of hundreds of millions of cricket enthusiasts.
But with their top-ranked batsman, Abhishek Sharma, posting three straight ducks, India has struggled at the top of the order and has not been reliable. India’s batting has been fragile and they were 77/6 against the United States before going on to win.
Zimbabwe and the West Indies, who are in Super Eights Group 1, will play each other on Monday in Mumbai. All of the group’s matches will take place in India.
The West Indies easily defeated England in the group stage and two-time champions have depth and all-around strength. They have gotten off to a clinical start, winning all four of their group matches, and they won the T20 World Cup the last time it was held in India, in 2016.
Zimbabwe, whose colorful band of traveling supporters have had much to cheer so far, will make the Windies very cautious. They were not deterred even by a washout against Ireland.
The co-hosts in Sri Lanka are up against England, Pakistan, and New Zealand in Group 2. Each group’s top two teams move on to the semifinals.
The final team to guarantee their spot was Pakistan with a 102-run victory over Namibia after overcoming a loss to fierce rivals India.
Another pre-tournament favorite, England lost to the West Indies, the only Test-playing team they played, after struggling through their group matches in Mumbai and Kolkata. In their victories over minnows Nepal, Scotland, and Italy—who were playing in their first World Cup—Harry Brook’s team lacked conviction.
However, on Sunday, they will return to Kandy, a happy hunting ground, to play Sri Lanka at a location where England won a T20 series 3-0 this month, with Sam Curran recording a hat-trick in the process. With explosive openers Jos Buttler and Phil Salt unable to register significant scores and Brook struggling to fire, their top order has to regain form.
Sri Lanka have had their ups and downs too. Australia’s championship was all but over on Monday when Pathum Nissanka produced an incredible century. However, the Lankans were defeated by Zimbabwe in their last group match, despite Nissanka scoring 62 runs once more.
