The 2024 T20 World Cup is in its final stage, with just three matches to determine the champion. After the initial round of matches, the competition progressed to the Super Eight round.
A total of 11 ICC full member countries took part in the first round, with teams such as India, Australia, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and South Africa qualifying for the Super Eight round.
In an exciting development, the USA, an associate member country of the ICC, also secured a place in the Super Eight round, adding an element of surprise to the competition.
America, after expelling Pakistan
The United States secured its place in the Super Eight round by defeating formidable Pakistan. Pakistan’s early exit from the competition somewhat diminished the overall strength of this year’s World Cup.
Unexpectedly, New Zealand and Sri Lanka were also eliminated initially, surprising many cricket fans. New Zealand, one of the strongest teams in world cricket, and Pakistan, renowned for their competitive spirit, faced unexpected defeats, allowing Bangladesh and Afghanistan to advance to the Super Eight round.
Although Bangladesh has a strong cricket tradition, it was Afghanistan, a team with limited facilities but immense determination, whose advancement to the Super Eight round is a remarkable achievement.
The weakest team is Sri Lanka
“Sri Lanka is the weakest team in this year’s World Cup. They used to be a solid team in the past, but now they are in a sad state. Several factors have led to Sri Lankan cricket falling so low, and these reasons are pretty complicated.
The 2024 T20 World Cup is taking a very distinct shape with the start of the Super Eight round. The tight format of this year’s World Cup is one of the reasons for this.
No team can play freely under this format. The eight teams were divided into two groups, and each team had to play only three matches.
This creates a highly competitive situation where the teams must commit to securing a spot in the semi-finals.
Strong players and a good mentality are crucial for a team to succeed under these conditions. India, Australia, and South Africa possess all these elements and are complete teams.”
South Africa have not lost a single match
At the end of the Super Eight round, South Africa emerged as the unbeaten team, winning all seven of their matches.
India also performed impressively, winning six out of seven matches, with one game resulting in a tie. Consequently, it appears that the two strongest teams in this year’s World Cup are South Africa and India. These two teams easily secured spots in the semi-finals.
In contrast, America was the weakest team in the Super Eight round. Despite their long cricket history, they are new to competing in such a first-class tournament and lack the maturity to compete against the world’s strongest teams.
It’s common for them to lose all three matches they participated in. Additionally, the American team consists of players imported from other countries, including Indian and Pakistani players.
America should find home-grown players
America’s cricket cannot be considered a world-class team until it forms a team with players born in the country.
However, after this year’s World Cup, cricket in America has reached a high level of acceptance. As a result, a solid native cricket team is expected to emerge from America in the future.
The final match of the Super Eight round
The battle continued until the final match of the Super Eight round. India and South Africa easily secured spots in the semi-final matches, but five teams fiercely competed for the remaining two places.
The final showdown of the Super Eight round showcased a thrilling match between Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
As the game unfolded, cricket enthusiasts anxiously awaited to see which two teams would secure a spot in the semi-finals. This intense competition exemplifies the high stakes of this year’s World Cup.
Unfortunately, the West Indies team had to pull out of the tournament following a devastating loss to the formidable South Africa.
This setback was undoubtedly disheartening for West Indian supporters. It’s hard to imagine the disappointment of failing to advance to the semi-final stage, especially in a tournament hosted in their own country. Such are the highs and lows of cricket.
India, South Africa and England
After India and South Africa, England became the third country to qualify for the semi-finals. Luck also played a part in England’s qualification for the semi-finals after their strong performance in the first round, earning them a spot in the Super Eight round. England would not have qualified if Australia hadn’t beaten Scotland by a more significant margin in the first round.
If England continues to have luck on their side, they might be able to bring the T20 World Cup to their country this year.
In an unexpected turn of events in the Super Eight, Afghanistan defeated Australia, challenging Australia’s semi-final qualification. Following this defeat, Australia had to rely on Bangladesh to defeat Afghanistan after their own loss to India.
The match between Australia and India was entirely dominated by India. Their batters scored runs freely, leaving the Australian bowlers helpless.
Australia dismissed by Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma’s quick 92 runs was one of the best innings of this year’s World Cup. His innings, which included eight sixes and seven fours, helped India score 206 runs.
This total became a significant obstacle for Australia in their journey to the semi-finals. Despite this controversy, the decisive match between Bangladesh and Afghanistan began.
Afghanistan dreamed of winning this match to qualify for the semi-finals, but Bangladesh was not in such a situation.
The match was actually between Afghanistan and Australia
If Bangladesh were to win against Afghanistan in this match, their chances of qualifying for the semi-finals would be slim.
Although the match was between Afghanistan and Bangladesh, Australia and Afghanistan were real contenders.
Bangladesh held the fate of Australia and Afghanistan’s semi-final dreams. If Bangladesh won, Australia would also benefit.
This situation perfectly exemplifies how one team’s victory can determine another’s future in cricket. Australia has been a powerhouse in world cricket for a long time, and they have always maintained their strength and pride without needing assistance.
However, the current circumstances have changed. No matter how strong you are, sometimes you feel helpless and must rely on someone else’s support. This is one of those occasions.
A strong plan for the match by Afghanistan
The highly anticipated match between Afghanistan and Bangladesh unfolded, with Afghanistan making a strategic decision that would ultimately alter the course of the game.
Afghanistan opted to go against the prevailing trend as the toss winners by choosing to bat first. This decision defied the norm of inviting the opposition to bat and proved to be a game-changer.
Despite difficulties scoring runs and contending with a challenging pitch, Afghanistan’s batters demonstrated remarkable composure and astuteness, eventually accumulating 115 runs.
The match had its share of interruptions, with sporadic rain disturbances affecting both teams. However, Afghanistan adeptly transformed this adversity into an opportunity, using the rain to their advantage and securing a hard-earned victory.
Their triumph secured the win and propelled them into the semi-finals, a testament to their admirable resilience and strategic prowess.
This unforgettable match underscored the significance of tactical acumen in cricket, underscoring that success in the sport is not solely contingent upon prowess on the field but also on a well-crafted game plan.
Conversely, Australia’s aspirations of progressing to the semi-final were dashed after Bangladesh’s defeat by Afghanistan, thereby signalling the conclusion of their T20 World Cup journey following the Super Eight round.
