Top 4 favourites to win T20 World Cup 2022

16 teams will compete for the ICC T20 World Cup title starting on October 16 in Australia. Of these 16, four will be eliminated in the qualifiers and the remaining 12 teams will clash to win the most coveted T20I trophy.

There are many strong contenders to win the tournament, but, keeping in mind the recent form and other factors, we are picking four teams which are most likely to win the trophy.

1. India: It is quite surprising that the Indian team has not won a single T20 World Cup since the starting of Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008. India won the maiden title in 2007 in South Africa under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. In 2014, India came close to winning the title again it but lost the final game against Sri Lanka.

• But this time the Indian team looks in a good form. In 2022, India have played 27 T20I games winning 21 of these. They have lost 6 times, while 1 game ended without a result. India beat England at its home, outclassed South Africa twice this year and also recently won a three-match T20I series against Australia. India at the moment holds the number one position in ICC T20I rankings.
• The team has strong batting line up which features KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik. Though team's star allrounder Ravindra Jadeja is out due to a knee injury, Pandya and Axar Patel are in perfect form.
• In the bowling unit, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammad Shami and Yuzvendra Chahal are expected to lead the attack. Mohammad Siraj and Bhuvneshwar Kumar will also be included in the team in some matches. 
• The biggest plus point for the team is the brilliant form of Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli. The two have been playing some good cricket in the recent past and in Australia, these players will be key for India.

2. Pakistan: When it comes to throwing big surprises, you cannot ignore the Pakistan cricket team. For instance, in 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, Pakistan had just managed to qualify for the tournament. It also lost the first match. But after that, the Sarfaraz Ahmed-led side bounced back so strongly that it won the tournament. 

• Pakistan is one of the top favourites to win the T20 World Cup this year. Pakistan just won a seven match tri-series against New Zealand and Bangladesh. In the final match, Pakistan defeated New Zealand and clinched the series. 
• In 2022, Pakistan have played 16 T20I matches and have won 10. It lost six games.
• For Pakistan, the biggest plus point will be the form of Mohammad Rizwan and captain Babar Azam. The addition of Haider Ali and Shan Masood to strengthen the middle order is also giving results.
• In the bowling department, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Waseem, Haris Rauf are doing really well.
• Overall, Pakistan team looks really strong and has high chances of winning the cup.

3. Australia: The Kangaroos have to be one of the favourites for any cricket tournament, no matter what form they are in. The Aaron Finch-led side had defeated England in the last year’s T20 World Cup final. This year, the Australian team is looking stronger than ever.

• .In the last two outings against England and West Indies, Australia beat the teams comprehensively. In 2022, Australia have played 17 T20I matches and have won 12 of these. 
• Cameron Green, the opening right handed batter, who had a very good season with the bat against India, however, is not included in the world cup squad. In place of him, Ashton Agar might open the innings with Finch. But apart from him, there’s Mathew Wade, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis and Pat Cummins who will be crucial for the team. 
• Australia have a good chance of defending their title.

4. England: The Jos Buttler-led side is one of the best in the T20 format and has been dominating the game for last few years. England won the T20 World Cup in 2010. The team under Eoin Morgan came close to winning the tournament again in 2016 but they lost the final against West Indies. Carlos Braithwaite smashed 19 of 6 balls and won the tournament.

• England recently won a 2-match T20I series against Australia and defeated Pakistan in a seven-match T20I series before recently.
• For England, Moeen Ali, Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, Jonny Bairstow will be the players to watch out for.
• Their captain Jos Buttler will also be a key player as he was in outstanding form in the IPL this year. 

The T20I World Cup starts on October 16. All matches will be live telecast on Star Network and it will stream online on Disney+Hotstar.