NEW DELHI: Afghanistan’s talented all-rounder Gulbadin Naib has made his predictions regarding the semi-finalists of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, and his choices have certainly caught attention.
Speaking exclusively to Sport Yaari, the right-hander shared his views on why judging teams too early can be misleading in T20 cricket, especially with matches being played in Asian conditions.
“There are twenty teams like this, and if you try to rule out four of them, even that is too much. The tournament has not even started yet, and talking about another team as good or bad is wrong, because in cricket it is too early to say anything.”
Asian conditions level the playing field
Using examples, Naib stressed that T20 cricket is unpredictable by nature and that forming strong opinions before a ball is bowled often leads to wrong conclusions in global tournaments.
“Every team can do something, especially when matches are being played in Asia. The conditions will be suitable for everyone. Like last year, Pakistan lost to the USA, and similarly Bangladesh narrowly escaped against Nepal. That game was very close. South Africa also had a very close match against Nepal.”
Top-four prediction and Afghanistan’s road ahead
However, he still gave his predictions on top 4 teams in the summit tournament.
“So, you can’t say anything beforehand but if I have to give a top-four prediction, in my view it would be India, Australia, Afghanistan, and South Africa.”
Currently, in the T20 World Cup, Afghanistan are placed in Group D alongside New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, and the UAE.
After making history by reaching the semi-finals in the previous edition, expectations are high, and it will be interesting to see how they fare in this year’s tournament.
