NEW DELHI: The agonising wait is set to end as cricket's most extravagant and exhilarating tournament T20 World Cup gets underway with a Group A match between Pakistan and the Netherlands in Colombo on February 7.
Group A holds special significance in the tournament as it also features one of the hosts and defending champions India, who will be aiming to defy history by becoming the first team to retain the trophy. The 2024 surprise package were the USA, who will once again be fierce competitors, as will Namibia, who round out the group.
Cricket fans will have their eyes on this particular group to see how things pan out, especially after the controversy erupted following Pakistan's announcement of a boycott of their match against India, scheduled to be held in Colombo on February 15.
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The decision, conveyed through an official government statement, is being seen as a political protest linked to Bangladesh's removal from the tournament after the world body declined its request to shift matches from India to Sri Lanka on security grounds.
India
The number one-ranked side in both T20Is and ODIs, India are the force to be reckoned with in the white-ball formats. In their batting ranks, they have Abhishek Sharma, who in just 37 matches has made 1,267 runs, including two hundreds. He possesses the highest career strike rate in T20Is with a staggering 194.92. Sharma is the next cab off the ranks as India continue their new era following the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma after the victory in 2024. In the bowling department, Jasprit Bumrah is still going strong and Varun Chakravarthy's mystery spin is a vital asset. Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill has missed out on selection so Ishan Kishan is likely to vie with Sanju Samson for the wicket-keeping gloves, while Samson will assume opener duties alongside Sharma. With three of their four group games in India, the co-hosts will hope to make the most of home advantage.
Namibia
Namibia are competing in their fourth straight ICC Men's T20 World Cup. Their best result came in their debut in 2021 as they reached the Super 12 stage, beating the Netherlands, who they will face again this year. Last time out in the West Indies and the USA, Namibia triumphed in their opener, beating Oman in a super over. Ruben Trumpelmann took four wickets in that match and is back for more. Also back at the World Cup is Craig Williams. Already an Eagles legend as a player, Williams has now stepped into the role of head coach as the African side prepare to co-host the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in 2027. Before they can think of that, they must face both India and Pakistan for only the second time, and will hope to improve on their 0-2 record against the USA.
Netherlands
The men in orange can often be picked out as a tricky team to beat. Now embarking on their seventh ICC Men's T20 World Cup, the Netherlands have twice reached the second round, doing so most recently in 2022. In that tournament, Bas de Leede took 13 wickets to end joint second in the wicket-taking column, while Max O'Dowd's 242 runs put him just behind Virat Kohli in the run charts. Both are back in the squad for the 2026 edition, with Scott Edwards leading the side. Supreme experience comes from Roelof van der Merwe, one of six 40-plus-year-olds in the tournament. The wily slow left-arm spinner has been playing international cricket since 2009 and was instrumental in the 2023 Cricket World Cup win over South Africa.
Pakistan
Pakistan will be looking to put their previous T20 World Cup campaign behind them. The 2009 champions failed to get out of the group stages for the first time after defeats to rivals India and newcomers the USA. They will hope it is just a blip, having reached the final and the semi-finals in their two appearances before 2024. Now led by Mike Hesson, Pakistan sit sixth in the T20 team rankings. They will be captained by Salman Ali Agha, who is deftly handling increased attention on Babar Azam, who has returned to the squad having been dropped for the Asia Cup, where Pakistan finished as runners-up to India. Despite having played T20 for four years already, Naseem Shah is the youngest member of the squad and will be searching for a return to his best form that saw him take three for 21 against India in a thriller in 2024.
USA
Having made a name for themselves two years ago, the USA will be searching to back it up on foreign soil. With home advantage, they beat neighbours Canada in their first World Cup match before defeating Pakistan in a super over to finish second in their group behind India and advance to the Super 8 stage, before losing all three games. Since then, they have won a thrilling North America T20 Cup final against Canada, also triumphing 3-0 in a series against Oman last February. Monank Patel will again lead the side, having made a half-century against Pakistan in 2024. Saiteja Mukkamalla is the side's highest-ranked batter at 25th in the world, sitting above the likes of Harry Brook and Cameron Green. The 21-year-old already has international hundreds in both white-ball formats and possesses an average of 42.60 in T20s.
(Courtesy: ICC)
