Former Pakistan pacer Aaqib Javed says India are the favourites to lift the upcoming T20 World Cup, and also feels Virat Kohli and team need to play their normal game to beat old foes Pakistan on October 24.
“For India, they don’t need to peak. They can just play normally, to their strengths and still beat Pakistan. But if Pakistan are to win, they have to play better than their best cricket that day. So at the moment, they appear the favourites. India have Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul so many match-winners. Jasprit Bumrah is such a terrific bowler. If you look at their overall team, they look favourites to win the World Cup,” the former fast bowler told Sana Ajmal on her YouTube channel.
The tournament
The first round kicks off on October 17 in Oman, with Oman taking on Papua New Guinea and Bangladesh playing Scotland. Group A consists of Sri Lanka, Ireland, the Netherlands and Namibia, while Group B has Bangladesh, Scotland, Papua New Guinea and Oman.
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super 12 stage. The Super 12s -- round two of the tournament, with two groups -- will begin on October 23, with Australia facing South Africa in Abu Dhabi and England up against West Indies in Dubai.
The first semifinal will be held in Abu Dhabi on November 10, while the second will be played in Dubai on November 11. The final will be held in Dubai on November 14 with November 15 marked as reserve day.
