Simply 4 of the 20 groups at the moment are left standing because the T20 World Cup semi-finals happen this week.
South Africa will face New Zealand in Kolkata on Wednesday, whereas defending champions India tackle England in Mumbai the following day.
AFP Sport assesses the 4 contenders for the trophy:
SOUTH AFRICA
Aiden Markram’s South Africa are the one unbeaten group within the match and stuffed with confidence as they hunt for a primary World Cup after years of being dubbed “chokers” on the sharp finish of tournaments.
Runners-up two years in the past, South Africa have gained seven out of seven together with assertion Tremendous Eights wins over India and the West Indies.
Strengths
Led by Markram, who has amassed 268 runs in seven matches, they’ve a power-packed batting line-up with Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickleton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller and Tristan Stubbs all in a position to clear the boundary.
Fast bowler Lungi Ngidi has taken 12 wickets and has bamboozled a few of the greatest along with his deceptively sluggish off-cutter, whereas Keshav Maharaj has the power to tie batsmen down along with his left-arm spin.
Weaknesses
If something, they seem like psychological, the psychological scars from a long time of failing to fireside on the sharp finish of World Cups.
5 instances a 50-over World Cup semi-finalist and twice within the T20 model, they made it to a ultimate for the primary time within the T20 World Cup in 2024, solely to fail once more.
Needing 26 off 4 overs with six wickets in hand they collapsed to lose by seven runs to India.
The World Check Championship ultimate win final yr could have gone an extended strategy to erasing these demons — eight of the T20 squad had been in that facet.
T20 World Cup greatest: Runners-up (2024)
NEW ZEALAND
Squeaked into the semi-finals with a greater internet run-rate than Pakistan, having misplaced to England within the Tremendous Eights.
Overwhelmed by South Africa within the group section in Ahmedabad however will look to show the tables in Kolkata.
Strengths
All-round expertise in depth, together with skipper and main spinner Mitchell Santner, Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra.
From Lockie Ferguson’s tempo to Ish Sodhi’s leg spin, Santner has loads of bowling variation at his disposal.
Opener Tim Seifert typically offers an explosive begin within the energy play and they’re razor-sharp within the discipline.
Weaknesses
Lack the game-busting, match-winning people of the opposite three semi-finalists.
They’re the one group within the ultimate 4 to have misplaced two matches — to South Africa and England. The one Check taking part in nations they’ve overwhelmed in seven matches had been Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
T20 World Cup greatest: Runners-up (2021)
ENGLAND
Harry Brook’s England had some scratchy group stage wins, together with edging a last-ball thriller towards Nepal, however discovered kind to energy via the Tremendous Eights with wins over co-hosts Sri Lanka, Pakistan and New Zealand.
Strengths
Brook confirmed his management by transferring as much as quantity three towards Pakistan and scoring a match-winning century. He’s turning into an astute tactician in his first World Cup as captain.
All-rounder Will Jacks has already gained 4 participant of the match awards in seven outings and may be damaging with the bat. Jofra Archer, costly within the first two video games, is again to his searing greatest.
Weaknesses
Opener Jos Buttler is in a kind hunch with 62 runs in seven matches. He has not made a T20 fifty since September final yr and appears devoid of confidence however England are unlikely to ditch their former captain.
T20 World Cup greatest: Champions: 2010, 2022
INDIA
The defending champions lastly produced their greatest performances after they wanted them within the Tremendous Eights with victories over Zimbabwe and the West Indies.
Suryakumar Yadav’s facet had been much less convincing within the group stage, regardless of beginning the match as sizzling favourites.
They had been 77-6 of their opening match towards the USA earlier than Suryakumar’s 84 rescued them and lacked consistency.
Strengths
Sanju Samson has added muscle and stability to the highest of the order, upsetting the opposition’s bowling rhythm by breaking apart the all-left hand mixture of Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan.
Jasprit Bumrah has proved himself once more to be the most effective pacemen within the enterprise and top-ranked T20 bowler Varun Chakravarthy, who has claimed 12 victims, leads the spin assault.
House help in a 35,000-strong Wankhede stadium could possibly be like having a twelfth man on the sphere.
Weaknesses
Abhishek got here into the match because the world’s primary T20 batsman then had three consecutive geese.
A fifty towards Zimbabwe confirmed glimpses of his expertise however he fell for 10 towards the West Indies and England will likely be focusing on him for an early wicket.
T20 World Cup greatest: Winners (2007, 2024)
