T20 World Cup: West Indies face challenge from India, England

T20 World Cup: West Indies face challenge from India and England: Defending champions West Indies will again rely on a hardened bunch of Twenty20 specialists as they bid to retain their World Cup title in 2021 T20 WC but will face a big challenge from India, out to secure a first global trophy under Virat Kohli, and an England team bidding to become champions in two formats.

The seventh edition of the showpiece Twenty20 World Cup was set to take place in India, but a COVID-19 surge in the country forced it to relocate.

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T20 World Cup: India, England emerge as the favourites to challenge defending champions West Indies in T20 WC

For India, each member of the team has played the UAE leg of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and is familiar with local conditions. Also, Virat Kohli will be able to tap into the experience of team mentor Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who led India to the inaugural title in 2007.

Since Kohli will step down as India’s Twenty20 captain after the tournament, his teammates will hope to give him, and outgoing head coach Ravi Shastri, a fitting farewell.

T20 World Cup: Eoin Morgan-led side would want to repeat 2019: Meanwhile, England will be out to become world champions in both white-ball formats two years after winning their maiden 50-overs World Cup under Eoin Morgan. Morgan has endured a lean IPL, and they will be without explosive all-rounder Ben Stokes, who is addressing mental health issues, as well as injured fast bowler Jofra Archer.

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Bowling all-rounder Chris Jordan believes they still have the “talent and chemistry” to win a second world 20-overs title.

T20 World Cup: India, England emerge as the favourites to challenge defending champions West Indies in T20 WC

“Having been together for so long, the chemistry is there, the talent is there – all the ingredients are there for us to make a decent run in this campaign. The squad is very, very strong and I am pretty optimistic,” said Jordan.

West Indies, the only team to have won the tournament twice, will once again bank on their awe-inspiring bunch of Twenty20 mercenaries, cricketing guns-for-hire who ply their trade in the world’s lucrative T20 competitions, to accomplish a treble.

Captain Kieron Pollard and fellow all-rounders Andre Russell and Dwayne Bravo are the three pillars of a side teeming with match-winners.

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T20 World Cup: The showpiece event begins tomorrow: The tournament will begin on Sunday with co-hosts Oman playing debutants Papua New Guinea in a preliminary Group B match in Muscat.

United Arab Emirates (UAE) will host the Super 12 stage and the knockout matches across three venues — Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi — with 70% fan capacity. The 16-team tournament is the biggest global cricket event since the COVID-19 pandemic struck and the event had to be shifted even though the Indian board retains its host status.

Cricket