Cricket World Cup 2022: Winner Market Preview
The Twenty20 World Cup is only just around the corner now, and at Pure Win, we’re ready and waiting for all the action. We boast thousands of pre-match and in-play online cricket betting opportunities for all our customers at industry-leading prices.
As part of our preparation, we are putting together a comprehensive tournament preview, breaking down each side's chances, the standout stars, statistics, and much more!
Check out our complete World Cup winner preview below!
Best Prediction for India in the T20 World Cup
Odds to Win the World Cup: 3.35
Star Player: Virat Kohli
Most important player: Jasprit Bumrah
Prediction: Semi-Finals
In terms of online betting, they are the favourites for a good reason. Of all the teams participating in the World Cup, India have the best top three batters on paper in KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli, and a death bowler widely regarded as the best in the world in Jasprit Bumrah.
There is a concern, however, for their record in big tournaments. They haven't gotten to a Twenty20 World Cup final since they won it 15 years ago. India is the current hive of this format thanks to the Indian Premier League - the most successful exponent of T20 cricket since its inception nearly 20 years ago. A solitary final appearance in the inaugural tournament is a pitiful return.
There are also question marks coming into the event on strength in depth. - both from a batting and bowling perspective. The form of Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya eases troubles in the batting stakes, but death bowling is a prevalent issue for skipper Rohit Sharma. Defeats against Pakistan in the Asia Cup and Australia in the first match of the series exposed this, with bowlers unable to protect defendable amounts.
We think there is better value elsewhere - India will make the semi-finals, but a big game phobia will best them.
Best Prediction for England in the T20 World Cup
Odds to win the World Cup: 3.95
Star Player: Jos Buttler
Most important player: Liam Livingstone
Prediction: Finalists
It's been a disappointing year in Twenty20 cricket for England - before they toured Pakistan, which is still ongoing, they lost three t20 series on the trot to the West Indies, India, and South Africa. Hardly the form of potential runners-up.
Despite those worrying results, England have a bonafide team of superstars with individual stats to back it up. Jos Buttler, for example, comes into the World Cup off the back of winning the Orange Cap in the Indian Premier League. They bat deep - in some recent games, Adil Rashid, who is very capable with the bat, was coming in at 11. Liam Livingstone, the most aggressive of the England batters, stands out in a middle order that combines pragmatism with dynamism.
Then you come to their bowling attack - Adil Rashid is a dangerous spinner but can often prove expensive. In Chris Jordan, Reece Topley, David Willey, and Sam Curran, they combine a potent mix of control and wicket-taking abilities.
We think they will make up one of the finalists - but they're too short at the price to recommend backing them.
Best Prediction for Australia
Odds to win the World Cup: 4.8
Star Player: Steve Smith
Most important player: Pat Cummins
Prediction: Semi-Finalists
They are the hosts, the defending champions from the 2021 World Cup, and have some sensational talent coursing through their team, but we can't see the Baggy Greens making it past the final four.
It's not a prediction that we can be overly confident - the Aussies are a hardened cricket team with lots of experience. Indeed, the average age of the Australian squad is over 31 - that represents one of the oldest in the competition.
They have a tough group - with England, New Zealand, and likely Sri Lanka fighting it out for the top two spots. They can qualify in second but will face the winner of Group 2 (we think it'll be eventual winners Pakistan) in the semi-finals, and that's as far as they will go.
Best Prediction for New Zealand
Odds to win the World Cup: 8.05
Star Player: Kane Williamson
Most important player: Trent Boult
Prediction: Group Stage
Any team with Williamson and Boult in it has a chance of success. They have plenty of skill at the top of the order - Martin Guptill has been bossing bowling attacks for years, while Devon Conway is a genuine superstar.
The Kiwis haven't been testing their T20I squad with any of the world's best sides in 2022, though. They have won nine of their ten fixtures up until 14th August 2022, but the only team of international repute was the West Indies. They were run very close by Ireland in a thrilling three-match series earlier in the year, too. It's been anything but convincing.
We think the lack of in-depth preparation could prove detrimental to the side - they won't make it past the group stage.
Best Prediction for Pakistan
Odds to win the World Cup: 7.50
Star Player: Mohammad Rizwan
Most important player: Babar Azam
Prediction: Winners
We all know how important the opening duo are - in Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam, the team in green has two of the best batters in the world. The figures for them as a partnership in this format are astounding.
They average more than 50 runs as an opening partnership, with a run rate above 8. At the time of writing, they have seven century stands between them and a highest partnership of 203. In the previous World Cup, Babar Azam ended the tournament's top run scorer with 303 runs, while Mohammad Rizwan finished in third place with 281 runs.
In 2021, they won every single game in their group - only coming unstuck against Australia in the semi-final due to a freakish knock by Matthew Wade.
The concern comes in the middle order - do they have the strength in depth to go deep in the World Cup? The dangerous Fakhar Zaman will miss the competition due to a knee injury, and his absence will be a huge blow.
Still, replacement Shan Masood is a new talent forging his path in the county championship with Derbyshire and a stalwart for the Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League. Asif Ali and Khushdil Shah are not as feared, and there are question marks over the batting down the order.
From a bowling perspective, Mohammad Nawaz, Usman Qadir, and Haris Rauf also give them the tools to compete in the field.
We like the look of Pakistan as winners; they are our dark horse for the tournament. Our cricket betting tips and detailed market analysis point to them being the best chance to win at the best odds.
Best Prediction for South Africa
Odds to win the World Cup: 11.0
Star Player: Kagiso Rabada
Most important player: Quinton de Kock
Prediction: Group Stage
The Proteas have never made the final of a Twenty20 World Cup - astounding though it may seem given their rich cricketing heritage.
They have shown promise this calendar year - a T20 series tie with India in January followed by a 2-1 win over England in the summer.
In Kagiso Rabada, they have one of the world's most potent T20 fast bowlers. A blockbuster signing for the Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League, he ended with 23 wickets - the third highest in the competition. Quinton de Kock is a legend of this format and continues to be influential, while Tristan Stubbs is an exciting young all-rounder that can score at a frightening pace.
However, their record in this tournament hardly inspires confidence, and it's hard to see them advancing from a group that includes Pakistan and India.
Best Prediction for West Indies
Odds to Win the World Cup: 17.1
Star Player: Nicolas Pooran
Most important player: Jason Holder
Prediction: Group Stage
In the history of the T20 World Cup, they are the most successful side having won it twice - in 2012 and 2016. However, they come into this tournament after one of their worst years on record in Twenty20 international cricket.
As of 25th September, they have won just seven of 18 T20 games played in this calendar year. It's hard to completely disregard their abysmal showing at the last World Cup, too - they finished the group stage with just one win from five and a net run rate of -1.641.
That's not to say they don't have some eye-catching players! Nicolas Pooran is growing into his role as the new captain for the West Indies and boasts a T20I career strike rate of 130.77, while Shimron Hetmyer is ranked among the best finishers in the game. Fierce competitor Jason Holder represents a genuine wicket-taking option too.
However, we can't see them advancing past the group stage.
Best Prediction for Sri Lanka
Odds to win the World Cup: 34.0
Star Player: Wanindu Hasaranga
Most important player: Kusal Mendis
Prediction: Probably Group Stage, but worth a second look!
The Asia Cup champions set their sights on a bigger prize - the World Cup! The odds are stacked against them - they have a few injuries to contend, a young squad, and a shadow of the side outfit brimming with world-class talent as little as ten years ago.
However, there are reasons to be optimistic. Youngster Pathum Nissanka is fast establishing himself as a dangerous opening batter in the international cricketing sphere. His opening partner Kusal Mendis is a perfect foil for him, and they represent a promise from a batting perspective.
Sri Lanka has always been a hotbed for high-quality spin bowlers, and this one is no different. Wanindu Hasaranga is an international superstar, while mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana is famed for his variations.
If you're after a long shot, you could do worse than backing this team each way at the monster price of 34.0.
Best Prediction for Bangladesh
Odds to win the World Cup: 34.0
Star Player: Litton Das
Most important player: Shakib Al Hasan
Prediction: Group Stage
This writer foolishly predicted the Tigers to surprise a few onlookers in last year's finals - but it was an appalling showing from a team that we expect better from in this day and age.
They lost every single game of the group stage - and the results did not pick up in the aftermath of their disastrous tournament. Indeed, they have won just three Twenty20 internationals in the 13 matches since the end of the World Cup.
The wickets in Australia will be hard and fast - and there isn't an abundance of pace in the squad that can take advantage. Litton Das is a massive talent - his average clocks an underwhelming 20.64, but he has a solid strike rate of 126.03. He will need to be at his best to help a vulnerable batting lineup negotiate the world's best bowlers.
