The staging of the Indian Premier League in the UAE has given us a window into what to expect from the T20 World Cup, which follows just days after the franchise cricket spectacular wraps up.
So far in the restarted IPL, only one team has broken the 200 barrier, and that was down to Mumbai Indians being hellbent on improving their net run rate in a desperate final bid for the playoffs.
Scores of north of 150 give a team a very good shot at defending a total, provided the bowlers use the dimensions of the grounds in their favour.
The key may very well lie in finding a way to attack the opponents primary wrist-spinner. Most teams will deploy at least one wrist-spinner in every game and there are some world-class tweakers in the squads.
South Africa’s Tabraiz Shamsi comes into the tournament as the number one ranked bowler in the world in T20Is, and as the only wrist-spinner in the Proteas squad, much will be expected of him.
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka cannot be written off despite needing to qualify for the Super 12s phase through a preliminary round, those games could serve as a great tune-up for them though and allow them to get the jump on the top eight.
India start as heavy favourites, and their entire squad has been in action in the IPL, which could prove invaluable to them. On top of that, they have a dangerous lineup capable of winning matches anywhere in the world against any opponent.
Circling back to the Proteas, they have had a handful of players in action in the IPL, with Aiden Markram critically getting his first taste of the tournament, and the chance to acclimate to the conditions in the Emirates. Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje have shown that they can be effective in the UAE which bodes well for South Africa’s hopes.
