On Saturday night, well Sunday morning really, the surprising oldest fixture in international cricket – the USA against Canada – kicked off the ICC Twenty20 World Cup in Dallas, Texas. Here is our guide to all of the 20 teams who will be fighting it out in the Caribbean and the USA over the next four weeks to see who lifts the prize in Barbados on Saturday 29 June.
GROUP A
Captain: Saad Bin Zafar
Coach: Pubudu Dassanayake
T20I ranking: 23
Best T20 World Cup: First appearance
Key player: Aaron Johnson – the 33-year-old Jamaica-born opener blitzed 121* from 59 balls against Panama at the Americas qualifying tournament last October, breaking his own record for the highest T20I score by a Canadian.
Best backstory: Jeremy Gordon – having made his first-class debut for Guyana back in 2007, the 37-year-old fast bowler emigrated to Toronto and has become the spearhead of the Canadian attack. His spell of 3-6 in the qualifying final against Bermuda secured Canada’s first-ever appearance at a T20 World Cup. Our prediction: 5th in group.
14 Sixes hit by Aaron Johnson at the Americas qualifying tournament, the joint-most in the competition.
Captain: Rohit Sharma Coach: Rahul Dravid T20I ranking: 1 Best T20 World Cup: Winners in 2007 Key player: Jasprit Bumrah – lethal and broadly unhittable, Bumrah is India’s kingpin, averaging a wicket every 18 balls and boasting an extraordinary economy of 6.55. Best backstory: Rishabh Pant – having escaped the wreckage of his
Mercedes shortly before it burst into flames following a highway collision in December 2022, there were serious concerns whether Pant would ever play again. But the 26-year-old made a stirring return to captain Delhi Capitals in the recent IPL and showed he’s lost none of his impetuous brilliance by dispatching Gujarat Titans for a 43-ball 88*. Our prediction: Winners
4 Number of frontline spinners in India’s 15-strong squad.
IRELAND
Captain: Paul Stirling Coach: Heinrich Malan T20I ranking: 11 Best T20 World Cup: Super 8s in 2009
Key player: Josh Little – a fiery left-arm quick who made his T20I debut at the age of 16, the 24-year-old is now hot property on the franchise circuit, having represented Gujarat Titans in the last two IPL seasons. Best backstory: George Dockrell – first picked as a left-arm spinner back in 2010, a loss of form and confidence saw him lose his contract and fade into obscurity before he reinvented himself as a batting all-rounder and returned to the set-up two years ago. Our prediction: 3rd in group
3,521 Number of T20I runs scored by Paul Stirling, putting him fifth on the all-time list
Captain: Babar Azam Coach: Gary Kirsten
T20I ranking: 7 Best T20 World Cup: Winners in 2009 Key player: Shaheen Shah Afridi – unceremoniously dumped as captain after a single se
