3 reasons why West Indies are favorites to win T20 World Cup 2024

Co-hosts West Indies are one of the hot favorites going into the 2024 edition of the T20 World Cup. The global event that will see 20 teams compete will get underway on Saturday, June 1.

The team from the Caribbean Islands have won two T20 World Cup titles in 2012 and 2016. Defending champions England are the other team to win the trophy twice in 2010 and 2022.

Almost eight years have passed since West Indies lifted the global trophy. They were knocked out from the Super 12 stage in 2021 and failed to qualify for the main tournament in the last edition in Australia. They lost to Scotland and Ireland in the qualifiers to crash out of the main event.

Despite their recent setbacks in T20 World Cups, West Indies will come up with renewed energy to win their third title as the tournament returns to the Caribbean Islands after 14 years. On that note, let's take a look at three reasons why West Indies are the favorites to win the T20 World Cup.

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#1 West Indies boast plenty of T20 professionals

Led by ace all-rounder Rovman Powell, the co-hosts boast plenty of T20 professionals who can win the match single-handedly on any given day. There are plenty of power hitters throughout the batting lineup. Besides, they also have someone like Shai Hope who can anchor the innings and is potent against both pace and spin.

The squad boast the likes of Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Romario Shepherd, Jhonson Charles, Sherfane Rutherford, and the skipper himself. Pooran and Russell, in particular, have been in stellar form in the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL). Russell powered the Kolkata Knight Riders to their third IPL title with all-round contributions.

West Indies also boast good wicket-taking options, with Akeal Hosein expected to play a key role. The likes of Alzarri Joseph and Obed McCoy will likely be pivotal in the death overs.

With almost every base covered, only the West Indies players themselves can stop themselves from not winning the title in Barbados on June 29.

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#2 Playing at home

Playing in home conditions in front of their own countrymen supporting them and rooting for the players is a huge advantage in a big tournament like the T20 World Cup. West Indies will look to draw inspiration and win the title for their loyal fan base.

Moreover, the conditions are well-known to the players, which will likely come in handy throughout the tournament. With every factor going in favor of the Caribbeans, expect them to lift the title on the final day.

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#3 Recent results

Although they didn't feature in the last edition of the T20 World Cup, West Indies have been in fine form since. They have beaten heavyweight teams like India, defending champions England, and South Africa since 2023.

If anything to go by this, West Indies boast a strong squad that can challenge any team in the world. They will hope to replicate their recent performance in the multi-nation T20 event and redeem themselves for not qualifying for the T20 World Cup in 2022.