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Former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif has admitted that any of the four semi-finalists could make it to the T20 World Cup 2022 final, given the unpredictable nature of the format. He, however, opined that India and New Zealand are better placed to reach the summit clash owing to their clinical performances in the Super 12 stage.
The Men in Blue topped Group 2 with eight points, winning four matches and losing only one. The Kiwis finished atop the other group. They won three games, while also losing only once. Their clash against Afghanistan was abandoned due to rain.
The Kiwis will take on Pakistan in the first semi-final in Sydney on Wednesday, November 9, while the Men in Blue will face England in Adelaide the following day. Asked if an Indo-Pak final could be on the cards, Kaif told Sportskeeda:
“Anything is possible in this format. It is very difficult to predict which team will reach the final. But according to me, India and New Zealand have better chances of making the final because of the way they played in the league (Super 12) stage.
“The two teams will also get an advantage due to their experience of having played big matches. Again, on the day, any team can beat anyone.”
Pakistan grabbed a backdoor into the semis from Group 2, beating Bangladesh by five wickets in their last Super 12 game after South Africa went down to the Netherlands. England and Australia finished equal on seven points in Group 1, but the defending champions were knocked out due to having an inferior run rate.
“He also adds depth to the batting” - Kaif shares his views on the Ashwin vs Chahal debate
During the interaction with Sportskeeda, Kaif also opened up on the Ravichandran Ashwin vs Yuzvendra Chahal debate. While some experts are batting for leg-spinner Chahal’s inclusion in the playing XI for the semis, Kaif does not see that happening.
According to the 41-year-old, the Indian captain seems more comfortable with Ashwin in the playing XI. The former India cricketer explained:
“Rohit Sharma feels that it is important for Ashwin to be in the playing XI because he also adds depth to the batting. That is the reason Chahal is not playing. You may have observed that big scores are not being put up in Australia. 150-160 has been a par score."
Observing that Rohit has preferred to bat first after winning the toss, barring the first match against Pakistan, Kaif commented:
"This tournament has been very fair and this is one of the best World Cups as there is no advantage of winning the toss. Because India are preferring to bat first, they need depth. Hence, Ashwin comes in at 8 and Axar (Patel) at 7. The emphasis on batting depth has kept Chahal out,” he concluded.
Ashwin has claimed six wickets in five T20 World Cup 2022 matches at an average of 21.33 and an economy rate of 7.52.
