The 2022 T20 World Cup is just a few months away and all the top teams in the cricketing arena have already started to finalize their best playing combinations. At first, the team management has to decide on the opening combination of their team as the two batters have the responsibility of providing a good start to their team and trying to remain on the crease till the 20th over.
A total of eight teams including India, England, New Zealand, Australia, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and South Africa have already qualified for the main tournament, While, West Indies, and Sri Lanka will have to play the qualifying matches to join the big teams.
On that note, let us take a look at possible opening combinations for each team for the upcoming T20 World Cup:
1. David Warner and Aaron Finch (Australia)
Defending champions Australia will be playing in their home and will back themselves to retain their title. Australia has a good batting line-up with openers David Warner and Aaron Finch starting the proceedings with the bat for them. The opening duo has been highly successful and can be termed as one of the most dangerous opening combinations in the tournament.
While Warner takes an over or two before playing his shots, Finch does not need many sighters and goes on with his business straightway. The left-right batting combination is another factor and the two run brilliantly between the wickets. The duo also looks very comfortable against both spin and pace.
The Men in Yellow will be hoping to get some excellent starts from Finch and Warner as the duo holds a lot of experience and has played cricket in all parts of the world to prove their worth with the bat. Talking about their numbers, Finch has scored 2855 runs in 92 T20I matches and Warner has 2684 runs in 91 encounters.
2. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
Two of the most prolific batters on the Pakistan side, skipper Babar Azam and the wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan are expected to open the innings for the Men in Green in the upcoming T20 World Cup. Both Babar and Rizwan are two of the most consistent performer for their team and will look to emulate their performance in the upcoming tournament as well.
Both Babar and Rizwan complement each other very well. While Babar looks to take his time on the wicket, Rizwan tries to play his shots during the field restrictions. The duo has been involved in several match-winning partnerships and one of their memorable partnership came against arch-rivals India during the 2021 T20 World Cup.
Chasing a total above 150, both Rizwan and Babar completed their respective fifties as they thrashed the Indian bowling line-up and won the game for their side by ten wickets. To note, it was the first time that Pakistan managed to beat India in a World Cup match.
3. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul (India)
Team India will probably be going with two of their senior batters skipper Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul at the top. Both Rohit and Rahul are very destructive once they get their eyes in. The duo has already formed several crucial partnerships for Team India and will look to emulate their performance in the upcoming tournament.
Talking about their numbers in T20Is, skipper Rohit has played 128 matches and amassed 3379 runs at a decent average of 31.88. He has also stroked 26 fifties and four centuries in the 20-over format. On the other hand, Rahul has played 56 matches and has stroked 1831 runs.
Team India also has the options of wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan and Rishabh Pant to start their innings with the bat. However, if both Rahul and Rohit are available, then they are likely to be the prime contender to open the batting for the Men in Blue.
4. Devon Conway and Martin Guptill (New Zealand)
New Zealand batters Devon Conway and Martin Guptill are likely to open the innings for the Blackcaps in the upcoming T20 World Cup. While Guptill is more of an aggressor between the two batters, Conway can also hit a long ball once he gets set on the wicket.
The New Zealand team management also has an option of going with their star batter Daryl Mitchell to open the innings. However, the Kiwi side might be tempted to go with a left-right hand opening combination as Mitchell can also play in the middle order.
Conway has impressive numbers in his short T20I career. The left-handed batter has already scored 602 runs at an excellent average of 50.17 with his strike rate being almost 140. Talking about his partner, Guptill has loads of experience in playing the 20-over format and he would like to do his best in the upcoming tournament.
5. Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma (South Africa)
Senior batters Quinton de Kock and skipper Temba Bavuma are likely to open the innings for South Africa in the all-important tournament. Both batters have a different style of play. While De Kock likes to take on the bowlers right from the start, Bavuma looks to get settled on the wicket before going for the big shots.
De Kock has been playing international cricket for years and has bailed out his team from several tricky situations. He will yet again have to show his best game if the Proteas side wants to lift their maiden World Cup. Bavuma on the other hand will look to play till the 20th over and ensure that his team finishes strongly with the bat.
Apart from Bavuma and De Kock, South Africa might also want to keep batter Reeza Hendricks in the midst. The right-handed batter has been a regular feature of the South African side but has not been able to show his true potential in the international arena as yet.
6. Hashmatullah Shahidi and Mohammad Shahzad (Afghanistan)
Afghanistan will be backing their opening pair of Hasmatullah Shahidi and hard-hitter Mohammad Shahzad to stitch some excellent opening partnerships for their team in the upcoming T20 World Cup. While Shahzad only looks to thrash the bowlers, his partner Shahidi is more of a compact player and looks to play the big shots once settled.
Shahidi has not much to show in his T20 records as he has played only two innings, but his partner Shahzad has played several memorable knocks for his country in the 20-over format. Talking about his numbers, the right-handed batter has played 69 matches and has scored 1961 runs at a strike rate of almost 134.
Afghanistan has a strong middle-order including Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, and Rashid Khan, but the team management will want their openers to give good starts to their team in the upcoming competition.
7. Tamim Iqbal and Litton Das (Bangladesh)
Bangladesh skipper and senior batter Tamim Iqbal along with talented batter Litton Das are expected to open the innings for Bangladesh in the upcoming 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia. The left-right combination has already opened the innings for Bangladesh and both of them will be looking to have a good outing in Australia.
Both Tamim and Das like to take on the bowlers during field restriction but can play long innings as well. While Tamim likes to take on the spinners, Das looks more comfortable against pace bowling. The duo has a good understanding between them and they also run well between the wickets.
At present, both of them are representing their country in an ODI series against West Indies. The left-handed batter is looking in good touch as he recently stroked an excellent fifty against the Men in Maroon. He will like to continue his good form in the upcoming games.
8. Jason Roy and Jos Buttler (England)
One of the most dangerous opening duos in world cricket, Jason Roy and Jos Buttler might enjoy batting on the fast and bouncy pitches of Australia. The duo looks to dominate the opposition bowling line-up during the powerplay overs and will be looking to showcase their brilliance in the upcoming tournament as well.
To note, Roy has not been able to score runs recently, but given his quality, the right-handed batter can become a nightmare for the opposition bowlers when he is in full flow. Similarly, Buttler also likes to take charge of the bowlers and does not let them settle to their rhythm.
Both Roy and Buttler are currently playing against India in a three-match ODI series and will want to give their best in the remaining matches. Roy is under a scanner after not being able to perform during the T20I series and would like to do well in upcoming games.
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