T20 World Cup 2022 Group Stage Preview for All Eight Teams: Predicted Playing XI, Squads, Key Players and Fixtures

Everything you need to know about the eight teams, who will contest in the opening round of the T20 World Cup 2022 for four spots in the Super 12s stage.
 By Roshan Gede Oct 15, 2022, 00:38 IST
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Two time-champions West Indies have not qualified directly for the Super 12s stage.

The T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia is set to kickstart on Sunday, October 16, with eight teams to contest in the initial round over the first five days to secure four places in the Super 12s stage. The teams have been divided into two groups of four each, with 2014 champions Sri Lanka named in Group A alongside Netherlands, Namibia and the UAE, with two-time title winners West Indies having been pinned alongside Ireland, Zimbabwe and Scotland.

Here’s a detailed look at how the eight teams shape up ahead of the competition:

Group A

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, the two-time T20 World Cup runners-up and 2014 champions inspire confidence ahead of the 2022 edition, having recently defeated India and Pakistan (twice) to win the Asia Cup in the UAE. They finished fourth in the Group 1 of the 2021 Super 12 stage, and will once again play the opening round as was the case last year.

Sri Lanka have been well led by Dasun Shanaka in recent times, who pulled off a heist to seal a thrilling win in the third T20I against Australia at home earlier this year, and played his part in the Asia Cup triumph. The presence of genuine match-winners in Wanindu Hasaranga, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Kusal Mendis, Chamika Karunaratne and Maheesh Theekshana among others, makes them a team to look out for.

Squad: Dasun Shanaka (c), Danushka Gunathilaka, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dhananjaya de Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera (subject to fitness), Lahiru Kumara (subject to fitness), Dilshan Madushanka, Pramod Madushan. 

Standby Players: Ashen Bandara, Praveen Jayawickrema, Dinesh Chandimal, Binura Fernando, Nuwanidu Fernando.

Netherlands

Netherlands have had their moments of glory at the T20 World Cup, the most significant of those coming in wins over England in the 2009 and 2014 editions. They confirmed a spot in the 2022 edition with a second-place finish at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier B. 

Netherlands had suffered defeats in each of their three Round 1 games at the T20 World Cup 2021, but the quality can’t be overlooked, with skipper Scott Edwards, Roelof van der Merwe, Tom Cooper and Max O’Dowd lending great experience and skills to the side.

Squad: Scott Edwards (c), Colin Ackermann, Shariz Ahmad, Logan van Beek, Tom Cooper, Brandon Glover, Timm van der Gugten, Fred Klaassen, Bas de Leede, Paul van Meekeren, Roelof van der Merwe, Stephan Myburgh, Teja Nidamanuru, Max O’Dowd, Tim Pringle, Vikram Singh.

Namibia

Namibia, in their maiden participation at the T20 World Cup last year, made it through to the Super 12s round after wins over Netherlands and Ireland. A four-wicket victory over Scotland in the Super 12s round added more to the fruitful season. They registered a 3-2 series win in the five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe in May this year, with skipper Gerhard Erasmus and left-arm spinner Bernard Scholtz leading the way.

They’re further bolstered by the presence of seasoned all-rounder David Wiese in their ranks, who represented South Africa in 15 ODIs and 36 T20Is before turning up for Namibia.

Squad: Gerhard Erasmus (c), JJ Smit, Divan la Cock, Stephan Baard, Nicol Loftie Eaton, Jan Frylinck, David Wiese, Ruben Trumpelmann, Zane Green, Bernard Scholtz, Tangeni Lungameni, Michael van Lingen, Ben Shikongo, Karl Birkenstock, Lohan Louwrens, Helao Ya France. 

UAE

UAE booked a spot in the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia after winning the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier A. They recently went down 0-2 in the two-match home T20I series against Bangladesh at home, running them close in the first game to fall short by seven runs.

Chirag Suri and Muhammad Waseem are the key batters, while Ahmed Raza and Zahoor Khan led the bowling department.

Squad: C P Rizwan (c), Vriitya Aravind, Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, Basil Hameed, Aryan Lakra, Zawar Farid, Kashif Daud, Karthik Meiyappan, Ahmed Raza, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Sabir Ali, Alishan Sharafu, Aayan Khan. 

Standby Players: Sultan Ahmed, Fahad Nawaz, Vishnu Sukumaran, Adithya Shetty, Sanchit Sharma.

Group B

West Indies

West Indies, the only side with two T20 World Cup titles - in 2012 and 2016 - had a disappointing run in last year’s competition, finishing fifth among six teams in the Super 12s stage. They’ll be without the services of premier all-rounders Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, with Shimron Hetmyer sidelined too, after having bizarrely missed the team flight. Skipper Nicholas Pooran is a proven-match winner and has been impactful on Australian shores in the BBL in the past, and would seek a collective performance from the team to go the distance.

West Indies recently went down 0-2 to Australia in a two-match T20I series, and have some tough opponents in Group B, including Ireland, who had historically defeated them in the 2015 ODI World Cup.

Squad: Nicholas Pooran (c), Rovman Powell, Yannic Cariah, Johnson Charles, Sheldon Cottrell, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Kyle Mayers, Obed Mccoy, Raymon Reifer, Odean Smith, Shamarh Brooks.

Ireland

Andrew Balbirnie’s Ireland qualified to the competition with a runners-up finish at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier A, wherein they went down to UAE in the final. As ever, Ireland have a fine blend of experience and youth, with the likes of Balbirnie, George Dockrell, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector and Curtis Campher having excelled in recent years. 

Ireland had defeated Netherland in their T20 World Cup 2021 opener last year, with Campher bagging four wickets in four balls in a landmark feat, but missed out on the Super 12s qualification following defeats to Sri Lanka and Namibia.

Squad: Andrew Balbirnie (c), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Fionn Hand, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, Conor Olphert, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Graham Hume.

Scotland

Scotland made it to the competition following their top-finish in the round in last year’s edition, wherein they had defeated Bangladesh, Oman and Papua New Guinea. With former skipper Kyle Coetzer calling it quits, Scotland still boast a well-rounded outfit with the likes of new captain Richard Berrington, George Munsey, Chris Greaves and Matthew Cross among others in their ranks.

That they are ranked lowest in the ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings among the four teams in the group might be misleading, as they had shown in their win over Bangladesh last year. They haven’t played a T20I since their 0-2 defeat to New Zealand at home in July.

Squad: Richard Berrington (c), George Munsey, Michael Leask, Bradley Wheal, Chris Sole, Chris Greaves, Safyaan Sharif, Josh Davey, Matthew Cross, Calum MacLeod, Hamza Tahir, Mark Watt, Brandon McMullen, Michael Jones, Craig Wallace.

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe had defeated Ricky Ponting’s Australia in their first ever T20 World Cup match in 2007, making for one of the most memorable moments in the competition’s history, but have had little success since. Having missed out on the last year’s edition, they qualified in 2022 on virtue of a 37-run win over the Netherlands in the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier B. They were later defeated 1-2 in a three-match T20I series against Bangladesh at home.

Skipper Craig Ervine and experienced all-rounders Sean Williams and Sikandar Raza hold key to the team’s chances, as the latter two have shown consistently in recent times, including at the Qualifiers.

Squad: Craig Ervine (c), Ryan Burl, Regis Chakabva, Tendai Chatara, Bradley Evans, Luke Jongwe, Clive Madande, Wessly Madhevere, Wellington Masakadza, Tony Munyonga, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Sikandar Raza, Milton Shumba, Sean Williams. 

Standby Players: Tanaka Chivanga, Innocent Kaia, Kevin Kasuza, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Victor Nyauchi.

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