T20 Cricket World Cup 2020 Winner Betting Tips - Australia to finally break the curse of the hosts?

The T20 Cricket World Cup 2020 takes place in Australia from 18 October to 15 November 2020. The host nation are the favourites to lift the trophy for the first time after losing out to England in the 2010 final. No host nation has ever gone all the way in their own tournament, but Australia look very capable of changing that trend.

Australia are $3.75 favourites ahead of the likes of India, England, and South Africa in the T20 Cricket World Cup 2020 winner odds. Odds from bet365 and correct on 2 February 2020:

On paper, Australia have the easiest Super 12 group to navigate. Yes, New Zealand, Pakistan, and West Indies are all tricky opponents, but they have avoided the real heavyweights in India, England, and South Africa.

This will be Australia’s first time hosting the T20 Cricket World Cup, so apart from impressing in front of their own fans, the motivation to become the first hosts to lift the trophy will give them that extra boost teams need in a competition such as this. They fell short in 2010 when they lost to England in the final, so righting the wrongs of the past will be high on the agenda.

Australia have a very well rounded T20 side, with David Warner, Steve Smith, Aaron Finch, and Glenn Maxwell the types of batsmen who can take a game away from you in a matter of overs. Throw into the mix the likes of Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, and Nathan Coulter-Nile as star bowlers, and you will struggle to find a side who are as dangerous in all aspects of the game.

It will be a little strange for India to go into the tournament as second-favourites. The reality is that India are incredible in all formats of the game, so there is always an element of surprise when they are not on the top of the odds sheet. The Asian giants have had a mixed time of it at the T20 World Cup in the past. They have reached two finals, winning one. Maybe the expectation for them to win in the past has weighed heavily on them?

Virat Kohli is obviously the star attraction as far as India are concerned. His natural talent and incredible ability to occupy the crease mean he is the one man every opponent wants to get out – because if you don’t, well, the match will likely get away from you in a matter of overs.

The last time India toured Australia in 2018, they played three T20 matches. Both sides won a game, while the second clash was rained out. In early 2020, India played a five-match T20 series in New Zealand. India won all five matches (two in a super over), so they will confident in their abilities heading into the T20 World Cup in Australia.

England go into the T20 World Cup as the holders of the ODI World Cup. Yes, they may be different formats, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that the English have a very well-rounded team, and one that is equally adept at the shortest version of the game.

All-rounder Ben Stokes has grown into one of the finest cricketers on the planet and will be a very key figure for the English. His strength is in his power hitting (a big part of any T20 side), while his wicket-to-wicket bowling makes him an incredibly difficult bowler to get away. Stokes will no doubt give England the edge in tight matches.

Like India, England have reached two finals of the T20 World Cup – winning one and losing the other. Their triumph came in 2010, beating Australia, while they fell short in 2016 to an electric West Indies outfit. The last time England ventured to Australasia for T20s was for the Trans Tasman Tri Series in 2018. Australia gave the English a hiding in their two matches, while the English won one and lost the other to New Zealand in their two matches. England are not always the best travelers, which could mean their second T20 World Cup win will have to wait.

Where to start with South Africa? The Proteas are currently going through a transitional period, but that is often when a side is at their most dangerous. The West Indies proved in 2016 that often the sides that are underestimated are the grafters, so that is why South Africa are still considered contenders, rather than outsiders.

There is talk of AB de Villiers coming back into the South African fold. Should that happen for the 2020 T20 World Cup, he will without doubt be the star man. However, Quinton de Kock has proven in the past that his explosive nature with the bat is a bowler’s worst nightmare at the top of the order. Should de Villiers come back, who knows how far this side could go with him and de Kock taking bowling attacks apart…

However, as far as South Africa are concerned, until they actually win a major tournament, they will continue to be considered the ‘chokers’ of the world of cricket. The pressure has time and again got to them when it really matters, and that will be a big concern heading into the tournament. You can have the best players in the world in your side, but if you don’t have that killer instinct and ability to adapt to situations, you will always come up short. This is why South Africa will likely fall short once again.

In the history of the T20 World Cup, only once has a ‘favourite’ won the tournament. That was India in the inaugural tournament in 2006. Ever since, the likes of West Indies, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka have all claimed glory.

In 2020, it is advisable for the ‘favourites’ to once again beware the outsiders. New Zealand will only have a short trip to make to the tournament – and are likely to be as unpredictable as ever, while defending champions West Indies will be as explosive as ever – albeit blowing hot and cold. Then you come to the likes of Pakistan and Sri Lanka. These two sides, like the West Indies, can be brilliant one day and terrible the next. However, you only need to be brilliant a few times in a tournament like this to actually win it. 

In terms of the so-called minnows, Afghanistan have made huge strides in the world game, and will be no push overs. Beware Ireland and the Netherlands, too with both having claimed some huge scalps in previous T20 and ODI World Cup competitions.