Legendary Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist has come up with his bold prediction for the upcoming T20 World Cup. He believes that the teams of Nepal and the Netherlands could surprise and upset established teams like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Adam Gilchrist warns to beware of associate nations
Gilchrist, who was a key player in Australia’s triumph in the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, made these predictions in light of recent surprising outcomes at ICC tournaments. He noted that the international exposure gained by the youngsters in the Rohit Paudel-led Nepalese team has made them a formidable unit.
However, Nepal has suffered a significant setback ahead of the World Cup. Their ace leg-spinner, Sandeep Lamichhane, has been ruled out after his US visa application was rejected for a second time. Despite this, Gilchrist remains optimistic about Nepal’s chances. He stated, “I think Nepal would be a team that might be able to fire a shot. They’ve got a couple of young players who have been in all the big leagues for a number of years now.”
As for the Netherlands, Gilchrist observed that they have always been tough customers in ICC events and would like to make the most of the limited opportunities they get to play against big teams. He recalled how the Dutch had upset the Proteas in the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, suggesting that they definitely would be a tough proposition.
Gilchrist said, “The Dutch always seem to ruffle a few feathers, they always seem to get under the skin, and they’re drawn in the same pool as South Africa again. They nailed them in the T20 World Cup last time in Australia in Adelaide. So, it might be the Dutch.”
Adam Gilchrist was asked on @SENWABreakfast what minnow cricketing nations could surprise in the T20 World Cup 👀
This was his response > https://t.co/NDbXIoMgyb #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/N5z88OW7Vu
— SEN 1116 (@1116sen) June 1, 2024
Gilchrist also cited the example of the USA upsetting Bangladesh 2-1 in a three-match T20 series late last month. He pointed out that lesser-known cricket-playing nations are always looking for opportunities to beat bigger teams.
He said, “That’s in a financial component where they get a little bit of a lick of the ice cream… but also just the experience. With the T20 format, that’s the opportunity for these nations to come in and start trying to ruffle a few feathers but also bed down the cricket programs in their countries.”
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