Dean Etheridge
The 2022 men’s T20 Cricket World Cup is just a few days away and here we are looking at the prospects of joint betting favorites India. Can India win the world cup, and are they really a good value bet to win the competition?
India is the powerhouse of world cricket. They have some of the best players in the world, the premier T20 competition in global cricket, and they also have the deepest pockets.
To date, India has won just one T20 world title, back in 2007, they were the first ever champions. But with West Indies having two T20 world cup wins, India is lagging behind in the stats.
They sit on one win alongside Pakistan, England, Sri Lanka, and Australia. And as the country that regards itself (probably rightly) as the world leader in cricket, they will be desperate to add a second T20 world crown to their list of honors.
Australia are the 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐒 of the #T20WorldCup 2021 🏆#T20WorldCupFinal | #NZvAUS | https://t.co/50horpfG97 pic.twitter.com/JYKoseZTWl
— ICC (@ICC) November 14, 2021
Who is the betting favorite to win the men’s 2022 T20 World Cup?
The favorites to win the 2022 T20 cricket world cup are Australia and India. BetOnline has both priced up at +300.
After these two is England (+425), and then there is a bit of a gap until we come to New Zealand (+800), Pakistan (+800), and South Africa (+800).
| 2022 T20 World Cup Winner Betting |  |  |
| Australia | +300 | +300 |
| India | +300 | +300 |
| England | +425 | +400 |
| New Zealand | +800 | +700 |
| Pakistan | +800 | +800 |
| South Africa | +800 | +800 |
| West Indies | +1500 | +1200 |
| Sri Lanka | +2200 | +3300 |
| Afghanistan | +5000 | +3300 |
| Bangladesh | +12500 | +5000 |
| Scotland | +25000 | +30000 |
| Ireland | +25000 | +30000 |
| Namibia | +50000 | +50000 |
| UAE | +75000 | +40000 |
The competition is being held in Australia, and this affects the cricket betting odds. As Australia is playing in favorable home conditions, they are one of the favorites. So this means if all things were equal (you take home advantage out of the equation), India is effectively the favorite with the best cricket betting sites.
But does this make them good value? Let’s take a closer look.
Going in India’s favor
The Indian team has just defeated both Australia and South Africa in the best of three T20 warm-up series. They were fairly comprehensive winners in both series as well, particularly the one against South Africa.
They’ve also recently won 4-1 away at West Indies, and earlier in the year they beat England (2-1) in England. The two wins over England were especially impressive, with one by 50 runs, and the other by 49 runs. Huge wins in the context of T20.
The wins over England were significant for other reasons, and this is another thing that further helps the Indian’s cause. The England team India faced had just lost inspirational skipper Eoin Morgan and was in a period of transition. Which, it’s fair to say they still are in.
Having a new coach and captain to get used to, as well as losing a character of Morgan’s stature, so close to a world cup isn’t ideal for England. Jos Buttler is still learning his trade, and with only days to go until the competition starts, there are still questions over whether Buttler will keep wicket or not.
All this plays into the hands of India. As indeed did the injury to inform Jonny Bairstow, that has seen him ruled out of the whole competition.
In comparison to England, Rohit Sharma was named India T20 captain last December. Yes, that’s not a long time ago, but it’s longer than Buttler has had to prepare, and unlike Buttler (who has no Eoin Morgan to consult on the pitch), Sharma also has the experience and knowledge of Virat Kohli at his disposal.
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Going against India
It’s not all plain sailing for Rohit Sharma and his Indian team though. Yes, they’ve recorded series wins over England, West Indies, Australia, and South Africa in recent months, but they also suffered a disappointing Asia Cup campaign, where they failed to reach the final.
That would have been a bitter pill to swallow. India could only manage a win over Afghanistan in the Super 4 stage. Losing their other two matches to Pakistan and Sri Lanka, who both reached the final, with the latter of the two winning the final.
India had most of their strongest batting lineup playing in the competition (there was no Dinesh Karthik), but the bowling was a touch experimental.
And it needed to be, as earlier this week their main strike bowler, Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of the competition with the back injury that forced him out of the South Africa series. Bumrah now joins Ravindra Jadeja, who is also out of the competition.
NEWS – Jasprit Bumrah ruled out of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022.
More details here – https://t.co/H1Stfs3YuE #TeamIndia
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 3, 2022
So can India win the 2022 T20 Cricket World Cup?
The losses of key players like Bumrah and Jadeja certainly aren’t going to help India’s cause, that’s for sure. There are enough quality spinners in India to replace Jadeja, but he is a world-class all-rounder, and it’s his all-round skills that will be missed most. Likewise with Bumrah. He can be replaced by a top-quality quick bowler, but his death bowling and experience will always be missed.
Therefore I believe it’s too early to see how India will be affected. I would prefer to wait for the competition to start before saying how India will do. But as of now, I couldn’t make India my main pick. I think as a value outside cricket betting pick, I’d be looking more at the unknown quantity that is South Africa at +800.
