With the Super 12s stage of the t20 World Cup starting tomorrow (22nd October), eight new teams will soon begin their respective campaigns, along with the four qualifiers from the initial group stage. Now into the meat of the competition, there is a lot of talent to focus on. Some are known quantities, while some are hoping to build on previous glimpses and make a name for themselves. Here are X players to look out for during the Super 12s.
1) Finn Allen (New Zealand)
An aggressive opening batsman who loves to target the powerplay overs to get quick runs on the board, Finn Allen is a strong asset for a New Zealand side that have accumulator types in the top order. Devon Conway and Kane Williamson form a formidable top three for New Zealand, but Allen's quick scoring approach helps those two to build their innings in a more measured way.
While he has been picked up in drafts and auctions around t20 leagues, the 23-year-old is still yet to fully announce himself as a true t20 go-to player. This tournament could well catapult him into regular conversations and a number of deals. Currently laying claim to an incredible t20 strike rate of 171.6, made all the more impressive by the fact he also averages 29.6 and is a genuine opening batsman, there is all the tools for Allen to make a true name for himself.
2) Josh Little (Ireland)
Having made his Ireland debut at 16 years old, Josh Little has continued his rise to become a leading light for the country of his birth. He played a big part in helping the Manchester Originals reach the final of the Hundred at the start of September. Having been brought in as a replacement overseas player, the 22-year-old bowled with genuine pace and his left-arm action brought about some fruitful results.
He has kept up that momentum so far in the 2022 t20 World Cup, most recently helping Ireland seal their place in the Super 12s with a stunning victory over a disappointing West Indies side. His numbers in t20 cricket are very good, with an impressive average of just under 21 and an economy of 7.36. One of the main points of the Ireland attack, Little can make an impact in Australia and make his mark on the international stage.
3) Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afghanistan)
This excerpt may as well read as a direct copy of the aforementioned focus on Allen, such is the similarities between the two. Gurbaz is also an aggressive opening batsman who likes to score quickly from the off. Again, like Allen, he has a ton of potential in the format and is also on the fringes of making the breakthrough to being a bonafide t20 option for franchises all over the world.
He has shown flashes of his strokeplay and intent in the Pakistan Super League and the Caribbean Premier League, as well as on the international stage. There were actually injury scares coming out of the Afghanistan camp regarding the 20-year-old following a toe injury sustained courtesy of a yorker from Pakistan's Shaheen Shah Afridi, However, Gurbaz is expected to be fit and ready to take the attack to England in the opening fixture tomorrow.
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| Rahmanullah Gurbaz is an exciting young talent, adept at scoring quickly at the start of an innings for Afghanistan [CREDIT - Matt Roberts-ICC/ICC via Getty Images] |
4) Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe)
The 36-year-old all-rounder has burst into mainstream consciousness in the last year with an incredibly productive 12 months. Raza has already carried that momentum into the first group stage of the t20 World Cup. He has been a key man in Zimbabwe's smooth qualification for the Super 12s, contributing heavily with bat and ball. He made 82 in the opening match against Ireland to move his side to a competitive and ultimately match-winning total. Raza then provided key contributions in both batting and bowling departments against Scotland to seal Zimbabwe's spot in the Super 12s.
The Pakistan-born all-rounder will be a player to watch because it will be fascinating to see how his incredible form will stack up against the true elite. With his strokeplay with the bat and nous with the ball, Raza will be a key part of an impressive-looking Zimbabwean outfit who will be out to cause a few waves in Group 2.
5) Suryakumar Yadav (India)
If you are talking about in-form players, there are few that are in better touch than India's Suryakumar Yadav. Indeed, if you are talking about players to watch then there are few better on the eye than the 32-year-old. He has been in some truly incredible form in since returning to full fitness midway through the recent Indian Premier League season.
If Allen's t20 numbers are something to behold, then SKY's T20I record is something to gawk at. He averages 38.7 while striking at a scarcely-believable 176.8, especially given a decent sample size of almost 600 balls faced. Yadav has passed fifty in three of his last four T20I innings and added two half-centuries in two innings in the unofficial warm-up games against a Western Australia XI and Australia themselves. His form in the middle order will dovetail dangerously with the rest of India's star-studded lineup.
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