It is no hyperbole to say that this group would see the most down-the-wire matches during the T20 World Cup which is just a few sleeps away. The group has teams like South Africa who have always faced an almost-there-but-not-quite sort of predicament in mega-events. There is Sri Lanka; the only one with a T20 World Cup in their trove. And also the Netherlands who have got hold of the right recipe to brew epochal upsets.
There is Bangladesh too. Securing the trophy would work wonders for the dilapidated state of the game in their country. And then there is Nepal. They may not be on par with others in their group, but they are, as they say, the underdogs who would love to be David to the Goliaths. Here’s a Group D Preview where we will have a look over all the teams in what is the toughest group in this tourney. Here’s the World Cup 2024 Group D preview.
World Cup 2024 Group D
South Africa:
T20I rank: 7th
Best result in T20 WC: Semi-finals (2009, 2014)
Expectations: Super 8s
Overview:
South Africa is most definitely the strongest side in this group. The last edition was nothing short of a heartbreak for the African team. Had it not been for some late-tournament miracles for Pakistan and a forgettable upset by the Netherlands, they would have made it to the finals at least. But with a dynamic squad, the universe gives them another chance to make things right. With fiery batters like David Miller, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen and Quinton de Cock, the batting unit looks anything but unprepared. Heinrich Klaasen would be soaring high after his memorable IPL season while the remaining batters have proved their abilities to end a bowler’s career through and through.
It would be especially exciting to see Tristan Stubbs and Ryan Rickelton play for the Proteas. Stubbs, in the middle order, would give the team much-needed stability as he is currently in the form of his life.
On paper, the bowling attack is as terrifying as it gets. Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Ntorje, and Marco Jansen constitute a dream bowling unit. While Ntorje comes from an ominous IPL season, the Proteas management would want him to sprout back to his form during the mega event, on pitches that are not as harsh to bowlers as were in India. Nevertheless, the destructive Gerald Coetzee would of course remain their first-choice bowler. This leaves us with Ottniel Baartman who was clinical for South Africa during his debut against West Indies earlier this week when he flew away with three wickets.
The spin department has seasoned tweakers like Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi who will be joined by Bjorn Fortuin as the third spinner.
Top-ranked batter: Aiden Markaram – 5
Top-ranked bowler: Tabraiz Shamsi – 10
Schedule:
- 3 June: Sri Lanka vs South Africa, New York
- 8 June: Netherlands vs South Africa, New York
- 10 June: South Africa vs Bangladesh, New York
- 14 June: South Africa vs Nepal, St. Vincent
Sri Lanka:
T20I rank: 8th
Best results in T20 WC: ICC T20 World Cup 2014 winner
Expectations: Super 8s
Overview: Sri Lanka could only manage to win 2 matches out of their five mixtures during the last World Cup. Fresh from an Asia Cup win, the expectations and hopes were high but everything came crashing down when they played their worst cricket in ages down under. A good World Cup campaign is pertinent for them to wash these stains off their image. Led by the incredible Wanindu Hasaranga, Sri Lanka has a solid squad. The middle-order woes will continue to haunt them but as was seen during the recently concluded Bangladesh Tour, if the top-order fires, things would be good to go for the Lankans. Dhananjaya de Silva remains a cause of concern for many but his current form may eclipse his slow batting style. The squad teems with all-rounders of all kinds (and from all eras).
The bowling unit looks all set with Maheesh Theekshana and Hasaranga himself most likely to keep the affairs of the spin department in control with the rookie Dunith Wellalage as a backup. Sri Lanka has never been at peace with injuries. Especially the Lankan breed of pacers. But luckily the squad has many fast bowling options including Matheesha Pathirana, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka, and Nuwan Thushara. Safe to say Hasaranga will not have to lose his sleep over the consequences of injury scares of his bowlers.
Top-ranked batter: Kusal Mendis – 21
Top-ranked bowler: Wanindu Hasaranga – 2
Schedule:
- 3 June: Sri Lanka vs South Africa, New York
- 7 June: Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh, Dallas
- 11 June: Sri Lanka vs Nepal, Florida
- 16 June: Sri Lanka vs Netherlands, St. Lucia
Bangladesh:
T20I rank: 9th
Best result in T20 WC: Super 8s (2007)
Expectations: Group-stage
Overview: Bangladesh needs to do something miraculous to better their record in the T20 World Cup. The team, as has become second nature to them, will depend on Shakib al-Hasan to help them get over the line during their fixtures. Litton Das’s current form and Taskin Ahmed’s injury remain head-scratchers for the team. However, these woes are not without some positives. Towhid Hridoy, Mahmadullah, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz would be the key players for the Asian team. With the ball, Mustafizur Rehman would be expected to lead the team as he comes fresh from a brilliant IPL season. Besides him, Rishad Hossain’s leg-spin could make the case strong for the Tigers at different stages during the matches.
Although it will take a monumental effort by the Najmul Hossain Shanto-led team to make it past the group stages with Sri Lanka and South Africa being their group fellows, the mercuriality of this format never lets anything be certain.
Top-ranked batter: Litton Das – 40
Top-ranked bowler: Mustafizur Rehman – 23
Schedule:
7 June: Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh, Dallas
10 June: South Africa vs Bangladesh, New York
13 June: Bangladesh vs Netherlands, St. Vincent
16 June: Bangladesh vs Nepal, St. Vincent
Netherlands:
T20I rank: 15th
Best results in T20 WC: Super 12s (2022)
Expectations: Super 8s
Overview: The Dutch love rising against the odds and taking the world by shock. They changed the entire landscape of the previous World Cup by the upset they created against South Africa. Doing the same this time around does not seem too difficult to do, given the fact that their team flaunts a mix of experience and young talent. And this is what makes them a side to be wary of. The presence of Bas de Leede along with the newcomers including Michael Levitt, Tim Pringle, and Sybrand Engelbrecht has given their batting lineup an upgrade, especially in the absence of players like Roelof van der Merwe, Colin Ackermann, and Brandon Glover.
All the Netherlands needs to do is make sure they capitalise on the way they start. With both bat and ball, the team succumbs to the middle and death over challenges after getting a solid start. The good thing is that the continuous failure of middle-order has taught the tail-enders how to slog when needed, something that would prove to be a good weapon to have in their arsenal.
Top-ranked batter: Michael Levitt – 38
Top-ranked bowler: Logan van Beek – 61
Schedule:
- 4 June: Netherlands vs Nepal, Dallas
- 8 June: Netherlands vs South Africa, New York
- 13 June: Bangladesh vs Netherlands, St. Vincent
- 16 June: Sri Lanka vs Netherlands, St. Lucia
Nepal:
T20I rank: 17th
Best results in T20 WC: First round (2014)
Expectations: Group stage
Overview: Nepal’s solitary participation in the ICC T20 World Cup came in 2014, where they ended up winning one match out of three. This marks their second entry into the mega-event. Although they are counted as the minnows in the toughest group of this World Cup edition, they would still hope to end their campaign with at least one win. The biggest challenge they will face is inexperience in competing against the best teams in the World. Dipendra Singh Airee, Kushall Malla, and Rohit Paudel are the Nepalese numero unos and the fans would want them to punch above their weights to transpire an unthinkable moment for the team.
Top-ranked batter: Dipendra Singh Airee – 50
Top-ranked bowler: Sompal Kami – 99
Schedule:
- 4 June: Netherlands vs Nepal, Dallas
- 11 June: Sri Lanka vs Nepal, Florida
- 14 June: South Africa vs Nepal, St. Vincent
- 16 June: Bangladesh vs Nepal, St. Vincent
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