Tamim Iqbal Exits the 2021 T20 World Cup

Bangladesh fans will be disappointed to learn that star batsman Tamim Iqbal will not be taking part in the 2021 T20 World Cup that is coming up this year.

The tournament is taking place in the United Arab Emirates, with the Bangladeshis hoping to put in a strong showing to impress their supporters back home.

However, Tamim suffered a knee injury in the series against Sri Lanka that means he is not available for selection.

He is definitely not the only high profile cricket player who is likely to be absent, as our preview of the tournament below indicates.

Iqbal Misses Out

When you are thinking about betting on a live cricket game, one of the first steps you take is to check who is playing. If you see there are two teams that are equally matched, noting if either are missing a star player is important when deciding who may win.

With Tamim Iqbal missing out for Bangladesh, their chances of success at the tournament have gone down significantly. While they still have a lot of options in both the batting and bowling department, Iqbal is one of those star players that can lift a team to victory on a good day.

Even though he had been hoping to regain full fitness, Iqbal did not want to take a chance by rushing back for the tournament. He also missed T20I series matches against Zimbabwe and Australia as a result of the injury.

He was kind enough to post a video on his official Facebook account, so he could explain directly to the fans that he would not be involved. Iqbal spoke about his injury and stated that it was his final decision to not make himself available for selection.

Indian Stars Likely to Miss Out as Well

The T20 World Cup, being hosted by the UAE in 2021, may also see several top Indian cricketers unable to take part. A report in the Indian press stated that the BCCI selection committee had to make some tough decisions about who would be in their 15-man contingent for the tournament.

The five stars who are likely to miss out for India are Rahul Chahar, Sanju Samson, Deepak Chahar, Prithvi Shaw, and Washington Sundar. Despite the possible absence of these players, the Indians are still among the favorites to claim glory in this series.

They have an outstanding team that includes a deep batting lineup, good fast bowlers, and enough versatile spin options to trouble teams on many types of pitch. If most of their players can arrive at the tournament in good form, it will be very difficult to stop India from going all the way and claiming glory.

T20 World Cup Predictions

One of the best ways to understand the top teams that are favoured to win a tournament is to look at the betting odds. Bookmakers know a great deal about how a sporting event will unfold, as they assess current and past data, analyze the form of teams going into the tournament, and look at other factors as well.

At present, India are the outright favourites to win the tournament. They are closely followed by England and Australia. Both are seen as serious contenders. These are the three teams that most bookies and pundits believe can go all the way.

There are a whole host of other nations that will also have a claim to glory. The likes of The West Indies, Pakistan, New Zealand, South Africa, and others have very good sides. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are also possibilities to go all the way.

However, all of these teams have some serious flaws in their line-ups, which can be exploited against better opposition. Pakistan is an outstanding example of such a team. On a good day, they can beat any side in the world, but they have a tendency to only show up on their top form once in a while.

Previewing the T20 World Cup Action

The T20 World Cup 2021 Edition takes place in the UAE, with a total of 45 matches expected between the group stages and the knockouts, all the way through to the final.

All the matches are taking place in the UAE, with the exception of the qualifying round which will be held in Oman on 17th October. The remaining matches will be held between October 23rd and November 14th in the UAE. The West Indies were the last team to win this tournament, and they will be hoping to defend their crown against India and the other contenders.

The formatting of the tournament is a little confusing, as it starts with Round 1, where a total of eight teams, split into Group A and Group B, play 12 matches against each other. Four of those teams will then go on to the Super 12s, which starts on October 24th.

The Super 12s is a format that includes the top eight ranked nations, along with the four teams that qualify from Round 1. Those teams will play a total of 30 matches, before there are two semi-finals and a final.

Elevate Your Cricket Watching Experience

Spending a few hours watching a T20 cricket match can be a very fun experience, especially if you are rooting for one of the teams involved. Watching such a tournament is even more enjoyable when you have some money riding on the outcomes.

By assessing the quality of the various teams and looking at previous head-to-head results, you can make very accurate predictions about how most of the games will unfold. By safely betting on these matches, you can have a lot of fun following performances in the 2021 T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates this autumn.