IND vs PAK: Sachin Tendulkar Names His Top Contenders For The ICC T20 World Cup 2022

Legendary former India star Sachin Tendulkar has shared his top-4 for the ICC T20 World Cup 2022. He also named South Africa and New Zealand the Dark Horses as he feels the conditions they get at home are quite similar to what they are going to face here.

Sachin Tendulkar also urged India to dominate the group stage and be a strong contender for the semi-final position. Tendulkar, a 2011 World Cup champion, has extensive experience and believes India has a balanced team that might win the group.

Sachin Tendulkar Selects His Favorites For Semi-final Spot

“Yes, we have a very good chance. This team is well-balanced and we have the combination to go out and deliver. In fact, I am quite hopeful of our chances and going the full distance,” Sachin Tendulkar said while he spoke to The Telegraph on Monday. 

The former India opener believes that given the firepower at their disposal, India has a decent chance of winning the World Cup and defeating Pakistan. Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli are two players that are very hot right now, with the former amassing more over 800 runs in T20 Internationals in 2022 and the latter having his second-best T20I calendar year. 

“Yes, of course. My heart is with India and would always want India to win. Not just because I am an Indian, I truly believe we have the firepower to perform well in these conditions. 

“I would obviously want India to be the champions but my top four would be India, Pakistan, Australia and England. New Zealand are the dark horse as are South Africa… These are the conditions South Africans get to encounter at home in September-October. They are used to such conditions,” Sachin Tendulkar added. 

Also Read: Watch: Virat Kohli Comes Up With A Brilliant Run Out To Help Team India Win First Warm-Up Game vs Australia

India Wins First Warm-up Game

In the meanwhile, India defeated Australia by six runs in the practice match played on Monday in Brisbane. The Australian team was dismissed for 180 runs after India had amassed a total of 186 runs for 7 wickets.

In the last over, pacer Mohammed Shami got three wickets for only four runs. Suryakumar Yadav scored 50 runs in 33 deliveries while KL Rahul scored 57 runs for India. Aaron Finch, the captain of Australia, hit 76 runs in 54 balls.

The match between India and Pakistan will take place on Sunday as Rohit Sharma and company seek retribution for their defeats in the previous World Cup match and the Asia Cup 2022. More than 100,000 people are expected to watch the match at the MCG on Sunday.