ICC T20 World Cup: Group C analysis and stats
What's the story
The 2024 ICC T20 World Cup is just around the corner.
The gala tournament, which will be co-hosted by the West Indies and the USA, will get underway on June 1 with 20 teams divided into four groups.
Hosts WI have been placed in Group C alongside New Zealand, Afghanistan, Papua New Guinea, and Uganda.
Let's analyze the Group c.
Significance
Two teams will go through
Each side will play one game against teams in their group.
The top two sides from all four groups will then advance to the "Super Eight" stage.
The Super Eight stage will be further bifurcated into two groups of four teams each.
The top two teams from these groups will then advance into the semi-finals and subsequently, the finalists will be determined.
Details
Group of death
While two-time champions WI hold the home advantage, Afghanistan and NZ are also studded with star players.
As mentioned, only two teams can qualify for the Super 8. Hence, Group C is certainly the group of death.
Notably, NZ were the runners-up of the 2021 T20 WC and were semi-finalists in 2022.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan upset England and Pakistan in last year's ODI World Cup.
Oppurtunities
Can Uganda and PNG leave a mark?
Uganda are set to feature in its maiden T20 WC.
They cleared the African Qualifiers to participate in the mega competition.
Meanwhile, PNG won the East Asia-Pacific Qualifiers.
The team played three games in the 2021 T20 WC but could not manage a solitary win.
Meanwhile, Uganda have played just a solitary T20I against a full-member team, against Zimbabwe in 2023.
Batters
T20 WC numbers of key batters
Skipper Kane Williamson (699 at 33.28) in NZ's leading run-getter in T20 WCs. Daryl Mitchell (317 at 39.62) trails him among available players.
WI's Johnson Charles (316 at 22.57) has substantial experience in the competition. Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer are also capped in T20 WCs.
Najibullah Zadran (316 at 26.33) and Mohammad Nabi (291 at 16.16) are the key batters for Afghanistan.
Bowlers
T20 WC numbers of key bowlers
WI all-rounder Andre Russell owns 18 T20 WC wickets at an economy of 25.33.
Tim Southee (29 at 21), Trent Boult (25 at 14.64), and Ish Sodhi (25 at 17.76) are the key bowlers for the Kiwis.
Afghanistan's star leg-spinner Rashid Khan owns 23 wickets in the mega competition at a fine economy rate of 6.37.
Nabi trails him with 19 scalps (ER: 7.28).