Kevin Pietersen picked the top run-scorer and highest wicket-takers of the T20 World Cup 2021. He also predicted the two favourites to lift the title. The T20 World Cup has begun, and so has Kevin Pietersen’s predictions. The former England captain has named India and England as his two favourite teams to win the T20 World Cup.
India is a three-time World Cup winner (1983 and 2011 ODI World cups and 2007 T20I World Cups), while England is the reigning world champions of one-day internationals in 2019, but if it comes to choosing between the two, Kevin Pietersen remains fateful towards the team he represented for eight years.
Kevin Pietersen: Selection Of Tymal Mills Swings It In England’s Favour
Tymal Mills announced himself as a fast bowler on the rise in 2016 when he rearranged Chris Gayle’s stumps with a 150kph yorker in a T20 Blast match at Hove. Five years later, his dismissal of the same man confirmed his return to the big stage after a long struggle with injuries.
“I think it’s between India and England, it’s always tough to call between two good teams in the T20 format. I do think Morgan’s team has got a really good chance, though. Every single team fears England. Their firepower with the bat is the envy of other players on the circuit,” Pietersen wrote in his blog.
“They play without fear, without consequences, and when you have the backing of everybody in the dressing room to do what you do then you’re going to get results. I think the selection of Mills swings it in their direction.”
Weighing in further, Kevin Pietersen picked India star batsman Rohit Sharma to finish the T20 World Cup as its leading run-getter while backing Pakistan left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi to emerge with the most wickets.
“Rohit is just a class act in all formats in all conditions. He is very unlikely to struggle for form in this tournament, such is his consistency, and we know that the top of the innings is the best time to bat. I’m pretty sure I won’t be faraway with this one,” added Pietersen under the top run-scorer sub-heading.
“Shaheen is another key reason why I expect Pakistan to go so well. He’s brilliant with the new ball and I expect him to make mincemeat of a few top orders that fancy themselves,” Pietersen wrote in the top wicket-taker sub heading.
In Pakistan’s opening game against India, lanky paceman Shaheen Shah Afridi put India on the back foot from the start with the wickets of openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul off his first seven deliveries. He finished with 3-31 after dismissing India’s top scorer, skipper Virat Kohli for 57 in a total of 151-7 in 20 overs.
Kevin Pietersen: 2021 T20I World cup Could Be Remembered As Glenn Maxwell’s Tournament
As for the Player of the tournament, Kevin Pietersen picked Glenn Maxwell to walk away with the honour. Coming off a high in the IPL 2021 for Royal Challengers Bangalore, where Glenn Maxwell scored 513 runs, including six half-centuries, Kevin Pietersen is confident that the 33-year-old Australia all-rounder will be instrumental in getting his team some important wins.
The all-rounder, who did not hit even a single six for the Punjab Kings (PBKS) last year, was a rock in the RCB middle order, pocketing 513 runs at an average of 42.75 and a strike rate of 144.10.
“Like Pakistan, Australia are going under the radar. They have a superb pace attack, and they also have a stunning T20 player in red-hot form in their ranks. Maxwell was unbelievable for RCB in the IPL recently, scoring four 50s in five innings, and could win Australia some matches by himself. I think if he can take them through the group stage and into the latter stages, this could be remembered as Maxwell’s tournament,” Pietersen pointed out.
Glenn Maxwell is yet to fire as he has managed to score 18 against South Africa and only 5 against Sri Lanka the other night, but Australia won both the matches by 5 wickets and 7 wickets, respectively. David Warner’s 65 and spinner Adam Zampa’s 2/12 tilted the match in Australia’s favour against Sri Lanka as they cruised to a win chasing 155 with 3 overs remaining.