NEW DELHI: In the upcoming
T20 World Cup
, legendary Australian wicketkeeper
Adam Gilchrist
thinks sides like
Bangladesh
and
Sri Lanka
could be surprised by Nepal and the
Netherlands
.
Group D comprises Nepal, the Netherlands, Bangladesh,
South Africa
, and Sri Lanka. Gilchrist thinks that the young players on the Nepalese team under Rohit Paudel's leadership have become a strong force due to their exposure to the world stage.
Regarding the Netherlands, Gilchrist said that they've consistently been hard to beat in ICC competitions and that they want to take advantage of the few chances they get to play against elite teams.
"I think Nepal would be a team that might be able to fire a shot," Gilchrist told SEN Radio in Barbados on Saturday.
"They've got a couple of young players who have been in all the big leagues for a number of years now," he said.
Sandeep Lamichhane
, Nepal's star leg-spinner, has been shut out of the World Cup after his US visa application was denied a second time, dealing a serious blow to the country ahead of the competition.
In the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, the Dutch had shocked the Proteas, so Gilchrist thought they would be a formidable opponent.
"The Dutch always seem to ruffle a few feathers, they always seem to get under the skin, and they're drawn in the same pool as South Africa again. They nailed them in the T20 World Cup last time in Australia in Adelaide. So, it might be the Dutch," he said.
Using the USA's 2-1 victory over Bangladesh in a three-match Twenty20 series late last month as an example, Gilchrist said lesser-known cricket-playing countries are constantly seeking for ways to defeat more established teams.
"That's in a financial component where they get a little bit of a lick of the ice cream... but also just the experience. With the T20 format, that's the opportunity for these nations to come in and start trying to ruffle a few feathers but also bed down the cricket programs in their countries.
"Have a look at the results of the USA against Bangladesh in the last few weeks, the US have fired a few shots, they've beaten them a few times.
"It's about allowing them to get a platform and a chance to shine. Hopefully that firms up the cricket programs in more nations around the world," felt Gilchrist. Both the teams face each other on Tuesday to begin their campaign in the T20 global showpiece.
(With PTI inputs)
English (US) ·