The T20 World Cup 2022 will start on October 16 in Australia where Aaron Finch’s side will aim to become the first team to successfully defend their title. Having won the tournament for the first time last year in the UAE, Australia will start as firm favourites with a similar unit, and only have gotten stronger with the inclusion of Tim David.
Talking about the Australian conditions for the T20 World Cup 2022 – obviously, pacers will have more say than the spinners, but the presence of a high-quality spinner could be the x-factor in deciding the outcome of the game.
Today, we look at the top 3 spinners who will display their elite skillset in the T20 World Cup 2022:
Wanindu Hasaranga
Wanindu Hasaranga has taken world cricket by storm in the last couple of years in T20 cricket. His upward trajectory in the shortest format has been sensational. Since January 2021, Wanindu Hasaranga has taken 55 wickets in 31 T20I matches for Sri Lanka, including finishing as the leading wicket-taker in last year’s T20 WC in the UAE with 16 scalps at a stunning average of just 9.
RCB splurged out over 10 crores for the Sri Lankan, who repaid the money by taking 26 wickets – the second-highest – in the IPL 2022. In the Asia Cup 2022 recently, Wanindu Hasaranga finished with 9 wickets, plus a score of 36 in the final. He’s been Sri Lanka’s torch bearer in T20 leagues in recent years and he will be their x-factor in the T20 World Cup 2022.
Adam Zampa
Australia’s bowling revolved around leg-spinner Adam Zampa in last year’s T20 WC in the UAE where Aaron Finch’s side won their maiden T20 world title. Currently ranked 4th in ICC T20I bowling rankings, Adam Zampa was magnificent with the ball in the tournament in UAE last year – finishing with 13 wickets, including a five-wicket haul, at a terrific bowling average of 12 and economy of 5.81 – so much that the eventual Man of the Tournament, David Warner, said that he’d thought Zampa should have been given the award.
The 30-year-old has taken 32 T20I scalps since last year. And in the Australian conditions where pacers will be more in action than spinners, Adam Zampa will have the edge over other spinners in the world with his experience of the home conditions and pitches, in the T20 World Cup 2022.
Rashid Khan
The most sought-after T20 spinner in the world, Rashid Khan will once again be Afghanistan’s main man and their global superstar, who has, at the age of 23, already featured in 350 T20s taking 480 wickets in all conditions as a globetrotter.
Afghanistan’s T20 team looks the best they have ever been with many of their players having decent experience of the format and playing fearless cricket.
Only a few months ago, Rashid Khan won the IPL with Gujarat Titans. He’s one of the finest operators of the googly which has outdone even the best in the world. His previous experience of playing in the BBL in Australia will come in handy when he takes the centre stage next month.
