The T20 Cricket World Cup – Our Detailed Betting Guide

Posted by Harry Kane on Tuesday, January 23, 2024

It was only in November that the 2023 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup came to its conclusion, with Australian stunning India with a brilliant six-wicket win at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

However, the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is now less than four months away, with this set to be the ninth renewal of a competition that was inaugurated in South Africa in 2007. But when exactly is the iteration, and which teams are most likely to prevail and achieve the ultimate glory?

When and Where is the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup?

The 2024 will see the ninth iteration of the T20 World Cup contested. This is scheduled to take place between June 4th and June 30th, while the West Indies and the United States will assume joint hosting duties. Nine venues will host matches in total, including six in the Caribbean and three in the US states of Texas, New York and Florida.

A total of 20 teams will compete this year, up from 16 in 2022 and 12 from the first iteration 17 years ago. Because of this, a number of emerging cricketing nations will make their T20 World Cup debut in 2024, including Nepal, Oman and Papua New Guinea. Co-hosts the United States will also compete for the first time, while Canada have also qualified alongside their North American rivals!

The T20 World Cup – A Brief History

When the tournament was inaugurated 17 years ago in 2007, 12 teams competed in South Africa, with India eventually prevailing as the winners. This was India’s only ever T20 WC triumph to date, however, although they did finish as runners’ up in Bangladesh in 2014 and will be among the favourites to prevail in North and Central America.

Interestingly, only two nations have won the competition more than once since its inauguration, namely the West Indies (in 2012 and 2016) and England (in 2010 and last time out in 2022). Other winners include Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Australia, with the Aussies prevailing in the UAE in the seventh renewal of the competition in 2021.

With the competition expanding to incorporate 20 teams, the format will also change in 2024. More specifically, it will feature an initial group stage and round robin format, including four separate groups of five teams. The nations in each group will play against one another, with the top two qualifying and progressing to the ‘Super 8s’ stage.

This stage comprises two different groups and adopt a similar round-robin format. At the end of this stage, the top two sides in each group will advance to a knockout stage, which commences with the semi-finals in Trinidad and Guyana on June 27th and June 28th. The final will follow on June 30th at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, after which the next T20 World Cup winner will be crowned.

Who Are the Favourites to Win the 2024 T20 World Cup?

Now that we understand the tournament format and backdrop, it’s important to review the latest odds and nations that are considered to be favourites. Obviously, the usual suspects will be favoured to prevail in the Americas, including perennial contenders India, defending champions England and 2021 winners Australia. Here’s a glance at the latest odds and analysis of the tournament favourites.

India – 5/2

Fans would have expected India’s inaugural T20 triumph to be the first of many such wins, but the nation has been frustrated in this format ever since. This is despite boasting an incredibly talented squad of limited overs players, and reaching the final again in 2014 (where they were defeated by Sri Lanka).

However, they’re currently < strong>the number one ranked T20 side in the world, while they boast the best batsman in the format in the form of aggressive stroke maker Suryakumar Yadav. Yadav has struck 2,141 T20 runs in 60 matches at an average of 45.55, while plundering four centuries and a top score of 117. His strike rate of 171.55 is also highly impressive given the weight of runs he has scored.

India also boasts one of the format’s best all-rounders in Hardik Pandya, who averages 25.43 with the bat from a total of 92 matches. He also taken 73 wickets at 26.71, while his economy rate of 8.16 isn’t bad for an aggressive bowler with a knack of getting batsmen out at the most opportune times.

With 22-year-old batting sensation Yashasvi Jaiswal also primed for an exceptional World Cup (he already has 502 T20 runs from just 17 matches), India boasts the individual quality with bat and ball to prevail. The side should also fare well in the prevailing conditions in the Americas, with their superb combination of probing quicks and wily spinners.

England – 4/1

The Three Lions stumbled and stuttered in the defence of their ICC ODI World Cup at the back end of 2023, losing six of their first seven matches and becoming the first nation to be eliminated. This marked the end of an era for England’s limited overs side, after they won the 2019 ICC ODI World Cup and 2022 T20 World Cup.

However, England remain the third-ranked T20 team in the world, while they retain the services of brilliant all-rounder Sam Curran, skilful spinner Adil Rashid and the destructive Jos Buttler at the top of the order. The latter has struck 2,927 runs in his 114 T20 matches to date, while averaging 34.84 and scoring at an impressive strike rate of 144.61.

New players have also joined the fold, in the form of pace bowler Gus Atkinson, aggressive opener Phil Salt and John Turner. The aggressive middle order batsman Harry Brook is also making his presence felt in ODI and T20 formats, so England retain some exceptional individual quality and squad depth.

The conditions shouldn’t prove too harrowing for England, especially if pace bowler Joffra Archer is also fit to play some part in the tournament. Sure, the side could face further transition and adjustments in the coming months, but the Three Lions will be keen to defend their title in the Americas.

Australia – 4/1

The Australians are the kings of global cricket at present, having been crowned as the World Test Championship winners and emerged victorious at the end of the 2023 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup. Still, despite also winning the T20 World Cup in 2022, they’re not as dominant in the shortest format of the game, and currently find themselves ranked fourth in the ICC rankings.

One thing that cannot be disputed is the Australian’s immense confidence and winning mentality, which sees them raise their game and level of performance during major tournaments and in clutch moments. Certainly, they were second favourites to win the 2023 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup in front of 130,000 impassioned Indian spectators in Ahmedabad, but romped home thanks to some controlled bowling and an incredibly powerful batting display.

Like India and England, they’re also blessed with immense individual quality, especially in the bowling department. Take Adam Zampa, for example, who’s ranked as the 11th-best T20 bowler in the world, and seamer Josh Hazlewood, who typically excels in all formats of the game and will relish the potentially pacy pitches in the Windies.

Then there’s Glenn Maxwell, with the ‘Big Show’ being central to the Aussies’ WC triumph in India last Autumn. In fact, he struck 400 runs in nine innings at an average of 66.66, while his breathtaking 201 not out against Afghanistan came from a perilous position of 91-7 and with the batsman suffering from intense cramping in the stifling conditions. It’s widely considered to be the best ODI innings of all time.

Betting Tips and Insights for the 2024 T20 World Cup

At this stage, we have a clear insight into the tournament favourites and most likely winners in the eyes of bookmakers. However, wagering on this type of tournament unlocks a vast and diverse array of betting markets, and it can be challenging to successfully navigate these while also achieving a viable profit. Here are some betting tips to get you started!

#1. Back More Than One Potential Winner

If you invest in disciplined bankroll management, you may have a finite amount of cash to bet on the 2024 T20 World Cup. This may include some provision for outright wagering, which requires you to pick one or more potential winners of the tournament. Ideally, you should back more than one winner, so long as you distribute your stake money strategically and optimise your chances of making a profit.

For example, if you had £10 to wager on outright betting markets, you could consider backing ODI world champions Australia and betting favourites India with stakes of £4 each. Then, consider picking an outside contender and staking the remaining £2 on them to win, with two-time winners and co-hosts the West Indies particularly appealing at odds of around 12/1. This works out as follows:

• – Back India at 5/2 – £4 winning stake earns £10 profit and a total return of £14
• – Back Australia at 4/1 – £4 winning stake earns £16 profit and a total return of £20
• – Back Windies at 12/1 – £2 winning stake earns £24 profit and a total return of £26

As you can see, you’ll receive some form of return on your £10 wager if any of these wagers are successful, so you’re covering more potential outcomes and minimising your risk of loss without overly compromising on your winnings. Just remember to wager as early as you can, as this tends to unlock the best and most competitive outright odds.

#2. Consider Player Prop Markets

Prop markets can also unlock significant and highly competitive odds, while they relate to specific team and player performances that don’t impact directly on the outcome of a particular match. Player prop betting can be particularly lucrative, especially if you have knowledge of the competing sides and their best performers.

For example, the aforementioned Suryakumar Yadav is an excellent bet to be top run-scorer, especially given his demonstrably high strike rate and the fact that he could well open for India in the T20 World Cup. India are also expected to progress deep into the tournament, so Yadav will play ample games and will have the chance to score a huge number of runs.

From a bowling perspective, Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan is always an exceptional contender to be the top bowler in the T20 World Cup. In his 82 matches in this format, he has taken 130 wickets at an average of 14.80, while his economy rate of 6.16 is incredible given the nature of the game and the aggression with which batting sides play.

You can use the T20 rankings and similar datasets to identify the best team and player prop picks, while also analysing the draw to ensure that you back the nations and individuals who are likely to progress furthest in the competition.

#3. Use Handicap Betting Early on in the Tournament

The format of the 2024 tournament will create several potential mismatches during the group stages, such as Australia vs Oman (on June 5th), New Zealand vs Papua New Guinea (June 17th) and India v Canada (June 15th). These matches may offer an opportunity for handicap betting, through which you put short betting favourites at a virtual disadvantage and subsequently wager at enhanced odds.

For example, if the Aussies bat first against Oman, you could back them to win with a handicap of –40.5 runs. Conversely, if they bat second and half to chase, you could wager on them to prevail with a handicap of –6.5 wickets. In these instances, they’ll need to win by 41 runs or seven wickets or more for your wager to be successful, but this enables you to pursue much higher returns.

The key with handicap betting is to be selective when targeting games, while setting the handicap to reflect the perceived difference between two competing sides. Ideally, you should also avoid handicap betting later in the tournament, when the best teams remain and are likely to be more evenly matched.