The next few months are set to see some bumper action in the world of cricket, from England’s five-match test series against India to the latest iteration of the T20 World Cup.
This tournament, which was postponed last year in the wake of the coronavirus and eventually rearranged to commence on October 17th, 2021, will see hosts and pre-tournament favorites India strive to deliver a first international trophy for skipper Virat Kohli.
If you’re going to place a bet on the outcome of the tournament, you’d be advised to check out this list of free bet offers for Irish punters. We’ve also provided a preview of the tournament below, so you can hopefully make an informed decision:
Unsurprisingly, India (11/4) and England (4/1) are the two clear favorites to win the T20 World Cup, with both sides having built deep and diversely skilled squads of players.
India are certainly well-placed to end skipper Kohli’s 14-year wait for an international trophy, especially since the tournament was postponed for a second time during the summer and relocated to the sub-continent nation.
What’s more, several Indian stars (including Kohli, KL Rahul, and Rohit Sharma) will be competing when the similarly-delayed Indian Premier League (IPL) resumes in earnest on September 19th.
In fact, this tournament, which is now in its 14th iteration, will only conclude on October 15th, so the Indian side should be 100% match fit when the T20 World Cup commences just two days later.
Given this, and the continual struggles of England players when performing on the sub-continent in various formats of the game, it’s little wonder that the Indians are thought to have a distinct competitive advantage ahead of the World Cup.
Beyond these two sides, defending champions West Indies offer value from a betting perspective at around 8/1. While the current nation’s current T20 isn’t considered to be quite as good or powerful as it was when it prevailed in 2016, at least three or four players from that campaign are likely to remain in the upcoming squad.
What’s more, the addition of big-hitting batsmen like Evin Lewis and vice-captain Nicholas Pooran have arguably improved the top order, while left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein has also proven to be an exceptional performer in the T20 format.
The Windies will also fancy their chances of qualifying for the semi-finals from their Super 12 Group, which also includes England, Australia and an inconsistent (albeit talented) South Africa side as the seeded teams.
According to the current T20 rankings, Afghanistan are considered to be the seventh best side of the world, one place ahead of the much-vaunted West Indian side.
Despite this, however, the relative newcomers to cricket’s top table aren’t widely fancied by sportsbooks, with some pricing them as long as 66/1 and affording them longer odds than Bangladesh and Sri Lanka (both of whom are lower ranked and yet to formally qualify for the tournament).
Make no mistake; however, Afghanistan will be the dark horses in Group 2 of the Super 12 stage, despite the presence of talented sides such as India, Pakistan and New Zealand.
Certainly, Afghanistan boasts two of the best limited-over bowlers in the world in the form of captain and highly-skilled leg-spinner Rashid Khan and off-spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman. The skills of these bowlers are also highly suited Indian conditions, so this tightly knit unit could perform well enough to claim a coveted semi-final place.
If you want further convincing, it should be noted that Afghanistan was the only side to beat eventual winners West Indies during the previous iteration of the T20 World Cup, so they have the ability to beat any team on their day.
The Last Word
If you’re going to wager on Afghanistan to win the World Cup, we’d recommend leveraging a free bet from a sportsbook where possible. The most common type of free bet is awarded when you register with a sportsbook, as you make an initial deposit, place your first wager up to a specified value and claim your prize.
Conversely, you may be offered a risk-free bet, which requires an initial stake that will be fully repaid if the wager goes onto lose. The stake is usually returned in the form of bonus cash, but it’s an excellent way of backing outsiders in tournaments such as the World Cup.
The utilisation of free bets also enables you to cover more betting selections at a particular event or tournament, increasing your chances of winning in the process.
So, why not check out your options now and consider the best betting markets in relation to the T20 World Cup?
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