T20 World Cup: Final Predictions and Betting Tips

After 44 matches played, New Zealand and Australia are the two teams standing and they will face off in the #T20WorldCup Final on Sunday in Dubai. Ongama Gcwabe previews and predicts who will be T20I Champions between the Aussies and Kiwis.

Setting The Scene

Both teams have never won a T20 World Cup before, Australia will feature in their second T20 World Cup final in the history of the format and New Zealand will feature for the first in a T20 World Cup Final.

The positive thing for New Zealand in this World Cup since the semis is that they are facing teams who have successfully stopped them from winning an ICC event, England in 2019 and Australia in 2015.

They’ve levelled the scores with England when they eliminated them in the first semifinal this past Wednesday, and they have an opportunity to defeat Australia in a final and level the score against them having lost the 2015 World Cup to them in Australia.

But the Aussies have always been a good team, particularly in World Cups. They are by far the most successful team as far as winning World Cups is concerned. Yes, it is not the Aussie teams of the past in terms of experience and achievements, but the sense of pride and confidence always carries over to the new generation of players.

They have quality T20 players who have done great things all over the world in T20 cricket, they just need a T20 World Cup title to make them one of the best to have played the shortest format of the game. David Warner, Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Finch, and Steven Smith are those players.

Having beaten the hottest team in the tournament by five wickets in the second semifinal, the Australians are high in confidence heading into this Final.

Head To Head Stats

For New Zealand, Trent Boult has picked up 11 wickets in five matches & sits third in the top-wicket takers behind Adam Zampa and De Silva. Martin Guptill has a top score of 93 at this World Cup and he features in the top 10 of top-run scorers at this WC.

For England, Jos Butler is the only player to score a century at this WC with his unbeaten 101. He sits second on the leaderboard of top run-scorers. Adil Rashid’s 8 wickets make him England’s leading wicket-taker in this edition of the tournament thus far.

Head-To-Head Stats in T20 WC

New Zealand has won the one T20 World Cup match they have played against Australia in a T20 World Cup. In T20Is, Australia have won 9 matches while New Zealand have won 5 matches against Australia. Australia have a highest score of 245 runs in T20I cricket, and that came against the Black Caps. While New Zealand have a highest total of 243 runs they have scored against Australia in T20I.

Martin Guptill has enjoyed a successful T20I career against Australia that includes over 400 runs with one of his T20I centuries coming up against Australia. Top-order batter, Devon Conway’s highest T20I score of 99 not-out came up against Australia. Semifinal hero Jimmy Neesham has a staggering career T20I strike of exactly 200 against Australia.

New Zealand Probable XI

1. Martin Guptill
2. Daryl Mitchell
3. Kane Williamson
4. Devon Conway
5. Glenn Philips
6. James Neesham
7. Mitchell Santner
8. Trent Boult
9. Tim Southee
10. Adam Milne
11. Ish Sodhi

NZ Impact Players:

1. Trent Boult
2. James Neesham
3. Kane Williamson

Australia Probable XI

1. Aaron Finch
2. David Warner
3. Mitchell Marsh
4. Steven Smith
5. Glenn Maxwell
6. Mathew Wade
7. Marcus Stoinis
8. Pat Cummins
9. Adam Zampa
10. Mitchell Starc
11. Josh Hazlewood

Aussie Impact Players:

1. Mitchell Marsh
2. Glenn Maxwell
3. Mitchell Starc

Match Verdict

New Zealand to win. The Blackcaps have a great team that has been involved in the Finals of every ICC tournament since the loss to Australia in the Final in 2015 in Australia.

Because of this, the Kiwis have a lot of experience in the Finals of ICC events. They are more familiar with the pressure, with the disappointments and excitements of a final. I think this point give them the upper hand in the encounter and thus they will win their first T20 World Cup title in the history of the shortest format of the game.

Match Suggested Best Bets

Suggested Bet: T Boult to be NZ top bowler

Value Bet: K Williamson to score 50+ runs

Value Bet: J Neesham to be Man of the Match

BET Contributor