It is Super 8 time at the T20 World Cup and it promises to be an enthralling battle for glory between the remaining eight teams.
Twenty teams have been whittled down to eight as the T20 World Cup reaches the Super 8 stage, with the top two from Groups 1 and 2 making it through to the semi-finals.
Joint-hosts India are joined in Group 1 by South Africa, the West Indies and Zimbabwe, who have been the surprise package after seeing off Australia along the way to qualify for this stage of the tournament.
As for the other joint-hosts, Sri Lanka, they have also safely made it into Group 2, where they will take on England, New Zealand and Pakistan for a place in the last four.
T20 World Cup Super 8 Tips
India hard to look past
With India being joint-hosts for the World Cup, they were always going to be a force to be reckoned with in favoured home conditions and that has proven to be the case so far, with the reigning champions winning all four Group A matches.
India haven’t really been tested by any of Pakistan, the United States, the Netherlands or Namibia and not every player in the team has hit peak performance yet, which is a worry to the other seven teams vying for glory.
Abhishek Sharma, the number one ranked T20 batter in the world, has been out for a duck three times and made an unbeaten 24 against the Proteas, but you would expect him to get things right sooner rather than later and he could be a huge danger from here onwards.
Varun Chakravarthy has impressed with the ball, taking nine wickets to sit second in the bowling charts, while he has been ably supported by Axar Patel (6), Jasprit Bumrah (4) and Hardik Pandya (5).
India are yet to get out of second gear and they have all the quality required to become the first nation to successfully defend their T20 crown.
T20 World Cup Super 8s Tip 1: India to win the T20 World Cup @ 6/5
Pakistan can catch fire
While winning the tournament could be a stretch for Pakistan, they do look capable of topping Group 2 and securing their place in the semi-finals.
England have not convinced in reaching the Super 8s and are easy to swerve in the Group 2 winner market, while Sri Lanka were beaten by six wickets against Zimbabwe last time out and they last made the semi-finals when going on to lift the trophy in 2014.
New Zealand are arguably the most dangerous team Pakistan will face, but the Black Caps were pushed by Afghanistan in their opener and were comfortably beaten by the Proteas to suggest they have things to work on.
Pakistan have the top run-scorer in the tournament in the shape of Sahibzada Farhan, who has amassed 220, while Usman Tariq has shown his bowling qualities with eight wickets.
The Falcons have a habit of turning up when it really matters, having made it to at least the semi-finals in six of the nine T20 World Cups, and they can do so again here as Group 2 winners.
T20 World Cup Super 8s Tip 2: Group 2 Winner – Pakistan @ 7/2
