No country has ever successfully defended the T20 World Cup. Are Jos Buttler’s England poised to become the first?
To Win Outright - 9/2
To Reach the Final - 11/5
Not to Reach the Final - 4/11
To Win Group - EVS
When England beat Pakistan at the MCG in 2022 to lift the T20 World Cup, they were making history.
Three years after their dramatic defeat of New Zealand at Lord’s to win the 50-over Cricket World Cup, the Three Lions were now the first country to hold both white-ball trophies at the same time.
They’ve since relinquished their grip on that World Cup as the Australians triumphed in India last autumn.
But once derided as timid white-ball no-hopers, England now head to the Caribbean and United States as a winning force in the short-format game - and the rest of the world knows it.
They are 9/2 to go back-to-back at the T20 World Cup and there are plenty of wise owls who reckon they are a very decent bet.
England’s shocking World Cup campaign last autumn left a scar which is still healing but should in no way be used as a stick to beat the T20 set-up with.
England were awful in India, winning just three of nine matches and barely even qualifying for the 2025 Champions Trophy. Pitiful defeats to the likes of Afghanistan and Sri Lanka were the low points of a dismal campaign.
They were never at home in the conditions, lost key bowler Reece Topley to injury and looked drained of confidence against teams who were playing 50-over cricket that much better than them.
But T20 is a completely different format with entirely different skillsets and the general consensus is that England have almost the perfect squad for the occasion.
When Ben Stokes, England’s Test captain and superhero of the Bazball era, declared he didn’t want to be considered for this competition, there were many who wondered quite how much of a setback it would be.
Now, when you look at the names who will fill the top six, you question whether he would even have got into the side.
There probably isn’t a more explosive top five or six in the game right now, so strong that even Jonny Bairstow isn’t guaranteed a place in it.
Phil Salt and Jos Buttler look set to open, Will Jacks has nailed down the No.3 berth followed by Ben Duckett (or Bairstow), Harry Brook and, if fit, Liam Livingstone at six. It’s an outrageously gifted group of fearsome and fearless big-hitters, all of whom can clear the ropes for fun and all with more than enough IPL and international experience to suggest they can embrace the occasion.
Stokes would not have automatically walked into that top six. England’s T20 new order has evolved without him and it is a frighteningly gifted line-up which can set 200-plus targets at will and would back itself to chase down any score.
While Stokes’ days as a T20 international are probably over, faith has been placed once again in Jofra Archer, back from an injury nightmare and apparently bowling as fast as ever.
T20 as a format is made for Archer. He only needs to put his suspect body through four overs at a time, can bowl up front or at the death - or both - and will send down missiles at pace.
It’s X-factor stuff in a format where few pace bowlers fare well. Jasprit Bumrah is probably the only comparable seam bowler, someone who can take the initiative away from the batters at any stage of an innings.
England have dispensed with the likes of Mark Wood and Chris Woakes, seasoned and wily white-ball exponents, and just need to keep Archer fit.
Topley is the other real point of difference in the seam bowling being a left-hander and his performances before injury at last year’s World Cup demonstrate what a canny operator he can be.
Leg-spinner Adil Rashid, an absolute veteran these days, should benefit in the conditions while other spin options come in the form of Livingstone, Jacks and a reborn Moeen Ali, the latter three all ensuring that England can therefore bat deeper than most, down to at least eight or nine.
England are EVS to win Group B which is a coin toss with Australia. Scotland, Oman and Namibia make up the numbers and shouldn’t be able to live with the Ashes powers.
Whether group winner or runner-up, the next stage - the Super 8s - will be far more demanding.
And that’s where experience becomes invaluable; where knowing how to get over the line, how to win these tournaments, becomes a major asset.
And as we know from two years ago in Australia, a winning mentality is very definitely in the England locker. And that could count for plenty in the Caribbean.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.