Former Australian captain Michael Clarke has named defending champions India and his home side Australia, as the two finalists of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup. While India are two-time champions, the Aussies have managed to win it once.
The Australians are undoubtedly one of the most challenging oppositions in ICC tournaments, be it across any format of the game. However, the mighty Aussies have failed in keeping up with their reputation in the shortest format of the game.
On the contrary, the men in blue have made it to the knockouts of the ICC T20 World Cup several times and have also been crowned the champions twice, first in 2007 under MS Dhoni and then 17 years later in 2024 under captain Rohit Sharma.
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Michael Clarke picks two finalists for the ICC T20 World Cup
The ICC T20 World Cup is one of the most prestigious leagues in the shortest format of the game, and this will once again be played in the 2026 season. The tournament will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
The defending champions won the ICC T20 World Cup in 2024 in the United States of America and the Caribbean and will defend it in their own land. Suryakumar Yadav’s team will be looking for a razor-sharp focus in the upcoming tournament.
Michael Clarke, the former Australian skipper, has suggested that India and Australia will be the two finalists for the ICC event. His predictions seemed a bit audacious as he neglected the likes of England, New Zealand, and South Africa for a final spot.
When did Australia win the T20 World Cup title?
Australia last won the ICC T20 World Cup back in 2021, and it remains the only title the Aussies won in the ICC tournament. Under Aaron Finch’s leadership, Australia won the ICC title for the first time.
The last time India and Australia played in a World Cup final was during the ICC World Cup 2023, when Australia won their sixth title in the format. Recently, in the T20I series, Australia were crushed by a 2-1 defeat by the Indians.
India have been placed in the group A alongside Pakistan, USA, the Netherlands, and Namibia, while Australia have a relatively more challenging group as they are placed in Group B alongside Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Ireland, and Oman.
Clarke ridicules Pakistan, pointing towards India’s one-sided domination
Just ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup, when India and Pakistan are gearing up for another clash, and the fans are awaiting the much-anticipated contest, Michael Clarke has stunned Pakistan with a blunt statement.
Clarke highlighted the dominance of India in the T20 World Cups and how they have defeated them 6 times, with just one defeat.
“Everyone wants to see it tight. But India have outplayed them (PAK) over a long period of time. Pakistan have not even been close. Pakistan need to be able to deal with the pressure of playing India and that rivalry,” he said
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