Wasim Akram reveals his T20 World Cup 2026 semifinalists (Source: @samira_ahmed111/x.com)
The World Cup excitement is coming back to the cricket world as the T20 World Cup 2026 is not even a month away. As the preparations are already in full swing, the cricket world has already started picking up its favorites.
Even before the tournament hits the big stage, predictions are flying thick and fast, with fans and former greats already locking in their top four. Adding to this, former Pakistani bowler Wasim Akram’s pick of the top four sides grabbed the attention.
Wasim Akram reveals his T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final picks
After a long two-year wait, the T20 World Cup is finally back, and the excitement has doubled for fans across India and Sri Lanka as they are hosting the tournament together.
Even with a few days left for the tournament, fans are already backing their sides, and even the cricket greats are picking their own favorites. In that situation, Wasim Akram came with his own favorites.
In an interaction, the Pakistani bowling legend named his own T20 World Cup 2026 semifinalists. While a few big names missed out, the bold choices have sparked plenty of buzz and once again underlined Wasim Akram’s sharp cricketing mind.
Naming the top four of the marquee event, he named India, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand. What made it even more intriguing was the reminder that India and South Africa faced off in the 2024 T20 World Cup final, while Australia and New Zealand failed to make the semi-finals.
Akram makes a tough call by excluding Pakistan
Wasim Akram’s pick must have turned heads, but the biggest surprise came when he omitted Pakistan from the top four list of the upcoming tournament. Given Pakistan’s long-standing struggles on the big stage in recent years, Akram’s bold call only reinforces the growing concern around their big-tournament form.
In the last edition of the tournament, the Men in Green dealt with their woes. With two wins and two losses from four matches, Pakistan finished third in Group A on four points, falling short of a semi-final spot. As the next edition is commencing soon, the Pakistani side will be looking forward to ending their struggle in the ICC tournaments.
Akram’s top four could turn into real semi-finalists
As the tournament is commencing on February 7, teams are just taking their preparations to the next level. Among the buzz, Wasim Akram’s top-four picks are looking like strong contenders for the semi-finals. India, in particular, is riding high after their Asia Cup triumph and a stellar performance against South Africa, making them a team to watch closely.
On the other hand, South Africa ended up as the runners-up for the last edition of the tournament, and recently, after the T20I series defeat vs India, they will be looking forward to a dramatic turnaround. Meanwhile, Australia, who missed out on a top-four finish previously, will be determined to overcome past disappointments and make a strong push in the upcoming tournament.
Akram also picked New Zealand as one of his semifinal picks, and the Kiwis will get a final chance to fine-tune their T20 World Cup preparation in the five-match T20I series against India this month. They are yet to lift their maiden T20 World Cup trophy, and with a powerful squad, they will be looking forward to a dreamy triumph.
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.jpg?type=mq "Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma felicitated")
.jpg?type=mq "Toss delayed")
