T20 World Cup 2024: 3 teams that can be a dark horse in the marquee event

The ICC T20 World Cup 2024 is less than a month away and the entire world is excited about it. Happening in the US for the first time, and the fans are super excited to watch their own and favourite teams playing in front of them. This time 20 teams are taking part in the World Cup which will bring in more fun and opportunities for all the teams and the players as well. 

There are some new teams and some old teams who have played the marquee tournament earlier as well but haven't impressed anyone yet. However, this year the combinations of teams look quite different and sorted and hence, the expectations from them have increased as well. 

Let's discuss the three teams that can be a dark horse in the marquee event:

3. Netherlands 

The Netherlands team is in group D along with Bangladesh, Nepal, South Africa, and Sri Lanka. Moreover, considering their team and their past performances, seems like the Netherlands has a high chance of defeating the Sri Lanka and Nepal teams in the marquee event. They have included some young players in the squad who will be playing under an experienced captain, Scott Edwards. With Edwards, star all-rounder Bas de Leede emerges as a key player for the Dutch side who is versatile with both bat and ball. 

2. Ireland 

Led by Paul Sterling who is the most experienced player in the squad, Ireland is in group A alongside India, USA, Canada and Pakistan. Considering Ireland's team and their experience, they might beat the USA and Canada in the league stages. However, since the game is quite unpredictable, they might end up beating the two most dangerous teams, India and Pakistan. They might not have a strong team like others but if they show the correct intent in a T20 tournament, they might actually win more matches than expected. 

1. Bangladesh

Bangladesh is one of the strongest teams in the T20 format and it became stronger with the inclusion of players like Shakid-Al-Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, and many more. Playing alongside teams like Nepal, Netherlands, South Africa, and Sri Lanka, Bangladesh will definitely look to win matches against most of the teams. They have a strong bowling line-up along with some great all-rounders. Hence, their chances of winning more than just two games are quite high. Moreover, if they happen to beat the Proteas, they'll surely qualify for the Super 8.