T20 World Cup, Australia vs England: Top Three Key Batters and Bowlers to Watch For

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In the 17th Match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, Australia and England, two former champions, will face each other at Kensington Oval in Barbados On Saturday (June 8).

England had won this title two times in the past and Australia had done the same once. These two arch-rivals had met 21 times in T20 cricket and England got the edge by the slightest margin with an 11-10 winning ratio. In the T20 World Cup also the English team had the advantage as they won two out of three games.

Both the teams have played one match each so far in this tournament. Australia defeated Oman by 39 runs in their first match, while England had a piece of bitter luck in the match against Scotland, as the match got abandoned due to washout. Any further slip-up from the defending champions could complicate their journey in this World Cup.

T20 World Cup, Australia vs England: Top Three Key Batters

Travis Head (Australia): The left-handed Aussie batter has been in great form recently. Head has 668 runs in 26 innings with a strike rate of 146.5. In the last IPL, the Australian has been excellent throughout the season. His explosive batting in powerplay will be crucial against England.

Jos Buttler (England): The English opener has scored 799 runs in 27 innings in T20 World Cups. Buttler has 3050 runs in T20 cricket and against Australia he got some boasting statistics. He has scored 542 runs in just 15 innings against the Baggy Greens. He will be a key player in the powerplay for the Three Lions.

Philip Salt (England): The young English wicketkeeper-batter has been a key player for the champions of the recent IPL. His ability as a destructive opener along with Jos Buttler, is a formidable pair in this World Cup. Salt has registered 697 runs in just 22 matches with an impressive strike rate.

T20 World Cup, Australia vs England: Top Three Key Bowlers

Pat Cummins (Australia): the 31-year-old Aussie skipper has led his country to become champion in the other two formats of cricket, this time this seasoned right-arm fast bowler will try to continue his fairytale in the ICC tournaments. Cummins has 57 wickets in 52 matches, and he will be vital in the early overs to contain the English opening pair.

Adam Zampa (Australia): With 94 wickets in 80 matches Zampa is going to play a vital role in the middle overs in the slow pitches of West Indies. His economic right-arm leg spin would be a good matchup against Bairstow and Will Jacks in the post-powerplay overs.

Jofra Archer (England): The 29-year-old right-arm fast bowler has 21 wickets in 18 T20Is with a decent economy rate. Archer’s speed and bounce will be pivotal against the Australian opening pair and also in the death overs.

The pitch at Kensington Oval is expected to help the pacers. Given the matches in the recent past, a moderately high-scoring match can be expected. On paper, the Australian team has more balance than the defending champions. England lacked the similar depth in bowling that they have in batting. On the other hand, the Baggy Greens have the perfect blend of talents and experience in both departments. Hence, a fearsome battle would be expected from these two arch-rivals.