Host nation India backed by punters for 2016 T20 World Cup

JUST like major domestic tournaments such as the Big Bash and the Indian Premier League, the ICC World Twenty20 is a haven for punters who love a good future bet.

The next edition will kick off in March this year in India, where cricket’s best limited-overs players will trade their franchise strips for national colours and duke it out over four action-packed weeks.

With less than two months to go, let’s see how the markets are shaping up at our trusted T20 cricket betting sites.

2016 World Twenty20 outright betting

On home soil, where they won the 50-over Cricket World Cup in 2011, India ($4.25 at CrownBet) are the unsurprising frontrunners in the World T20 futures betting.

That favouritism is not reflected in the current ICC rankings, where the Indians sit eighth – lower than all Test-playing nations except Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

Australia ($4.80) are well liked to win their first title, even though they failed to pass the group phase at the 2014 tournament, while South Africa ($5.50), England ($6.50) and New Zealand ($7.50) round out the top five contenders.

West Indies ($9) loom on the fringe of the favourites, despite being the top-ranked Twenty20 nation, along with Pakistan ($10) and defending champions Sri Lanka ($11).

The biennial dark horse, Bangladesh ($34), heads up the best of the rest.

T20 World Cup odds:

India – $4.25

Australia – $4.80

South Africa – $5.50

England – $6.50

New Zealand – $7.50

West Indies – $9

Pakistan – $10

Sri Lanka – $11

Bangladesh – $34

Ireland, Zimbabwe – $251

Afghanistan, Netherlands – $501

Scotland – $1001

Hong Kong, Oman – $2501

Odds provided by www.CrownBet.com

T20 World Cup top batsman futures

It’s no surprise whatsoever to see South Africa’s AB de Villiers ($10 at Sportsbet) at the head of the top run-scorer betting.

He is joined there by the Australian pair of Steve Smith and David Warner, just ahead of India superstar Virat Kohli ($11) – the leading batsman at the 2014 World T20 tourney in Bangladesh.

Online bookmakers also rate New Zealand’s Kane Williamson ($13) as a likely candidate, alongside Rohit Sharma – the only man to score two ODI double-centuries.

Chris Gayle and Joe Root (both $15) are the top prospects for the West Indies and England respectively, Tillakaratne Dilshan ($19) is Sri Lanka’s best bet, and Mohammed Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad (both $26) are well liked for Pakistan.

AB de Villiers (SAF), Steve Smith (AUS), David Warner (AUS) – $10

Virat Kohli (IND) – $11

Rohit Sharma (IND), Kane Williamson (NZ) – $13

Shikhar Dhawan (IND), Chris Gayle (WI), Joe Root (ENG) – $15

Martin Guptill (NZ) – $17

Aaron Finch (AUS) – $18

Hashim Amla (SAF), Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL), Yuvraj Singh (IND) – $19

Johnson Charles (WI), Mohammed Hafeez (PAK), Ahmed Shehzad (PAK), James Vince (ENG) – $26

Moeen Ali (ENG), Quinton de Kock (SAF), Andre Fletcher (WI), Danushka Gunathilaka (SL), Alex Hales (ENG), Colin Munro (NZ) – $34

Angelo Mathews (SL), Rafatullah Mohmand (PAK), Ross Taylor (NZ) – $41

Sarfraz Ahmed (PAK), JP Duminy (SAF) – $51

MS Dhoni (IND), Eoin Morgan (ENG), Suresh Raina (IND), Marlon Samuels (WI) – $67

Glenn Maxwell (AUS), David Miller (SAF) – $101

Milinda Siriwardana (SL), Jos Buttler (ENG) – $151

Corey Anderson (NZ), Dinesh Chandimal (SL) – $167

Shahid Afridi (PAK), Umar Akmal (PAK), Sam Billings (ENG), David Willey (ENG) – $267

Grant Elliot (NZ), Kieron Pollard (WI), Luke Ronchi (NZ), Andre Russell (WI) – $326

Odds provided by www.Sportsbet.com

Official ICC T20I team rankings

1. West Indies – 118 (19 matches, 2249 points)

2. Australia – 118 (17 matches, 2006 points)

3. Sri Lanka – 118 (19 matches, 2242 points)

4. England – 117 (20 matches, 2330 points)

5. South Africa – 115 (25 matches, 2879 points)

6. Pakistan – 114 (27 matches, 3085 points)

7. New Zealand – 114 (21 matches, 2393 points)

8. India – 110 (14 matches, 1537 points)

9. Afghanistan – 80 (19 matches, 1513 points)

10. Bangladesh – 69 (12 matches, 831 points)

11. Scotland – 66 (10 matches, 661 points)

12. Hong Kong – 61 (11 matches, 675 points)

13. Netherlands – 61 (14 matches, 859 points)

14. Zimbabwe – 50 (18 matches, 907 points)

15. Ireland – 41 (10 matches, 422 points)

Check out the full range of 2016 Twenty20 World Cup futures markets at Sportsbet.com.au