Cricket World Cup 2019 Predictions and The Most Impactful Players to Watch Out for in IPL Season 12

Sentiments and enthusiasm run high amongst the cricket fans all over the world when mega events are just around the corner. With the 12^th edition of the mega-popular Indian Premier League and the ICC Cricket Word Cup 2019 tournament scheduled in March and May respectively, the madness and frenzy amongst the fans is soaring to an all-time high. Every cricket fan all across the globe is eagerly waiting to witness a spectacle unparalleled in the coming months.

The Doctor’s Advice is in – Cricket Fever is at its Peak!

Personally, major cricket tournaments bring my life to a standstill. Whether I’m at office or outdoors, I’m always scrambling to get the latest cricket live scores on my phone or laptop. Such is the unprecedented impact the game has on my life, and I’m sure millions of you as well.

IPL has carved a niche for itself as one of the best Twenty20 leagues in the world and is highly followed around the world. With the top cricketers of the world coming together in the Indian subcontinent, there is no way one would want to miss out this gala performance. Magic and madness are waiting to be unleashed soon in the form of IPL 2019 which will serve as a crucial tuning-up exercise for the World Cup tournament.  

Cricket World Cup 2019

The Cricket World Cup 2019 is slated to commence on 30^th May 2019 and ten teams would compete with each other for the coveted title with all their might. England and Wales jointly host this year’s action-packed tournament. The opening match of the tournament will be held between England and South Africa, and the closing match would be held at the spiritual home of cricket, The Lords.

With lot of speculations amongst fans as to who would bag the trophy, here is a look at the top five teams with the best chances of winning the tournament. Be sure to catch the live cricket scores at a television or smartphone near you to not miss the greatest tourney in the cricketing world.

Nations with the Best Chance to Win the World Cup

1. South Africa

The South African team has produced legends like Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock and Jacques Kallis. Despite this, the Proteas have failed to emerge as champions in the previous World Cup tournaments. They have never lacked any attribute to be a successful side and have been match winners up to the semi-finals, as we saw them in the 1992, 1999, 2007 & 2015 cup tournaments.

The 2019 World Cup presents a massive opportunity for them to emerge finally as the champion side. Currently, the team is in great form. The batting order has JP Duminy, Hashim Amla and Aiden Markaram who have the potential to destroy any opponent’s bowling unit. Their pace bowlers Chris Morris, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi enjoy bowling in English conditions. Other teams should definitely look out for this boisterous team!

2. Australia

Australia will be defending the prestigious cup it has managed to snatch on five occasions. Though the team currently is going through an awful phase, they still are one of the top teams who could easily steal the show, as they just showcased their talent by winning the ODI Series against India 3-2.

The bowling unit has Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc who can easily blow any batting unit on England pitches. The return of David Warner and Steve Smith will surely strengthen the inexperienced batting unit that has been struggling for a while.   

3. India

India arguably has the most balanced side. The Men in Blue showed their gutsy side by winning both the Test and ODI series against Australia, becoming the first touring Indian team to win a Test series on Australian soil. There’s no doubt that they’re one of the strong contenders for the 2019 World Cup tournament.

The batting unit has the skipper Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma in their prime forms. The wrist spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav have proved their mettle already. The pace attack by the all-rounder Hardik Pandya, Kedar Jadhav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah looks quite promising. The continuous winning experience provides an added advantage to the Indian team this tournament.

4. England

England has never won the 50-overs World Cup Tournament despite being a reasonably solid team in the ten editions of the tournament. Maybe, this year, they will manage to lift the coveted trophy because of the phenomenal form the team is in. The English team is currently the top ranked team in the ODIs, and it has the exceptional batting depth to chase any score. The skipper Morgan, Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root are in sublime form. Moreover, they have the additional advantage of playing in their home conditions

New Zealand – An Outside chance

Despite being a great team, New Zealand has not been very lucky in the World Cup tournaments. The Kiwis have an excellent batting and bowling line up. They managed to reach semi-finals in the World Cup tournament once and are also doing great in shorter formats. Kane Williamson and his captaincy is something to watch out for in the mega event slated to kick off in May 2019

IPL 2019 – The Flavour of the Season

IPL 2019 offers us a glimpse of the great cricketing action we’re bound to witness at the World Cup. Players would love to use this platform to springboard onto the mega tournament with superb form. A tourney where fortunes can change in just an over, fans would not want to take their eyes off of live IPL scores any time. Here are the top players we believe everyone must keep an eye out in this season of IPL, and subsequently in the World Cup

1. Sam Curran

Kings XI Punjab invested in a lot of fresh talent on the auction table for this IPL season and Sam Curran happens to be one among them, being bought for a whopping £800,000! Curran was awarded the Man of the Series in the test series held between England and India. He is surely going to prove to be an asset for the team as he can bowl well and also contribute some runs in the lower order.

2. Quinton de Kock

Every once in a while, there comes a player who manages to capture your imagination. Quinton is one such talent from South Africa who has managed to accomplish a lot for his age. It is no doubt as to why he is being heralded as a future great. He is not just a great batsman but also adds value to the side by donning gloves behind the wickets. 

3. Kedhar Jadhav

Kedhar Jadhav’s cricketing career has a close resemblance to movies with no real connection to the first and second half. He started out as a promising batsman with a lot of aggression. He soon moulded himself for test cricket and completely reinvented his game. He proved his innovative strokes and fluent shots during 2014 IPL season. After spending a steady time with the Delhi franchise, he has now been picked up by the Bangalore team after his sudden rise in international cricket. 

4. Jasprit Bumrah

This player came to the fore during the 2013 IPL season and soon became a boon to the Indian cricket team. Jasprit Bumrah has perfected the art of bowling lethal Yorkers and has grown to be an indispensable asset to both Mumbai Indians and the Indian Cricket Team.

5. Trent Boult

Trent Boult is the best bowler in the New Zealand cricket team in all formats without any doubt. He was picked up by the Delhi team during 2019 for his extraordinary ability to adapt to the various needs of the game. He can bowl impeccable Yorkers and outwit the batsmen at any stage of the game; the Delhi team is blessed to have him.   

6. David Miller

A debate always breaks out when it comes to deciding who the best foreign player in the KXIP team is: David Miller or Chris Gayle? Although Gayle has managed to prove his mettle in the previous IPL seasons, it is no doubt that David Miller is nowhere lagging behind. His style of playing has left everybody awestruck. The KXIP will be counting on him to deliver.

7. AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers is an asset to the Royal Challengers Bangalore team. He has single-handedly led the team to snatch a few victories from the jaws of defeat. He has teamed up brilliantly with Virat Kohli and has created monumental records in the league. He is certainly a player to watch out for spectacular performances. It’s a shame he retired from international cricket as South Africa will miss him at the World Cup.

8. Jos Buttler

This modern T20 legend has a strike rate of 120 even on his bad days at the crease. He is pleasing to watch for his wide range of shots. He is an asset to the Rajasthan Royals and has an edge over other players because of his recent heroics against Pakistan and Australia.

With exciting talents participating from all over the world, the summer months of 2019 are going to prove to be most fascinating for cricket fans. Both IPL 2019 and the World Cup are sure to be splendid tourneys to watch out for, and you just can’t afford to miss out on live cricket scores. The teams have already begun their preparations to figure out the best possible combination to take home the glorious prize. The beauty of cricket is that anything can happen anytime. The predictions may go wrong and the weakest team may emerge to be the show stealer. Let us all wait for events to unfold and hope for the best.