The T20 World Cup 2024 is a cricket tournament with 20 teams, taking place in the Caribbean Islands and the USA. The first match is between the USA and Canada.
In 1844, the USA and Canada played the first international cricket match ever. Even though cricket isn’t very popular in these countries, both are now associate members of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Canada has played in four 50-over World Cup tournaments (in 1979, 2003, 2007, and 2011), but this will be their first time competing in a T20 World Cup.
Here are five Canadian players to watch out for in the T20 World Cup 2024:
1. Aaron Johnson
Johnson is from Jamaica and plays as a top-order batter for Canada’s T20I team. Being from Jamaica, he knows the pitches in the Caribbean Islands well.
Johnson is known for his aggressive cricket style. Johnson debuted in T20Is in 2022 and has since scored two T20I centuries. He has an impressive strike rate of 166.59 in 16 T20I innings and averages 50.93.
He consistently scores runs at the top of the order and has performed exceptionally well for Canada in his short career. Johnson now has the chance to show his talent on a big stage and make his performances count when it matters most.
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2. Kaleem Sana
Sana is a left-handed fast bowler from Pakistan who played domestic cricket there before moving to Canada.
At 30 years old, he started playing for Canada in 2022 and has been doing great since then. In 16 T20 International matches, he has taken 15 wickets with an impressive economy rate of 5.63 runs per over. He has also managed to take four wickets in a match twice in his short T20I career.
Sana will lead Canada’s pace bowling and is a key player to watch because of his excellent performance in T20Is.
3. Saad Bin Zafar
The captain of the Canadian team is a left-handed all-rounder. He has played in many T20 tournaments, including the Caribbean Premier League.
In 19 innings, Zafar has a strike rate of almost 134 and is a reliable middle/lower-order batsman. As a bowler, he is a left-arm orthodox spinner with a low economy rate of 6.44 in 38 T20I matches.
The 37-year-old Canadian captain is very experienced and now has the chance to show his skills in an ICC tournament.
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4. Ravinderpal Singh
Singh played his first T20I game for Canada in 2019 and made a big impression right away. He scored an amazing 101 runs from just 48 balls, hitting 10 sixes. He bats in the middle order and is a strong player for the middle part of the game.
In 24 T20I matches, Singh has a high strike rate of 147.25. He can hit the ball far and will be a key player for Canada in the T20 World Cup 2024.
5. Dilon Heyliger
In 22 T20 International games, Heyliger has a great strike rate of almost 181, making him very effective as a lower-order batter in the final overs. As a bowler, he has taken 39 wickets with an economy rate of 7.22, including one game where he took five wickets.
All-rounders are very important in any format, especially in T20 games, and Heyliger will be a key player to watch in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
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