English batter Danielle Wyatt-Hodge has donned her predictor’s hat as the drama continues in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The experienced batter has opined that England will be playing the final in this edition of the twenty-team tournament. She revealed that teams like India, South Africa and New Zealand are also among the favourites to play the game on March 8 at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
However, Wyatt-Hodge looked quite perplexed to pick the opposition that the Three Lions might meet in the grand finale of the major T20 event. During her exclusive chat with CricTracker, she also revealed that the intent with which Abhishek Sharma bats, despite the latter’s failures in the ongoing tournament, is something that she admires a lot.
Excerpts
England have become the first side in this edition to qualify for the T20 World Cup semi-final, but do you feel they are yet to bring their A-game into the picture?
I feel like I’m going to be biased here, but I think England are going to go all the way. It could be an England vs India final, which would be very exciting. England just haven’t quite fired yet. They haven’t played that perfect game, which is probably a good thing because they’ve reached the semi-finals without playing their best cricket. You’ve got Jos Buttler and Phil Salt, probably the most destructive T20 opening pair in the world, and they haven’t hit their straps yet.
I feel like they’re going to find form at the back end of the tournament, which will be really entertaining to watch. Jos is so experienced, and he knows his game. He’ll be disappointed with how his tournament has gone so far, but he understands his game better than anyone and knows a big score is just around the corner.
It’s never nice as a batter. I’ve been there myself, like many others around the world who’ve been in that spot. It’s not easy. But you’ve just got to trust the process and keep going. Don’t give up. A few boundaries, and suddenly it all clicks again. And when it does, he can take down any bowling attack in the world.
England have match-winners right through their lineup, so it’s going to be a very exciting finish to the tournament for sure. Who do you think will play in the final of the T20 World Cup?
I think it’ll be India versus England, or maybe England versus South Africa. It could even be India versus New Zealand. They’re four massive teams, and I actually predicted those four before the start of the tournament.
But it’s T20 cricket; it’s a funny game. If one or two players have a good day, the game is theirs. It’s just going to come down to who turns up on the day, who prepares well, who plans well, and who stays the calmest under pressure.
I might be a bit biased, but I do think England have a very good chance because they haven’t played their best cricket yet, and that’s still to come. But anything can happen against India. What an achievement it would be for any team to beat them. They probably hadn’t played their best cricket until recently against Zimbabwe, so it’s going to be pretty interesting.
South Africa have been unreal throughout the tournament. Even the West Indies could sneak in as well. It’s going to be really exciting, and this is what it’s all about — entertaining the crowd and all of us watching at home. I personally love T20 cricket, and I’ve been watching a lot of this World Cup. It’s been amazing to watch.
Even the associate teams have been impressive. Zimbabwe were good, Scotland played really well against England, and Nepal were outstanding. It’s great for teams like that. I’d never really watched Nepal before, and I was so impressed with how they approached the World Cup. Italy also played some outstanding cricket. It’s amazing to see these teams challenging some of the best sides in the world.
Among current Indian batters, whose batting style do you love the most and why?
I’m a big fan of Abhishek Sharma. I think he’s struggled in this World Cup, apart from yesterday when he got his fifty. But I just love his intent and the way he goes out there and hits the ball. From ball one, he doesn’t waste any time. You just know he’s going to go out there and try to hit boundaries straight away.
He’s been given a role at the top of the order, which is one of the hardest places to bat but also one of the best, because you’ve only got two fielders out. As an opening batter, your role is to be brave and show intent, and that’s exactly what he does.
If it doesn’t come off, it doesn’t matter. He’ll go again and try again. He’s a match-winner. Ever since he came onto the scene in the IPL, I’ve thought he has a brilliant technique. He stands tall, stays calm, backs his strengths, and he’s just so brave.
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