WI vs SCO Prediction: Who will win today's T20 World Cup 2022 match?
The mighty West Indies aren't as mighty anymore, but they're still a force to be reckoned with in the 2022 T20 World Cup. Up against Scotland in the third match of the tournament at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart on Monday, October 17, the Windies need to ensure that they don't suffer any hiccups in their quest to make the Super 12 stage.
Without most of their experienced stars, the West Indies will look to gel well as a unit and come up with complete team performances. Shimron Hetmyer missing his rescheduled flight has left a massive hole in the middle order, and although they won their warm-up game against the United Arab Emirates, it wasn't convincing by any stretch of the imagination.
Scotland, on the other hand, won their warm-up against the Netherlands. Captain Richie Berrington and all-rounder Michael Leask came up with batting contributions before a complete bowling display restricted the Dutch to just 133. With a decent number of bowling options to complement the experience in the side, Berrington's men are more than capable of upsetting the Windies' apple-cart.
Both Scotland and the West Indies come into this game without much T20I form to show for. While Nicholas Pooran and Co. have tasted defeat in four of their last five matches in the format, Scotland have been thrashed in each of their last five T20Is.
Can the two-time T20 World Cup champions overcome the ignominy of going through the first round of the competition? Or will Scotland pull off a historic upset?
West Indies vs Scotland Match Prediction T20 World Cup 2022
West Indies opened with Johnson Charles and Evin Lewis in the warm-up against the UAE, with Brandon King batting at No. 3. Kyle Mayers should walk back into the side against Scotland, though, with King continuing to bat at No. 3 even though he excelled as an opener in the recently concluded Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
The batting lineup is heavily reliant on captain Pooran, especially in Hetmyer's absence. He struck five sixes in his 46 against the UAE, but his scores of two, two, one, 15, 0, 0 and 15 in his last seven innings across international cricket and the CPL don't make for pretty reading. If Pooran doesn't step up, the Windies could find themselves without any batting might.
Jason Holder, Rovman Powell and Odean Smith add some firepower to the lower-middle order, but consistency is something the West Indies have always searched for. Will they be able to overcome the potential loss of a few early wickets?
In George Munsey, Matthew Cross, Calum MacLeod and Berrington, Scotland have immense experience in the batting lineup. Up against a fired-up Alzarri Joseph and Co., the Scots will need to be at their best. And while they certainly have the potential to upset the West Indies on their day, they haven't played a T20I since July and it will be a tough ask in the opening game of the T20 World Cup.
The West Indies are shakier than they've ever been, and Scotland will fancy their chances. But the two-time champions should be able to make a winning start to this year's T20 World Cup.
Prediction: West Indies to win Match 3 of the 2022 T20 World Cup