T20 World Cup Specials Tips: Slow and steady Kohli to win the race

• Kohli to bat for Kohli

• Salt sweet for England

• Wood a wrong prie

• 40/1 Motie a surprise pick

T20 World Cup top runscorer prediction

The criteria for a top tournament runscorer in T20 World Cup is similar to the 50-over version. Pick an opener. Of the last eight to occupy the each-way pay out places in the last two competitions, six of them have been at Nos 1 or 2.

Adding a new requirement for support is needed these days as batters take more risks: a selfish son-of-a-gun.

While the hitting is getting ever more extraordinary from the likes of Nic Pooran or Heinrich Klaasen, a clutch of bats remain entrenched that their way of doing this is the correct. Steady accumulation, setting a platform, nudge a single after a boundary.

2022 - World Cup runscorers
Kohli 296 runs/49.3rpi
Yadav 239/39.8
Buttler 225/37.5
Hales 212/35.3
*Discounting bats which played qualifying

2021
Babar 303/50.5
Warner 289/41.2
Rizwan 281/46.8
Buttler 268/29.8

Mohammad Rizwan, Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Ibrahim Zadran and David Warner appear to prize their wicket above all else. Rohit Sharma may also make this group on occasion.

Then there's the likes of Yas Jaiswal, Finn Allen, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Travis Head and Phil Salt who will attack, attack, attack. The former group will most likely get you 30 or 40 every game at a strike rate of 125. The latter group will go at a strike rate of 160 but will be far more likely to be back in the pavilion before they've got a sweat on.

It's a conundrum for punters as to what style to go for but slow and steady may well win the race.

Rizwan is remarkably consistent. Not only does he have a win rate on individual innings at around 435, no opener has scored more than his 1,474 in the last two years with an average of 46. Whereas the aforementioned snails get skinnier odds, Rizwan looks a rare rick at 22/123.00. There are concerns, however, that Pakistan get out of the group.

Kohli might steal Jaiswal's opening spot as India try to find room for an extra bowler. He is so reliably consistent, averaging more than 50 in recent times, that it is hard to argue with favourite status with Sportsbook at [13/2]. We're not hot on India for the title but it's hard to see them failing to make the last four.

Salt is averaging 64 (or 55.5 runs per innings) for England in the last 12 months. Chuck in extreme form in these conditions and Caribbean Premier League runs gluts and the 14/115.00 with Sportsbook may not be short enough. The 10/34.33 that he merely tops for England is an easier win.

Brandon King is averaging slightly under 40 in the last 12 months. Could he be a runner at big prices of 25/126.00? There is the potential for big scores against Papua New Guinea and Uganda in the group section, two of the weakest attacks in the tournament. He also fits snugly between the two styles of batting, capable of batting within himself or hitting the accelerator. An each-way bet wins if he places the first four at a quarter the odds.

T20 World Cup top wicket-taker prediction

Finding a winning top-bowler bet is trickier on criteria. Spinners and death bowlers have been the way to go but without transparent clues, the trick of spotting wrong odds is the best approach.

Mark Wood first up. He is 4/15.00 with Sportsbook for top England bowler. Wood is an out-and-out wicket-taker and has a career strike rate of 13.2 and one of 9.1 in his last ten. The gamble is whether he stays fit or if England rest him. The each-way bet on the outright at 25/1 has a whiff of value, too.

On the same market we're pared to take a flier on spin and Gudakesh Motie, the West Indies spinner getting into the mix at 40/141.00. Motie has played only eight T20 internationals. In the seven this year he has taken 13 wickets.

Haris Rauf has been outbowling Shaheen Shah Afridi for Pakistan of late and at the very least deserves shared favourite status with his team-mate instead of the 10/34.33.

Elsewhere Craig Young is the wrong price at 11/26.50 for top Ireland bowler. He has more than matched the likes of Josh Little. We're also sore that Fareed Ahmad has not been priced for top Afghanistan bowler. He has the best strike rate for the Afghans and may keep Naveen-ul-Haq or Faz Farooqi out of the side.

Team-by-Team Guide: Dutch delight incoming HERE

Team-by-Team Guide: Why India flop again HERE

The ultimate betting guide to the T20 WC on Cricket... Only Bettor