The T20 World Cup is like a festival celebrated all over the world every two years. The matches are always full of suspense, excitement, and unpredictability. Now that the IPL is over, the support and love that people had for foreign players have also shifted. For the first time ever, the T20 World Cup features new teams, and the matches are happening in new locations, which has taken the fans’ excitement to a whole new level.
How did it all start?
At Markelytics, we regularly conduct syndicated studies covering various sectors, sports leagues, and ICC tournaments including our flagship IPL Brand Insights Study. The studies are conducted via our online consumer panel, which has been segmented on 200+ attributes. For the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, we wanted to delve deeper into understanding which teams were the most favored to win the matches and the tournament. Our objective was not only to create a space where cricket lovers could test their prediction skills and engage in friendly competition but also to uncover interesting trends and patterns in match predictions.
With this in mind, we launched the T20 World Cup prediction poll right before the start of the matches, targeting cricket fans in our consumer panel across the country to predict the match winners. The responses from our consumer panel members, who come from diverse backgrounds, were phenomenal for almost all the matches as they participated enthusiastically.
Unveiling the Predictions
The data we collected from the poll provides an intriguing picture of what cricket fans in India expect from the T20 World Cup tournament. Let’s look at some of the most interesting findings:
Group A Matches Predictions
Team India is among this group, and our perception was that our panel members would get the maximum number of predictions right. However, only 44% of the matches between Group A teams were predicted correctly, showing that even the most popular teams can defy expectations. This highlights the unpredictable nature of T20 cricket, where anything can happen on the day of the match.
Group B Matches Predictions
Our participants showed remarkable accuracy in predicting Group B matches, with an impressive 78% success rate. This group, featuring some of the top teams known for their consistent performances, seemed to align well with the expectations of our cricket-savvy panelists.
Group C Matches Predictions
For Group C, 66% of the matches were predicted correctly. This group showcased a mix of established teams and rising stars, making predictions slightly more challenging.
Group D Matches Prediction
Group D turned out to be the most unpredictable, with only 22% of the matches predicted incorrectly. This means 78% of the predictions were correct, but the unexpected 22% showed that even seasoned fans can be caught off guard.
Overall Match Predictions
Interestingly, 65% of the matches were accurately predicted by our consumer panelists, while 35% of the matches were predicted incorrectly. For example, in a match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, 75% of our panelists predicted that Sri Lanka would win, but it was the other way around.
These insights not only highlight the collective wisdom of cricket enthusiasts but also enhance the viewing experience by adding a layer of anticipation and engagement.
Final Showdown Predictions
As we moved into the knockout stages, the predictions from our panelists continued to provide remarkable insights, showcasing both the collective wisdom and unexpected twists that make cricket so enthralling:
- Semi-final 1: In the match between Afghanistan and South Africa, 36% predicted Afghanistan would win, while 64% correctly foresaw South Africa’s victory. South Africa staged an incredible chase in the last overs of the match, which not only confirmed the overwhelming prediction but also had everyone on the tip of their seats. It was an exciting encounter.
- Semi-final 2: An overwhelming 82% correctly predicted India’s win, while 18% incorrectly thought India would lose. India’s dominant performance, led by their star players, demonstrated why they were favorites among our panelists. India secured their place in the finals with a convincing victory in the match, which was a demonstration of talent and strategy.
- Finals: In the ultimate showdown, 96% accurately predicted India’s triumph, while only 4% predicted a South Africa win. The final match lived up to the hype, featuring breathtaking moments and heroic performances. India’s victory was a culmination of their consistent performance throughout the tournament, and our panelists’ predictions reflected their confidence in the team’s prowess. The match was a nail-biter that had fans on the edge of their seats until the very last ball. It was an incredible end to the T20 careers of some of the greatest players of all time, like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja, along with the head coach Rahul Dravid.
It was indeed an unbelievable end to the T20 World Cup finals as India brought back the World Cup after 13 long years.