Muttiah Muralitharan column: In T20 cricket, for bowlers, defending is attacking in my mind

The most exciting thing about the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 is that there are no clear favourites.

Coming into the competition in the United Arab Emirates and Oman, it feels like there is no standout side and as a result, any one of a large number of teams could end up lifting the trophy.

The crucial factor will be the first six overs. That is what teams need to focus on, whether they are batting or bowling. I think that 70 to 80 percent of the game depends on those first six overs and the result comes down to how well you do in that period.

People will look at the latter overs and, of course they are important too, but if you don’t get it right at the start, there is so little time to catch up. It’s not like a one-day game or a Test match, everything comes down to getting a good start. That is part of the reason that I think the World Cup is wide open.

I’m obviously delighted to see the importance that spinners have taken on in T20 cricket. It is a fast game and is meant to be a batter’s game, but the bowlers have adapted…

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