India’s neighbouring country is accustomed to the conditions and therefore has the potential to put on fights

The ongoing ICC T20 World Cup, with its 20-team expansion, has opened the doors to several associate nations who can be labelled as minnows, given that they lack experience and the strength to battle it out with the big boys. However, minnow teams can occasionally put up a tough fight, and in the ongoing tournament, we have specific expectations for some of them.

We asked AI to focus on one minnow team that is likely to perform best. This team in question will not reach the Super 8, but it has the potential to create at least one major upset in its group.

Group C

Group C of the ongoing tournament features teams from the West Indies, England, Nepal, Scotland, and Italy. While the Indies and England are the big lads, the three remaining teams are minnows, but AI believes Nepal has the potential to grab massive headlines.

England vs. Nepal

(Credit- The Indian Express)

ChatGPT, the AI we turned to for prediction, took into account Nepal’s strong performance against England, having scored 180 runs against England’s 184 and losing the game by merely four runs. ChatGPT could’ve picked the Netherlands for their one-run loss at the hands of PAK. However, it chose Nepal, given that the Netherlands has been playing tournaments for more than two decades and PAK’s team is far inferior to England’s. Therefore, Nepal’s fight against England holds more weight.

ChatGPT’s analysis in depth

The AI highlighted, “Nepal has the tools to do that in a way many associates don’t. Nepal's bowling identity naturally aligns with the subcontinent. On surfaces where the ball grips, slows, or turns just a little, Nepal’s spinners can make even established batters look rushed. This feature matters because minnows usually lose in the same way: they concede 55–60 in the last five overs, and the game ends early. Nepal is more likely to avoid collapsing in the death overs by applying pressure during the middle overs.

(Credit- The Hindu)

According to the AI, Nepal also has a psychological edge, i.e., they understand they are unlikely to win against the big teams, but they can certainly win against the likes of Scotland and Italy. If England defeats the West Indies and Nepal’s Lady Luck favours them, they might upset the Indians and make a run for the Super 8. One must not forget that last year, Nepal won a T20I series against the Indies. For Nepal, the priority is to win the two games versus Italy and Scotland and keep their run rate high.

Will they qualify for the Super 8?

(Credit- News18)

Unfortunately, ChatGPT rules out Nepal’s possibility of venturing into the Super 8. Nepal is likely to put up a fight against the Indies just like they did against England. However, the Indies are well-known for their T20I prowess, and in a World Cup, they are unlikely to repeat the mistakes they made last year. Therefore, Nepal is expected to collect four points and leave the tournament with their heads high.