Former Australian skipper Michael Clarke has predicted that India, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa can qualify for the semifinals of the T20 World Cup. Clarke backed hosts India as the favorites for the T20I showpiece as they would be playing in their own conditions.

India has been in red-hot form and they have been ticking the right boxes in the shortest format of the game. Team India has suffered only four losses in T20Is since the start of 2025 and recently won the T20I series against New Zealand by 4-1.

Clarke said Australia can also qualify for the summit clash if they make it to the last four.

“India are favorites, I’m putting them in the final. And I think if Australia can make the top four, we handle pressure well. So if we make the top four, we can qualify for the final. So my top four are India, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand,” Michael Clarke said on the ‘Beyond23 Cricket Podcast’.

Meanwhile, no team in the history of the T20 World Cup has successfully defended their title and Clarke reckons India has a good chance.

He said, “I don’t think in the T20 World Cup, anyone’s won back-to-back. So this being in India, and there’s always that talk leading upto the World Cups, how much extra pressure is on the team playing in their home advantage in their home ground, and this World Cup is no different. I reckon there is a slight advantage for India, and they are favorites. They are probably the best T20 team in the world currently. They are the number one-ranked and should be favorites.”

The 2015 World Cup-winning captain said five or six teams can go on to win the T20 World Cup and he won’t be surprised if it happens.

“There are five or six teams that if they won this World Cup, I would not be surprised. Yes, India are the favorites, but they key for a lot of these teams is to qualify, make the Super eights, make the top four,” he said.

India will next take on Namibia at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi on Thursday.