Sachin Tendulkar names four T20 World Cup semi-finalists - but warns of two 'dark horses'

The legendary Sachin Tendulkar has named his four standout sides for the T20 World Cup along with the 'dark horses' he thinks can upset the applecart in Australia.

The eighth edition of the men’s tournament is already underway, with eight teams currently vying it out for the final four spots in the Super 12 stage. That phase gets underway on Saturday, with hosts Australia playing New Zealand before England take on Afghanistan.

Tendulkar's beloved India open their own campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on Saturday, bidding for their first T20 World Cup winning the inaugural event in South Africa in 2007. And 'The Little Master' expects his country to at least reach the semi-final stage down under.

"I want India to become champions but my top four would be India, Pakistan, Australia and England," he told Starsport . " New Zealand could be a dark horse, the same for South Africa because they will play well in these conditions. But I expect the top four to be in there [the semi-finals], and the other two are dark horses."

Rohit Sharma's team have seemingly hit their stride in the build-up to the tournament, and are currently ranked No 2 by the ICC behind reigning champions Australia. They will however, have to deal with the savage blow of losing Jasprit Bumrah, with the experienced Mohammed Shami called up in his place.

And it's a blow that Tendulkar, 49, believes his team can overcome: "Shami is a good bowler and the correct replacement. If I look at Shami, he is a good strike bowler and he’s been around for a long time so he has the experience of playing in big matches."

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 09: Sachin Tendulkar looks on during the Bushfire Cricket Bash T20 match between the Ponting XI and the Gilchrist XI at Junction Oval on February 09, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. The match is being staged as part of 'The Big Appeal', raising funds for the Australian Bushfire Appeal. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images) (Quinn Rooney)

On Thursday morning, Sri Lanka became the first team from the qualifying stage to book their place in the Super 12, following a win over Netherlands. Namibia will qualify from the group with them should they overcome UAE.

The other group is wide open, with all four teams on two points ahead of Friday's shootout. Ireland will play the West Indies whilst Scotland take on Zimbabwe.

The concept of T20 cricket only arrived on the international stage when Tendulkar was in the latter stages of his career. Therefore, he was only capped once in that format, against South Africa in 2006.