Soon after the series victory against Sri Lanka last month, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni sent out a warning to all other Twenty20 teams: “We are always a top contender when it comes to shorter formats.”
Dhoni’s bold statement probably stems from his success in limited overs cricket as he has overseen India’s successes in the tournament’s inaugural edition in 2007 and the 2011 50-over title.
Partly, it also has to do with the fact that the tournament is being held in India, where they are familiar with the conditions and also have a huge fan base.
The odds are heavily in favour of the 34-year-old who is a past master of the format and he revels in it.
More importantly, the recent successes in Australia and against Sri Lanka prove that almost all bases are covered. The tournament also poses a big challenge for Dhoni both as a captain and player.
His captaincy has been under the scanner in recent times and so has been his batting, which critics argue lacks the panache as it did earlier.
The demanding Indian fans will also be expecting nothing short of a title from him. A triumph will end the retirement chatter, albeit temporarily, but a poor showing will hasten his exit.
STRENGTHS
The strong areas of the hosts are pretty much obvious. India derive much of their strength from their batting with opener Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and captain MS Dhoni providing the solidity.
Dhoni’s experience as captain in the format is exemplary. Spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja can trouble the best with their guile on Indian pitches.
WEAKNESS
The pace department is functional at best but not strong enough to blow away the opposition. Their inability to restrict the run flow in the last five overs is another cause for concern, although the emergence of young Bumrah has minimised it to a certain extent.
They also fall short on the ‘enforcer’ who can come in and blast the attack in two or three overs. Hardik Pandya lacks the experience while Dhoni has been struggling with the big shots.
STAR MAN
Rohit Sharma
There are very few openers in the format who can carry the bat through the 20 overs with a high strike rate like Sharma. The immensely talented right-hander’s ability to clear the boundaries with consummate ease, especially on home turf, makes him a dangerous proposition for all bowling attacks.
The 28-year-old takes time to settle down but once he switches gears then he is like a runaway train. No target is outside India’s reach if Sharma is cruising at the other end as the rest of the Indian batsmen just need to bat around him.
Sport360 verdict
Often the hosts are expected to put up a good show and the odds on India rising to the occasion are no different.
They have an in-form squad suited for the conditions and the huge support they will get at every venue will spur them to give off their best. Also, don’t forget they are the No1 ranked team as well.