Will India Win the 20/20 World Cup
Ever since the Indian cricket team won the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa, they have been termed as the best side in the world, especially in the shortest version of the game. That's one of the reasons, besides overexposure and overconfidence, that they were ridiculed crashing ahead of the semi finals in the second edition of the T20 mega event. Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni feels his side has learnt its lesson, and would try not to disappoint their fans by giving their best to the matches they play.
Players to watch-out for:
Skipper Dhoni has been a revelation since making his debut against South Africa in 2006, scoring 356 runs in 20 Twenty20 internationals with a strike-rate of 106. He likes to dominate bowlers with a wide range of strokes and can change the course of a match in a short time. Yusuf Pathan is also in form, and had the second highest strike rate among batsmen who scored more than 300 runs in the round robin stage of IPL this year.
Pros of Indian Cricket:
India's dependence on all-rounders got them the first World Cup, and they might do the trick this time as well. Players like Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan and Ravindra Jadeja are all more than competent players with both bat and ball who will back-up specialist Harbhajan Singh.
Cons of Indian Cricket:
Yuvraj Singh may have helped India win the first edition of the mega event but his recent form has been troubling for India. But skipper Dhoni expects his most experienced batsman to deliver in West Indian conditions. "Yuvraj is a great player, one of the best in T20 format, one of the biggest hitters of the ball and he can contribute with the ball at the same time," Dhoni said. "He has not scored too many runs in the IPL but at the same time it's not a big worrying factor. "In the T20 format you need just 5 to 10 deliveries to strike form. He is still hitting the ball well. So we aren't too worried about it."
Coach Gary Kirsten feels his side will be able to overcome their problem of facing short deliveries, something that was exposed last year in England. "Every player is aware of what he plans to do and how he wants to set up his game plan. I'm sure the players themselves would know the bowlers they will be facing and would try to exploit the potential weaknesses of those individuals.
Indian Journey in Twenty20 World Cup:
The Indians won the inaugural tournament in South Africa in 2007, defeating Pakistan after a tense match while they couldn't qualify for the semi finals of the last edition. They haven't played much Twenty20 internationals since the last edition but skipper Dhoni feels his side can clear the first hurdle having been drawn in the same group as first-timers Afghanistan and South Africa, with the top two advancing to the Super Eights.
India Chances in the T20 Third Edition:
India go into the World Twenty20 determined to avoid a second big failure in three years in the Caribbean with a solid all-round performance. They suffered a humiliating first-round exit in the 50-over World Cup in the West Indies in 2007 and will have to depend on their specialist batsmen to see them through. They might not accept it but the fact that the Twenty20 World Cup is starting just days after the conclusion of the IPL may not help them. The close proximity of the two major tournaments followed a similar pattern last year, when India failed to defend the title, crashing out in Super Eights.
Coach Gary Kirsten disagrees. "We have got the schedule and can't do anything about it now," Kirsten said. "The Indian players may feel the heat of it more because all of them played in the IPL but our responsibility is to go out there and ensure that we are well prepared. We will do what we can in these circumstances."
More Indian Cricket Articles
India and South Africa clash in World Twenty20 Group C
http://www.senore.com/India-and-South-Africa-clash-in-World-Twenty20-Group-C-a10665
India take nothing for granted against Afghanistan
http://www.senore.com/India-take-nothing-for-granted-against-Afghanistan-a10703
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