Across the board, former players gathered for a pre-World Twenty20 conclave here were on Monday unanimous that India go into the ICC tournament as the raging hot favourites.
Across the board, former players gathered for a pre-World Twenty20 conclave here were on Monday unanimous that India go into the ICC tournament as the raging hot favourites.
Former captains of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Sourav Ganguly, Inzamam-ul Haq and Sanath Jayasuriya, besides former India stars V.V.S. Laxman and Virender Sehwag said the hosts would be the team to beat in the March 8-April 6 tournament that gets under way at Nagpur on the morrow.
Talent, experience. leadership and balance gave India the edge, was the unanimous opinion at the Aaj Tak Salaam Cricket conclave.
“The Indian team are ruthless and playing consistent cricket. They have match-winning players and good finishers that gives them an advantage over the others,” Laxman said.
Jayasuriya pointed out that India had benefited over the years as the IPL has helped it groom players and prepare younger cricketers to step up as and when older players retired.
The Nawab of Najafgarh, Virender Sehwag, had no doubt about the outcome of the tournament. “India have a 99 per cent chance of winning the T20 World Cup.
“I say this because India today have one of world’s best batting and bowling line ups and are ready for any challenge,” he said, predicting the hosts could face either South Africa or the West Indies in the final. Ganguly and Inzamam felt India had emerged as a formidable combination. For Ganguly, it was the exposure to all formats that had helped in building a strong team, while his former counterpart said Pakistan had been hobbled by a lack of international cricket. “But it only takes one good match for a turnaround. Pakistan are not as good as India at the moment but they can surely bounce back,” Inzamam added.
Sehwag backed Dhoni to bat higher up the order, as the skipper showed in the Asia Cup final at Dhaka on Sunday.
“If he bats at number four, it is good for the team. He can play fast bowlers and spinners with equal elan and knows when to slow down or accelerate.
“I have been saying it since the 2015 World Cup. I am not saying that he won’t get out at that number but he can win more matches for India,” Sehwag said and added the stumper ought to continue till at least the 2019 World Cup in England.
“Dhoni can play for two-three years. Similar questions were asked in 2011 about Sachin Tendulkar but it never happened. Dhoni can play till the 2019 World Cup. He does not play Tests and he can manage his fitness.”
Added Laxman, “What I like about Dhoni is that he is very level headed. He never changes on a cricket field. For me, his worst time came in 2011 when the team lost badly in England and Australia and then he remained calm and composed.
“The team are doing well now under his leadership and that also shows that the captain is as good as his team. “In batting he has realised that there are other finishers in the team and he is not the only one. That should help his batting going forward.”
