I expect India to claim their second T20 World Cup in Melbourne on November 13. They have a relatively easy group, with Pakistan as the biggest threat.
The bouncy Australian pitches assist bowlers, and the long boundaries make it difficult to play big shots. So the onus will be on batters. The Indian batting runs deep with plenty of match-winners.
Skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have a proven track record, while opener KL Rahul lends stability at the top. The batters from No 4 to 7 are India’s strength. The return of Hardik Pandya and the tremendous form of Suryakumar Yadav have given India a considerable boost. With Rishabh Pant/Dinesh Karthik and Axar Patel to follow, the batting strength runs deep.
The Indian attack is a good mix of spin and pace. The pacers led by Mohammed Shami and Arshdeep Singh are backed by the spin combination of Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin. The arrival of Shami has boosted the death bowling, which suffered in the Asia Cup.
So I feel India’s chances are better than 12 months ago. They can win.
