It is not just because the men in blue are the defending champions, but they also boast of an array of exciting cricketers who can set the stage afire. The combination that contains the likes of Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yusuf Pathan, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh could only produce one outcome, an exhilarating brand of cricket.
It is no wonder, then, that the whole cricketing world will be opening eyes and hearts to capture their enthralling deeds on the field. The nine-wicket win over Pakistan at the Oval in a warm-up match on Thursday was a good enough indication of their form and the dangers they pose when fire collectively.
Injuries of Sehwag and Zaheer have cast some shadows, but the Indian camp is in full belief that the key duo will be up and firing when the tournament proper starts. India will open their campaign against Bangladesh on Saturday here, and Dhoni’s men will be well aware of the troubles of taking their opponents lightly.
They did that mistake in 2007 World Cup in West Indies and the result was an inglorious early exit from the mega event. However, T20 is such a format that even the slightest error can cause a deep wound, and there are a number of other teams waiting to capitalize on any weak spots India have.
Despite their achievements in Tests and one-day cricket Australia are yet to make a real impact in the T20 and that they are still grappling with the transitional period have not made their task any easier.
The presence of all-rounder Shane Watson, paceman Brett Lee and the return of skipper Ricky Ponting after a short sabbatical have strengthened them, but it remains to be seen that how they fare in the event.
England present a rather curious case. T20 was born in Old Blighty, but they showed a reticence to embrace their own child, often belittling the format as a ‘mere time-pass.”
Irrespective of their public comments, the English cricketers will be eager to lay their hands on the coveted trophy, something that will revive the audience attention to cricket in its birth land. They will be banking on their familiarity with the conditions and on explosive players like Luke Wright, Ravi Bopara and Kevin Pietersen.
There is someone who will be more eager than anyone else to land the riches – Pakistan. The 2007 runners-up have been going through a volatile phase owing to the political and security situation in the country. A Cup win, they believe, will be a panacea for all their troubles and a lifeline to bring international cricket back to the soil of Pakistan. They have some experienced T20 players in their side like Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Gul, Sohail Tanvir and Shoaib Malik, but the biggest hindrance is their lack of match practice at the highest level.
Like their South Asian neighbours, Sri Lanka are no alien to the glories of World Cup winning, and a side replete with such stars as Muttiah Muralitharan, Kumar Sangakkara, Lasith Malinga and Ajantha Mendis could produce some strong performances, and the age factor of their top stars could be counted against them.
West Indies and New Zealand belong to same category – dangerous journeymen. Nobody expects them to last the distance and that could be a blessing in disguise. Windies are highly inconsistent, and their biggest hope will be some consistency from skipper Chris Gayle and Fidel Edwards’ furious pace.
Kiwis will be hoping for some good shows from captain Daniel Vettori, Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor, but the Antipodeans will have to play well above themselves to go all the way.
It is still an open contest, so gear up for the thrills and shocks over the next three weeks!
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