Sachin Tendulkar: Sound off Dhoni’s bat shows he’s in a different mindset

Sachin Tendulkar would be one to know about the different sounds off the bat and he did not miss the sounds off Dhoni’s bat. “No player in the world has ever been in good form throughout his life as he is not a machine. When I heard the sound of the ball meeting Dhoni's bat, I felt that it was a different sound. That was the sound that tells you that the batsman is in different mindset.”

Sachin went on to add, "The biggest asset of Dhoni is his ability to absorb the pressure which has made him a good captain. He has matured over the years. He does not show when he is tense, which is a good sign. Often a captain who is short-tempered or nervous can create panic among ranks which is not the case with Dhoni."

Speaking of India’s chances at the cup, Tendulkar identified the young Bumrah as the team’s game changer. “As far as the 'game changer' tag is concerned, I feel Jasprit Bumrah can be that man for India in the World T20. He has a deceptive action and may look slow but hits the bat harder than you can think,” said the champion batsman.

Sachin also saw an evolution in Yuvraj’s batting. “During Asia Cup, I found Yuvraj’s mindset changing, which is good for India. Again, like Dhoni, that feel of the bat hitting the ball was important for me but the most important thing has been Yuvi's footwork.”

Explaining why India are favorites and have continued to grow from strength to strength in the past few months, Sachin believed it was the unpredictability. "The biggest strength in our team is that there is no predictable pattern in our team strategy. We have seen Yuvraj and Dhoni being shuffled in the batting order. Similarly, Ashwin has opened the bowling for India. The balance in our side is fantastic. So I feel, in terms of celebrations, April 3, 2016 in Kolkata will not be different from April 2, 2011," he concluded.