T20 World Cup Preview | Can India’s hot streak in T20Is culminate in creating history at home?

‌With the legendary trio of skipper Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja announcing their exit after the victorious 2024 T20 World Cup campaign in the West Indies, the Indian cricket team feared transition blues as they set out to put the building blocks in preparation for the next edition. But all those fears vanished into thin air with the side developing into a world beater in the shortest format in the subsequent 18 months.

No surprise that the all-guns-blazing Men in Blue are being considered the hot favourites for the upcoming edition of the marquee event, which the side will co-host alongside Sri Lanka starting February 7. This is despite the fact that no other team has defended the title successfully, or ever won it at home from the tournament’s inaugural edition in 2007 in South Africa.

Recap - 2024 T20 World Cup

But before we jump into the current edition, a quick recap of how the Men in Blue ended their 11-year ICC title drought in Barbados in 2024. Captain Rohit Sharma led from the front with the bat, finishing as the top run getter for the side, and second overall, with 257 runs at an average of 36.71 and a strike rate of 156.70. But what stood out in the champions’ favour was a collective display with the bat, with the side putting their hands up whenever the skipper failed at the top. That was evident from Suryakumar Yadav’s two fifties, or from Hardik Pandya’s crucial knocks, with the biggest being Virat Kohli striking form just at the right time in the summit clash against South Africa.

With the ball too, it was more or less the same story with Arshdeep Singh finishing as the joint-highest wicket taker in the competition with 17 wickets. Jasprit Bumrah stood out for his stunning economy and average of 4.17 and 8.26, respectively, picking up 15 wickets as Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel also had their moments with the ball. And what made the campaign so special was five different players winning the Player of the Match awards in the side’s five games, starting from the Super Eights till the final.

The journey since…

Though six players from the title-winning final in Barbados were part of the side in the last T20I against New Zealand on Saturday, the Men in Blue had undergone significant changes in the way they approach the game to develop into a fearless unit. With Suryakumar taking over the mantle of captaincy, India pushed the envelope of aggressive batting at the top to unimaginable levels courtesy of the swashbuckling Abhishek Sharma, who has quickly turned into a nightmare for bowlers.

The left-handed opener, who made his T20I debut against Zimbabwe a week after the title win in 2024, has gone on to become one of the most destructive batters in the shortest format. In just 37 innings, the 25-year-old has smashed two hundreds and eight fifties to amass 1,297 runs at an average above 37 and an astonishing strike rate of 194.74, hitting a boundary every 3.16 balls. His exploits in the powerplay has not only pushed the team to tall totals but also given players coming below enough time and balls to take the innings forward.

On the other hand, Varun Chakravarthy has been phenomenal with the ball, mirroring what Abhishek does with the bat. After going out of the Indian setup post a forgettable wicketless campaign in the 2021 World Cup, the mystery spinner stormed into the Indian T20 side during the Bangladesh series in 2024 and has never looked back ever since. With just two wickets to show from his first six games, the Tamil Nadu spinner has pocketed 57 scalps in his next 30 games to quickly evolve as the go-to bowler for the side whenever they need wickets. The number one batter and the number one bowler in the world in the shortest format have pushed India, the top T20I side, to dizzying heights in the last year and a half.

Form Guide

The side has been in sizzling form and yet to lose a bilateral T20 series after the last World Cup. They have registered eight bilateral series victories together at home and abroad, apart from winning the Asia Cup T20 title in Dubai last year. In the recently concluded five-match series against New Zealand at home, the side showed why they are the most feared unit in the shortest format, thrashing the visitors by a 4-1 margin. Four of India's highest totals in the format have come since the last T20 World Cup, including a table-topping 297/6 against Bangladesh, as hev four of their five biggest T20I victories The Men in Blue will enter the showpiece event as the best outfit, by a distance, with confidence and momentum of an imperious run in the recent past.

IND since the last T20 World Cup: W 33 L 6 NR 3 (wins include two Super Overs)

Key Factors

Though Abhishek Sharma has been a revelation with his exploits in the powerplay, the return to form of skipper Suryakumar Yadav augurs well for the co-hosts. As former captain Rohit Sharma rightly mentioned, SKY is one batter who can take the good balls past the boundary line and deflate a bowling attack at will. His 242 runs, including three fifties, in the five-match series against the Kiwis at an exceptional average of 80.66 and an astonishing strike rate of 196.74 augur well for the Men in Blue.

Add Ishan Kishan to the mix, and the side looks a very dangerous proposition ahead of the World Cup. The southpaw, who was initially chosen as the backup keeper for Sanju Samson, has been fortunate to come into the starting XI courtesy of Tilak Varma’s absence following a medical procedure. And he has welcomed that opportunity with both hands, and left the management pondering on whether to pick Kishan ahead of a woefully out-of-form Sanju Samson.

India has done well to go into the marquee event in the best possible way, but they should guard themselves from any complacency, as the format is fickle enough to produce upsets at the flash of an eye. Additionally, the side, having played so much cricket, would do well to manage the workloads of key resources like Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya. Any injury to key personnel will result in the side losing its balance, costing it dearly. The pace-bowling all-rounder going out of the side in the 2023 ODI World Cup is a case in point, though Mohammed Shami more than made up for his absence with the ball.

Probable line-up: 1 Abhishek Sharma 2 Sanju Samson/ Ishan Kishan (wk) 3 Tilak Varma 4 Suryakumar Yadav 5 Hardik Pandya 6 Axar Patel 7 Rinku Singh 8 Shivam Dube/ Harshit Rana 9 Varun Chakarvarthy 10 Jasprit Bumrah 11 Arshdeep Singh/ Kuldeep Yadav

Plan A and Plan B

Plan A was on show throughout the Kiwi series, with Abhishek and Surya looking in fine nick to take the side to huge totals, and all other batters also chipping in with quickfire cameos. And then you have Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah who can run through oppositions in any phase of the game with the spin duo of Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel applying the brakes in the middle phase.

But, in case the no-holds-barred approach of the top order fails, just like in the fourth T20I in Vizag, it will be left to Tilak and Hardik to consolidate the innings and take the side to safety. Similarly, the pace duo were expensive in the high-scoring duel with economies of 10.50 and 9.46, respectively, with Varun also averaging nine runs an over. In case Bumrah or Abhishek have an off day, and unfortunately, if that is in the business end of the tournament, India will be pushed to the wall.

India's squad for the T20 World Cup: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh

Verdict: Favourites by a distance

With the ability to bat deep, while also being aggressive, and a handful of all-rounders who can turn up with the ball, the side has a well-balanced squad in the shorter format. Having broken the ICC title hoodoo and with a right mix of experience and youth, including a plethora of match-winners, India look hot favourites, and the team to beat, in their backyard.