T-20 World Cup - India's chances

The Games have begun. Yes, I am speaking about the T-20 World Cup. Tonight at 10:20 PM Indian Time, the men-in-blue would clash with Bangladesh.

Talking about the expectations from the Indian team, well, they are huge. Not only because they are the defending champions, but simply because the team is in great shape with probably 6-7 match winners. Take a look at the stats below.

Let me give a brief about whom I am talking about in this edition of the T20 World Cup:

Mahendra Singh Dhoni: The born leader. A natural attacker. Most importantly, a fearless captain. With a strike rate of 103.85, he can demolish any bowling attack on a given day.

STRENGTHS:

Sharp captain, great wicket keeper and batsman, enjoys the respect of the team, a big hitter and a match winner.
WEAKNESS:

Seems to be a bit vulnerable against quality spin attack.

Yuvraj Singh:

A whooping 164.77 is his strike rate. The day he gets going, it's curtains for the opposition. A terrific player on his day. More dangerous than Dhoni. Can take a game in favor of you in just a few overs.
STRENGTHS:

One of the biggest hitters of the modern game, Yuvi rocks! Fluent against pace attacks. Add to that his credentials on the field and his part-time spin!

WEAKNESS:

Doesn't play spin that well.

Virender Sehwag:

Explosive. A strike rate of 144.8. Never seen a batsman bat with such authority (apart from Tendulkar) and hitting bowlers all around the park with disdain. I put my money on him. If he is fit and on song, it could create a crisis for the opposition. The day Viru fires, we have a match on our hands. Never mind who the opposition is. [And never mind all those fishy controversies surrounding him and Dhoni about having an ego clash]

STRENGTHS:

Hand eye coordination. Fabulous strike rate. A power player.

WEAKNESS:

Poor footwork and temperament at times.

Gautam Gambhir:

This guy has silently won our hearts. A fabulous left hander. Probably the best Indian lefty after our very own dada (in his golden days) and Yuvi. Good player of pace and spin as well. And a great fielder in the 30 yards circle.

STRENGTHS:

Temperament, cool head on his shoulders and a great player of spin.

WEAKNESS:

Nothing really.

Rohit Sharma:

This is the guy we have to watch. The recent IPL showed ample proof of his credibility. Can anchor the ship, as well as attack with equal ease. Add to that his fielding and part time bowling. Remember him taking a hattrick in this edition of the IPL?

STRENGTHS: Can anchor the innings once the top 3 are down, bowling prowess

WEAKNESS: Needs to mature

Zaheer Khan:

If he is fit, he is the spearhead of the Indian pace attack. His experience would be essential if India has to make an impact in this edition of the T20 World Cup. Give him a bowl - at the start or the death. He will deliver the goods. Be it yorkers or bouncers or slowers or cutters, he has it all. And with an impeccable line and length, the batsmen will find him hard to play.

STRENGTHS:

Lethal yorkers and bouncers. Experience.
WEAKNESS:

Fitness issues

Only concern is: Is he fit enough?

And after these fab 6, we have the Pathan brothers, RP Singh, Ishant Sharma, Harbhajan, Sreesanth, Raina and Uthappa. R.Jadeja and Murali Karthik could also play vital roles. Suresh Raina and Yusuf Pathan are my dark horses. So, all in all, Indians are in with a big chance. If the guys fire, there is hardly a team that can stop Team India from bagging the trophy.

Only worry: After the recently concluded IPL, are the players fresh enough?

What do you think, readers?

Image source: http://www.cricinfo.com/, Google

Statistics: http://www.cricinfo.com/