With team India on a formidable run, winning 10 of their last 12 Twenty 20 matches played in 2016, the Men in Blue entering the World T20 are clear favourites.
The only loss for the World Cup hosts came against Sri lanka, but the team made amends for it, beating the Islanders comfortably in the next two games to win the series 2-1.
Either side of that defeat India have notched up impressive victories, winning all three games in Australia and capturing the Asia Cup title unbeaten.
Since the beginning of 2014, India have won 13 matches and lost only five versus the top ten teams in the shortest format. No other country could match that record.
The proper balance in squad has been a big plus point for the hosts. The present squad has a perfect blend of batting and bowling and the tremendous improvement in the fielding ever since Mahendra Singh Dhoni has taken over as the captain.
India’s biggest advantage is, having a settled line-up which is scarcely rotated barring a player being injured or rested.
To begin with the opening pair of Shikhar Dhawan-Rohit Sharma, India have the perfect right-left combination at top of the tree. If one fails to deliver, the other player takes up the responsibility to give the perfect start.
The left-hander Dhawan struggled to make an impact in Asia Cup by scoring just 19 runs of the opening three games, during which time Rohit Sharma made up for his partner’s misery with a well paced 54 runs.
However, in the final against Bangladesh when the Mumbaikar got out cheaply for a mere run, Dhawan stepped up and notched a match winning 60.
Next in line is the in-form Virat Kohli. The Delhi born player is the top run scorer for India in the shortest format of game. Kohli has 1368 runs from 35 matches to his name at an impressive average of 52.61 and a decent strike rate of 133.07.
The Blues have a solid middle order with Suresh Raina, Yuraj Singh and not to mention Captain Cool -Dhoni. Whenever, the team is in a spot of bother, Dhoni enters the field and the rest becomes history.
Not long ago in the Asia Cup final, when India needed 19 of the last two overs, Dhoni dished out an impressive 20-runs of just six balls — including three sixes — to secure the title.
Disciplined bowling
India’s bowling has also improved immensely lately. Since January 2014, Indian pacers scalped 46 wickets, at an average of 22.47. Spinners record makes an even great reading as India have picked an astonishing 66 wickets at an average of 19.60 and at a remarkable economy rate of 6.55. No other country has a better performance than India in these two departments in that period.
India has the perfect blend between youth and experience in the bowling line-up as the likes of Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Pawan Negi have the experienced veterans in the form of Ashish Nehra, Harbhajan Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin to nurture them.
The former Chennai Super Kings spinner Ashwin has the most No of wickets among any Indian bowlers with 46 at an impressive average of 21.56 and economy rate of 6.84.
Among the seamers, Ashish Nehra, who proves to be a limelight for those calling T20 game as a young man’s game, is still glittering at the age of 36. He has taken the most wickets among pace bowlers with 26. However, the recent impressive showings of Bumrah and Pandya will only make India a strong contender for the coveted title.
All-round unit
Possessing multi-functioning players like Yuvraj, Ravindra Jadeja, Pandya and Ashwin — to an extent — will only help India in scoring the extra few runs as well as pocketing a couple of wickets while bowling.
Yuvi’s stats particularly make an impressive reading. Yuvraj is India’s fourth highest run scorer in the shortest format with 1082 runs and he is also the second highest wicket taker for the country in this format with 27. Even though the left-hander has struggled for runs lately, his ability to pick up key wickets will give a great alternative for Dhoni if his main stars are not in rhythm on a given particular day.
Depth in selection
India finally have the luxury of an in-depth squad with a proper alternate replacement in virtually every department.
But this might give the team management a different kind of headache in terms of selecting the final playing eleven.
Among others, the two names who are set to miss out are Ajinkya Rahane and Harbhajan Singh.
For Rahane to get a look in, any one of the openers in Shikhar Dhawan or Rohit Sharma should be either injured or dropped.
Due to the in-depth settled middle order India have, it will be difficult for Dhoni to fit him in middle either without dropping another player.
For Harbhajan, he needs anyone of Ashwin or Jadeja to be left out, which looks highly unlikely at the moment considering the way both have been recently.
If the scenario is this difficult for an experienced bowler like Harbhajan, one can only feel for Negi. Until and unless a miracle happens, the Delhi youngster must have to be content being a 12th man and providing drinks for his teammates.
Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt, wk), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Ashish Nehra, Harbhajan Singh, Pawan Negi, Ajinkya Rahane, Mohammed Shami.