The T20 World Cup is just three months away and the Indian team will enter the contest as favourites. But entering the tournament as favourites and actually going on to win the trophy are two different things. For the past seven ICC tournaments, India has started the tournament as the front runner but has not found a way to go all the way.
Now again India will be one of the teams on which a lot of cricket fans would be betting to win the tournament. Are you interested in betting but don’t know where to start? Don’t worry we’ve got you covered!
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Before placing a bet with the help of Indianbettingsites.online, it is crucial to understand whether Team India has what it takes to lift the trophy this time around. For this, we have to go through the strengths and weaknesses of the Men in Blue to make a rational call.
Let’s look at the areas where Team India needs to work on
1. Playing a settled playing XI:
Did you know the team combination that played against Pakistan in the opening match of the 2021 T20 World Cup was never tried before? We know what happened next.
India dropped their in-form leg spinner, Yuzvendra Chahal, for a newbie Rahul Chahar and Varun Chakravarthy who is nowhere to be found in the Indian setup now. It is important for a team to play in a settled unit where players feel that their place is secure.
Entering with a whole new combination in such a mega event is highly risky. We see the effort from Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid now as they are giving the players enough chances to make a case but before the World Cup, the team should know what is their best XI.
2. Form of Virat Kohli affecting the Team Combination
Without a doubt, Virat Kohli will go down as the greatest batter in all three formats. But his form has been a matter of concern for a long time now. This year, Kohli hasn’t been at his best. He has got out either to an unplayable ball or other times his luck hasn’t favoured him.
But this lack of form can play a massive hurdle in India’s chances in the mega event. Kohli is likely to play at the crucial number 3 position and in case he fails to regain his form, India can be two down in no time which will put a burden on the middle order to consolidate the innings. Kohli has gone from being a big strength of the Indian team to now becoming a sign of worry. How times change!
3. Fitness issues of their main players
A massive concern for Rohit and Rahul Dravid will be to look after their main players like Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya who are injury-prone cricketers. Bumrah has already been ruled out of the Asia Cup due to a back injury. He is currently going through rehab and it is to be seen if he will regain fitness just in time for the World Cup.
On the other hand, Indian captain Rohit Sharma himself has a rich history of missing out on important overseas tours due to his poor fitness. His leadership and batting will play a crucial role for India, so his presence in the team is absolutely necessary.
Let us consider India’s strengths which will be vital in deciding whether they will lift the title this time:
1. Rohit Sharma’s leadership
We can criticize Rohit Sharma’s fitness, but we have to applaud him for his leadership skills. Ever since he has taken over the full-time captaincy of India, the Men in Blue are having a gala time. They are yet to lose an international series and currently are on a winning streak.
Kohli was an amazing leader but somehow luck hasn’t favoured him which is why he has not won a single trophy for India. On the other hand, even before Rohit became a full-time leader of India, he led the country to a Nidhihas Trophy win and Asia Cup title in the same year. At the same time, Rohit has won five titles for MI in the world’s toughest league. His leadership will be a huge positive for Team India.
2. Excellent track record in Australia
India hasn’t lost a T20I series against Australia in Australia in over a decade. Yes, you read that right. India’s last series loss against the Aussies down under came in 2008. Since then, India has drawn the series twice (in 2012 and 2018) and won the series twice (in 2016 and 2020).
As a matter of fact, India is the only team to whitewash Australia in T20Is in their own backyard. They achieved this feat in 2016. This statistic would bring confidence to the Indian unit as it shows that the Men in Blue are more than comfortable playing T20s in Australia.
3. Blend of young match winners and experienced campaigners
Indian team has no shortage of experience on their side. The likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Dinesh Karthik, and Ravindra Jadeja have been playing for a long time. Experience brings calmness to a dressing room as the players would have faced almost every kind of situation on the cricket field. So they would have an idea of how to tackle it.
At the same time, India has an abundance of young talent with the likes of Arshdeep Singh, Deepak Hooda, and Avesh Khan who will form a deadly unit with the experienced campaigners. This blend of youth and experience is a proven formula for success if the team gels well.
4. X-factor players
Team India not only has the strongest bench in the world but also has the presence of X-factor players like Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, and Yuzvendra Chahal who can change the game singlehandedly. Now, the resurgence of Hardik Pandya as an all-rounder has further strengthened India’s balance.
To win a big tournament, a team has to have certain players who have the calibre to turn the match on its head and India certainly has no shortage of talent in that aspect.