NEW DELHI: Defending champions India will enter the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup as firm favourites, and few voices carry more weight on the matter than Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The former India captain, who famously led the team to the inaugural T20 World Cup title in 2007, believes the hosts have all the ingredients to go deep in the tournament, while underlining the fine margin that can destroy even the strongest teams in the shortest format.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!Led by Suryakumar Yadav, India began their campaign against the United States at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday. The top-ranked side are coming off the back of a dominant 4-1 series win over New Zealand, extending their run to nine consecutive bilateral T20 series victories and cementing their status as pre-tournament favorites on home soil.
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Explaining why Team India excels, Dhoni said: “They are one of the most dangerous teams. You know, they would have started, batting or bowling. But what is needed in a good team and everything is there. They have experience. Especially in this format, experience is huge. They have played under pressure. Whoever plays, whatever role they play in the team, they play in the team for a long time.”However, Dhoni was quick to point out his biggest fears ahead of the tournament. “Which worries me, I hate dew. Dew changes a lot of things. So even though I played something that really freaked me out, it was the dew where the roll became decisive and stuff,” he said. “If you’re playing 10 games against some of the best teams, we’re going to come out victorious more often than not if the conditions stay, the conditions are neutral and all that.”Dhoni also highlighted the unpredictability that defines T20 cricket. “The problem is when some of your players have an off day and someone from the opposition has a great day. And that can happen in T20 cricket,” he said, stressing the importance of timing and luck. “Whether it happens in the league stage, whether it happens in the knockout stage, that’s where all the prayers are needed. Nobody should get injured. Whatever roles are assigned, people should fulfill their roles for the team.”He signed off with the familiar caveat: “And if that’s the case, I don’t want to slander it by saying anything, but it’s one of the most dangerous teams out there.”
