The World T20 is just around the corner and the Indians are going to Bangladesh (again) to try and set a few things straight. Bruised and battered in back-to-back ‘away’ tours, the Indians will eye vengeance in the shortest version of the game.
History repeats itself?
We’ve often heard that history goes about in cycles and ends up repeating itself. If that’s the case, the Indians have a strong reason to believe that this year, is the year. The Indian team, if one recalls with fond memories had won the inaugural edition of the tournament in an epic win against Pakistan in 2007. It’s been seven years since that historic win, and the Indian team would love a turnaround this time soon. India’s records in T20 matches too have been very decent and if they want to win some goodwill back, this is the opportune tournament for that.
Captain Cool
We might have despised him after two embarrassing defeats in overseas tours at the hands of New Zealand and South Africa, but we have realised that no one can fill into his big boots, especially after how the Asia Cup unfolded. Kohli might have performed well at an individual level, but Dhoni’s absence did hurt the overall vibe, especially in the big matches against the stronger contenders – Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. While Kohli did prove that he can handle stress and still let his bat do the talking, he was pretty ineffective when it came to strategic decisions and discussions with the press. Dhoni is a much more experienced and mature captain and he brings a sense of calm even when things aren’t going right.
Apart from his temperament, the man also has staggering numbers to back his credibility. He’s by far the most successful Indian captain, who’s led the Indian team since the inaugural edition of the World T20 began. Apart from that, he’s led the Indian team in all formats of the game and that should give him some extra confidence that comes from experience.
Home-like conditions
Before we jump to conclusions and say that team India just returned from yet another humiliating loss despite the same ‘home-like’ conditions, one should remember that we are talking about a completely new tournament. The squad has a lot of other names, the man at the helm is different and the format is different as well. The Indians have been pretty successful in the T20 version, and given the nature of the format, it doesn’t require much acclimatisation.
The experience the Indians have gained from the IPL, which is played predominantly on Indian soil, similar to Bangladeshi conditions, can be of a lot of help. Their close interactions with IPL team-mates, some of whom they will be up against will also be of a lot of significance.
Overall, the team performances might have been poor, but there have been individual stand-out performances. This is important because it takes only one man to change the course of the game in T20, unlike the other formats, where the entire team needs to perform as a unit. Also, Yuvraj Singh, who is known for his comebacks, will be returning to the competitive version of this game. There is loads to look forward from him. The bowling looks lacklustre, and that is where the Indian need to pull their socks up and deliver. It is a batsman’s game, but the bowlers need to ensure that they aren’t belted around. Therein lies the key.