Five Reasons India can win the ICC Champions Trophy 2013

1. Good form of openers:

Both Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan have carried forward their good form shown during IPL, with Dhawan being the more lethal of the two. Having hit three consecutive international hundreds, this Delhi lad has cemented his place in the team now that old horses Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir are out of form, and out of the team in all probability. His athleticism in the field is an added advantage. Rohit Sharma has also done justice to his ‘more than a good batsman’ tag, and has played the role of senior opening batsman well.

2. Start of the summer:

The fact that this is just the start of a summer in England has proved to be an added advantage for Indian players, as conditions will be friendly for batting. At this time of the year, when the weather is comparatively milder, English tracks are generally good for batting, and the in-form Indian batsman can go that extra mile.

3. Rise of ‘Sir’ Ravindra Jadeja:

Ravindra Jadeja has been a revelation this season. He has batted well, taken wickets and is superb in the field. His purple patch has taken the monkey off Captain Dhoni’s back, with him playing the role of the extra batsman and also that of the fifth bowler. If he continues his good form, he can be finally take the position of the “all-rounder” that the Indian team has been searching for after the retirement of Kapil Dev. Players like Robin Singh, Dinesh Mongia, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan have come and perished, leaving the all-rounder slot up for grabs. Jadeja can surely fill the shoes if he continues his great form.

4. Pace battery:

The rise of speedster Bhuvneshwar Kumar has given Indian team a lethal bowler who can be used upfront. The swing he gets in the air is enough to trouble any world-class batsman, and is suitable in English conditions. His opening spells have been economical, which has been a boon. His opening bowling partner Umesh Yadav, on the other hand, relies on raw pace. He has hit the deck and contained the batsman. The lanky Ishant Sharma completes the pace trio. The bounce that Ishant gets due to the high arm action and good height makes life difficult for batsmen. Thus, this time around, the pace attack is a potent weapon in the tournament.

5. The ‘Mahi’ way:

MS Dhoni has always been the calming factor whenever any controversy has cropped up. In recent times, when spot fixing and betting have marred Indian cricket, he has been the reason that the team has remained calm and performed well. He has handled the media well amidst the scandals, and has shifted the focus back on pure and good cricket. He has marshalled his troops well, and has led from the front to instil the confidence back in the players to go for the kill.