T20 World Cup 2014: 5 players who can win it for India

India can be counted as one of the favourites for the World T20 tournament that starts from March 16, if not for their recent form, but for the subcontinent conditions that are likely to favour them. Sri Lanka will start out as favourites, as they won the title last time. Bangladesh will be shouldering a lot of responsibility from the local crowds, and they have to really gear up and prove their worth in the group stages, not doing which can result in their not qualifying for further rounds.India have a decent pool of players to choose from, and they can go a long way in the tournament provided the elders in the squad find their feet. Here are 5 names who can really make it happen for India this time.

#5 Mohammed Shami

This new talent will debut for India as far as T20 cricket is concerned. But that does not mean that he will have a minor role to play. He will be one of India’s frontline bowlers as far as pace bowling goes, and will be partnering Varun Aaron and/or Bhuvneshwar Kumar, depending on who makes the playing XI. He has some nice statistics in T20 cricket, with 35 wickets from 24 games, and he has given just 14.60 runs per wicket and used just 13.60 deliveries to get the next wicket. These are pretty awesome numbers, and even though they came at the domestic level, they have prompted selectors to give him a chance for the upcoming international tournament.

He is a pretty regular selection in the ODI side currently (50 wickets in 29 games), and he really proved his worth in the series against New Zealand recently and in the Asia cup thereafter, taking wickets almost every game. The Bangladeshi pitches may not be of the greatest assistance to him, but with his talent and hunger for wickets, he may just do wonders for India. The 24-year old is a great fast bowling prospect that the team should groom, and he will contribute handsomely for years to come. He does have the potential to lead the attack like Zaheer Khan did some time back for India. He will, in all probability, make it to the squad for the World Cup next year as well, but much of that will depend on how this tournament and the few upcoming ones go for him. This is a great opportunity and stage for him to really make it count.

#4 Stuart Binny

His selection in the team is not surprising, given that India is in desperate need of a proper all-rounder. Binny will definitely fill up the void if he performs well, and might also replace Yuvraj as the next official all-rounder. Jadeja also fits into this role somewhat, but a fast bowling all-round option adds a completely different dimension to the team altogether. That is why Binny can be an asset for the team if he starts performing regularly. He has 765 runs from 59 games at a strike rate of 134.68, and 35 wickets at an average of 23.17 in T20s.

India do have competent batters as well as bowlers in their line-up, and somebody like him in the lower-middle order who can also bowl in the middle overs in tandem with the spinners will greatly enhance the team combination. He can prove to be handy in the death overs if a stiff target has to be achieved, and is equally capable with the ball and can fox batsmen with his variations in pace, making him a complete package. He will be picked for most games, and if he can contribute with both bat and ball, India may certainly have an edge over the other teams. We all saw the kind of impact Yuvraj had in the 2011 World Cup, and something like that from Binny would make things very easy for the Indians.

#3 Yuvraj Singh

The man gets a chance yet again, and it can be only attributed to his reputation of performing on the world stage. He was instrumental in the 2007 and the 2011 wins, and there is no reason he can’t produce something magical in 2014 as well. He produced a gem of an innings (77 off 35 balls) and got Man of the Match last time India played a T20, which was against Australia at Rajkot in October, 2013. He is currently India’s best bet as far as the shortest version of the game is concerned, and he can be a beacon of light for all the youngsters in the side, and guide them through the early phase of their careers, something which skipper MS Dhoni will also take part in, now that he returns to the side.

His ability to turn the game on its head, combined with his bowling that yields crucial wickets at the most needed times, and his ruthless hitting that make him such a dangerous customer, someone who opponents will definitely talk about in their team meetings. His recent form never holds any correlation to how he is going to play on a certain day. He can explode just whenever he wants, and India can be assured of a win more often than not when that happens. He will have favourable conditions in Bangladesh with no menacing pace on offer and the ball coming nicely on to the bat. He can try his hand at bowling getting all the assistance from the pitch that he needs, and he needs no second invitation to go after the bowlers. It will not matter where the fielders are, or whether or not it is a powerplay, he can change the course of the game if he so wants. All fans will be longing to see him in the midst of things this World Cup as well.

#2 Ravindra Jadeja

Jadeja is easily India’s most in-form spinner at present. He claimed over 50 ODI wickets last year, and has been consistent this year as well. He recently jumped to the 5th spot in the ICC World rankings, and his cameos with the bat also prove to be useful more often than not, which makes him all the more valuable to any team. He has revived India from tight situations on numerous occasions with some clever hitting, making him one of India’s best all-rounder in current times. Although only 25, he has played more than 100 ODIs as well as T20 internationals, thus he has experience which can prove very useful for the relatively young side that India is going in with.

He will partner Amit Mishra and Ashwin to ensure the conditions favouring spinners are utilised to the fullest. His fighting instinct will be wanted more so than anything. His knack of delivering the goods just at the right moment, be it a much needed wicket, or 20 quick runs at no. 7, Jadeja is usually there for you and equal to the task more often than not. He will have to play a major role and perform well in both departments, considering that India don’t have a fixed all-rounder. He is sure to be there for most of the games, while Binny and Yuvraj might be rotated as per requirement.

Jadeja won the Golden Ball in the ICC Champions Trophy last year, and it will be just perfect for India if he continues his magic in Bangladesh as well.

#1 Virat Kohli

India’s run-machine will be under a lot of limelight. Some would say that now because Dhoni is back as captain, pressure on him would be reduced considerably and he can bat freely. Not that he was bad in the Asia Cup (he got a hundred against Bangladesh), still he is bound to perform better if he has only one duty at hand, which is to bat. He is already breaking batting records of greats like Sir Viv Richards and Sachin Tendulkar, and many say he may go on to become the next ‘Master Blaster’. The conditions will be more than advantageous to him, as we have seen how well he does while playing in the subcontinent.

He is currently the no. 1 ODI batsmen, as he recently eclipsed AB de Villiers to get there. India have a pretty strong line-up with people like him and Dhawan in the top order and Yuvraj, Dhoni and Raina in the middle order. Kohli has learned enormously with experience, and he can control the pace of the game depending on the situation. Also, he has seen India home on numerous occasions before, and was not out till the end in a large percentage of those. It is still debatable whether he is ready for captaincy yet, but no one can doubt that he is one of the soundest batters in world cricket today. He proved his worth and South Africa and New Zealand as well by getting hundreds there, and Bangladesh should not give him any new conditions that may test him.

He just has to have a cool head and be rest assured that things will go his way when he is out there on the field. India desperately need his services. They need an anchor for the T20 innings, around whom other players can play. He can handle that role very well. Only time will tell how effectively he approaches the task at hand.