Former Indian captain MS Dhoni has labelled the current Indian squad as “one of the most formidable teams” entering the upcoming T20 World Cup. Speaking on the team’s prospects at an event, Dhoni expressed confidence in the squad’s composition, emphasizing that they possess the depth and maturity required to succeed on the global stage.
Dhoni highlighted the vast experience of the players as a primary asset. “It’s one of the most dangerous teams. You know, they would have already started, batting or bowling. But what all is needed in a good team and everything is there. They have the experience. Especially when it comes to this format, the experience is vast. They have played under pressure. Whoever is playing, whatever roles they are playing in the team, they have been in that situation for a considerable period of time.”
The former Indian skipper believes that this familiarity with crunch moments makes India a “dangerous” opponent for any side, and believes that if the playing conditions remain neutral, India’s sheer quality would see them emerge victorious more often than not against top-tier opposition.
However, the legendary strategist was quick to temper his optimism with a specific concern: the impact of dew. Drawing from his own tenure as captain, Dhoni admitted that dew was one of the few external factors that genuinely worried him. “What worries me again, I hate dew. Dew changes a lot of things. So even when I was playing something that really scared me was dew where the toss becomes crucial and all of that. If you are playing 10 matches with some of the best teams, we will come out as winners more often than not if the conditions remain neutral.”
Heavy dew can drastically alter the game’s dynamics, often reducing the contest to the luck of the toss rather than pure skill, handicapping bowlers and altering the playing field in ways that are difficult to mitigate tactically.
Beyond environmental factors, Dhoni also touched upon the inherent volatility of T20 cricket. He warned that the format allows for little margin for error; a single brilliant performance from an opposition player or a collective “off day” for the batting unit can lead to an exit, regardless of a team’s strength.
“The problem is when some of your players have a day off and somebody from the opposition has a brilliant day. And it can happen in T20 cricket. Whether it happens in a league stage, whether it happens in the knockout stage, that’s where all the prayers are needed. Nobody should get injured. Whatever roles are given, people should accomplish their roles for the team.”
MSD was cautiously optimistic through it all, rounding things up by reiterating his belief that this Indian side has all the makings of a champion team. “I don’t want to jinx it by saying anything, but it’s one of the most dangerous teams.”
India enters the T20 World Cup as champions, and know full well the heartbreak of excelling throughout the tournament only to fall short at the final hurdle. But one can argue that this team has powered up since winning the title in thrilling fashion in 2024, with solutions for virtually any challenge at any stage of the game. The Boys in Blue kick off their campaign against the USA on Feb 7th at Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium, and a billion fans will be roaring their heroes on to win it all one more time.
