World T20 2016: SWOT Analysis of the Indian team: Coming into the World T20, the Men in Blue are the red-hot favorites to lift the trophy this time around. In 2016, India has played exceptional cricket in the shortest form of the game and is seemingly a settled side. It’s incredible that India has almost played with an unchanged side in 2016 apart from the matches in which they have experimented with the side.
So far, India has played 11 T20 internationals this year and has emerged victorious in 10 matches losing just one game against Sri Lanka. In the last 7 matches, India has been undefeated. Recently, their impeccable performances earned them the crown of Asian Champions as well as they won the Asia Cup for a record sixth time.
But there’s a great saying that every coin has another side too. So, let’s dig deeper and analyze the various facets of this Indian team.
SportzWiki presents the SWOT analysis of the Indian team:
Strengths:
Strong batting line-up:
The Indian team is renowned for its brawny batting line-up and this side is certainly no exception. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have looked in imperious form this year and are seemingly capable of winning matches on their own. Yuvraj Singh and Hardik Pandya also showed decent run of form in the Asia Cup. While MS Dhoni’s dismantling cameo in the Asia Cup Finale gave us glimpses of the old Dhoni who use to blast away the opponent bowlers. All in all, the Indian batting packs a punch with a lot of depth in their ranks.
Balanced bowling line-up:
In Jasprit Bumrah and R Ashwin, team India possesses two X-factors on the bowling front. Apart from these two, Ashish Nehra has also transformed his experience into performances in T20Is. Ravindra Jadeja’s immaculate line and lengths make him a perfect foil to Ashwin. In the form of Hardik Pandya, Yuvraj Singh, and Suresh Raina, India has plenty of options to fulfill the quota of the fifth bowler.
Agile fielding unit:
It’s rare but true that India has one of the strongest fielding units in the world at present. The likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya are all known for their athleticism on the field. India’s ground fielding, in particular, has been exceptional and they save around 15-20 runs in every match.
Home conditions:
One of the best things about this World T20 for India is that it will be played in the favorable home conditions. Generally, the Indian pitches are low and slow and are tailor-made for the ascendancy of the Indian spinners. The sweet memories of 2011 World Cup will further boost India’s confidence in home conditions.
Captaincy of MSD:
When you have a captain like MS Dhoni who has led his nation to glory in all the ICC events, it feels as if India is in safe hands. The Man with the Midas touch, MSD has seen all the ups and downs in his captaincy tenure which has eclipsed 8 glorious years in international cricket. Dhoni knows how to get the best out of every individual in crunch situations.
Weakness:
Peaking too early:
We all are well aware that India is in scintillating form, this year as far as T20Is are concerned. India is certainly at the peak of its game with 10 wins in the last 11 matches. But every story has hidden secrets too. We have seen in the past that many teams have lost their momentum when it matters the most and have failed to replicate their pre-tournament form in the marquee events.
Fast bowling shortcomings:
In Jasprit Bumrah, India has a reliable pacer. But on many occasions, we have seen that Ashish Nehra who relies heavily on swing upfront leaks runs when the pitch is flat and his death bowling has also been under the scanner. Hardik Pandya also lacks the required variation and can be taken to the cleaners. Mohammed Shami will be returning to the side after a long injury lay-off, so he will be vulnerable as well.
Lack of substantial practice for the middle and lower-order:
Indian top-order has been in such a rich vein of form that it has denied enough time in the middle for the likes of Yuvraj Singh, Hardik Pandya, MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja. They have got limited opportunities to spend a considerable amount of time in the middle.
Complacency:
India has been in such a marvelous form off late that all the other participating teams in the World T20 are looking relatively weak. The home conditions have also strengthened India’s chances in the World T20. There might be a case where the players might start taking the opponents for granted considering their triumphant run of form and home conditions in World T20.
Opportunities:
First team to win the World T20 twice:
Looking at the startling form of the side and the helpful home conditions, India would have set their sights on becoming the first team to win the World T20 twice after missing out on the feat in the previous World T20 final.
Become a trendsetter:
In World Cup 2011, team India scripted history when they turned out to be the first nation in the world to win the 50-overs World Cup at their own backyard. No team had ever achieved this remarkable feat in the first nine editions of the World Cup. Now, with the World T20 taking place in India, the Men in Blue would look to become the first team ever to win the World T20 at home as well.
Threats:
Asian teams:
Teams like Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh are familiar with the sub-continent conditions, unlike the non-Asian teams who find it difficult to adapt to the alien sub-continent conditions. They might well prove to be the biggest threat to the Indians.
Pitches:
We have seen in the past that the Indian pitches have been extremely flat, thereby taking away the Indian spinners out of the game. If that’s the case this time around as well then it will bring all the teams into contention on an equal note.
Nature of the format:
T20 cricket is a format of the game which changes its dynamics in a matter of one over. So, you can never count any team out of the game in 20-overs cricket as on any given day any team can hand over a defeat to any side. And we have come across many such results in the past as well.
India Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (c) , Rohit Sharma, Shikar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja , Hardik Pandya, R Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh, Jasprit Bhumrah, Ashish Nehra, Pawan Negi, Mohd Shami
**ALL STATS UPDATED TILL 9TH MARCH 2016.