Dhoni backs India to defend trophy
Ancient India captain MS Dhoni says current team has 'everything' to compete in T20 World Cup, which begins on Saturday.
India start as favorites given the strength of their roster and the fact that they are co-hosting the tournament with Sri Lanka.
And Dhoni, who led his country to the title in 2007, is confident that the Suryakumar Yadav-led side is a complete package as they seek to become the first nation to defend the trophy.
“What you need in a good team, it’s all there,” Dhoni said. “They have the experience, especially when it comes to this format, the experience is vast. They have played under pressure. Whoever plays, whatever roles they play in the team, they have been in this situation for a considerable amount of time.”
Dhoni worried by dew
India's depth in this format is frightening with Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal unable to break into the XI.
There are, however, things they cannot control, such as the draw and the impact of dew which can often affect matches on the subcontinent, helping teams go on.
Dhoni added: “What worries me, again, I hate dew. Dew changes a lot of things. Even when I was playing, something that really scared me was dew, where the toss becomes crucial and all that.”
T20 cricket is unpredictable, admits former India captain Dhoni
The only other element that could hamper India's chances is the very nature of T20 cricket – a crash-bang-wallop format that includes an element of risk.
“If we play 10 matches against some of the best teams, we will come out on top more often than not, if the conditions are neutral and all that,” Dhoni said.
“The problem is some of your players have an off day and someone from the opposition has a brilliant day, and that can happen in T20 cricket. So this is the time – whether it's the league stage or the knockout stage, that's when all the prayers are needed.
“You know, no one should get hurt. Whatever roles are given, people have to do their part for the team. And if that's the case, I don't want to jinx it, but it's one of the most dangerous teams.”
India opens its campaign against the United States this weekend.
2026-02-04 13:07:00
