Can India defend World T20 Title?

Indian Premier League (IPL) fever may be over, but the Twenty20 format continues to soar. With the stage set for the ICC World Twenty20 2009 in England next month, all eyes are on just one team -defending champions India. The reasons are many; some feel the team has the right balance and player ingredients for Twenty20 cricket, others are doubtful it can overcome fatigue and fitness barriers, and still others wait with intense curiosity to see how Dhoni’s men will handle the pressure of defending their crown.

A month-and-a-half long tour of New Zealand, followed by cramped IPL 2009 scheduling of IPL, saw many Indian cricketers lose their steam mid-way through the Indian Premier League. The form of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir is a huge concern, while many key players like Yuvraj Singh and captain MS Dhoni carried a niggle or two for most of IPL. Sehwag sat out for five matches due to a finger injury, while Zaheer Khan is still nursing a shoulder injury that he picked up during the tournament.

Prominent personalities from the world of cricket have reacted differently; here are some of their views:

Sachin Tendulkar, the Indian legend, said, “We come as a package. I am certain this package is the best in business at the moment. This package has everything which is necessary to make us world champions once again. India is the most balanced side in the world and there is no doubt we can defend the title. We have very good cricketers in our side and we have proved that this combination is the deadliest.”

He also tipped the pacers to come good saying that, “It is on par with the best. Zaheer,Ishant and RP Singh form a lethal combination, particularly in English conditions. Our seam attack has a lot of variety and would come handy in such conditions. On our day we can demolish any batting side.”

South African coach Mickey Arthur felt India has more game-breakers than any other team in the world. He said, “I think any team has the ability to win this competition. Every team has game-breakers and you only have to have your game-breaker coming off once to win you a game, the game is so short that one major performance wins you a game. But obviously, a team like India has more game-breakers than most teams, so they are definitely going to be one to keep an eye on.”

Dilip Vengsarkar, former Indian captain and selector feels that many Indian players will be mentally tired and might fall short of everyone’s expectations. He also thinks that it will be a huge challenge for Kirsten and his support staff to recuperate the team. “The Indian players are now in a situation where they play two high-pressure Twenty20 tournaments back-to-back and that’s never ideal,” he said.

However, the man who matters most, Indian captain MS Dhoni played it safe saying, “When you play so many matches you do get tired, after all it’s a human body. There was no time to rest for the players. But fatigue is a part of Indian cricket. Till now Indian players have done well with it.”