There are a lot of expectations from the Indian cricket team at the T20 World Cup 2021, which got underway with the qualifying round on October 17.
The Virat Kohli-led side will open their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan in Dubai on October 24 in the Super 12s phase.
Meanwhile, the Men in Blue have looked well prepared for the showpiece tournament with comprehensive victories over England and Australia in the warm-up fixtures. While Team India defeated England by 7 wickets, they thrashed Australia by 9 wickets.
Ahead of the main event, 2007 T20 World Cup hero Yuvraj Singh weighed in on India’s chances, saying that the squad is looking balanced and strong and the team can add a second T20 World Cup trophy to their cabinet.
See Also: Nasser Hussain says India aren't clear favorites; knockout stage still a concern
"It is not only about the captain; the whole team needs to perform. Then only you can win the title. I feel India has a great T20 side but the T20 format is very unpredictable. One session of five overs can take away the game," Yuvraj told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive chat.
"I feel Team India has the same depth as Mumbai Indians. They have 5,6,7 and 8 as allrounders. The left-right combinations. Hardik, Krunal, Pollard are there. They have depth in their batting. They have allrounders. We do have a side like that. If you look at Jadeja, Hardik, and Rishabh, we have a strong side. New guys are also coming in. We have a strong batting lineup. We have all-rounders. We have a strong batting lineup till number 8 and we have a mix of extra bowlers," he added.
Pitches in the T20 World Cup are expected to assist the spinners and teams with quality spinners will certainly have an upper hand.
India have the likes of R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Rahul Chahar, and Varun Chakaravarthy in their ranks.
"I feel we (India) have a very good chance. The UAE wickets can get slow in the second half. So, spinners come in very handy. So, we have a really good, balanced side," Yuvraj opined.
After facing Pakistan, India will take on New Zealand and Afghanistan on October 31 and November 3 in Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively while their games against the two qualifying teams (Scotland and to be confirmed) will be held in Dubai on November 5 and November 8.
(With TOI inputs)
