'IPL hasn't helped India's T20 cause'

Love it or hate it, but ignore the Indian Premier League at your own peril! Good or bad is not the question but the IPL is here to stay. However, this column is not a critical dissection of the league but as a follower of the game, this one question has been haunting me.

In all these years of IPL, what was most expected was a solid and consistent Indian T20 team and that's precisely what is still missing.

With the T20 WC set to kick off Bangladesh in a few days, I wish I could be very excited that the 'Men In Blue' would put up an exceptional performance in this edition.

The Indian team under Mahendra Singh Dhoni have had their glory days in Tests and ODI cricket but sadly in the shortest version, they went bust after the boom of 2007, when they stunned the cricketing world by winning the inaugural T20 WC in South Africa.

India so far has played 46 T20 Internationals since their debut in the format back in December 2006. They have won 25, lost 19 with one ending in a tie and the other being washed out.

The most disappointing aspect has been the team's failure to qualify for the semi-finals in 2009, 2010 and 2012 editions of the competition.

While the wickets in England in 2009 were not exactly conducive for the Indian batsmen, the strips in West Indies and Sri Lanka were more like sub-continental tracks where the team failed to win crucial matches.

One explanation for this string of failures can be the lack of T20 International matches per year, but that is adequately compensated by the number of matches our stars play in the IPL and Champions League Twenty20. 

The same bowlers that they face in the international circuit are charging at them during the IPL and they don't fare too badly there. Then what happens during international matches and especially during the World T20? 

There has to be a reason but whatever it is, it has been difficult for me to put a finger on it.

Let's talk about this edition and try a SWOT analysis of this Indian T20 team.

SWOT ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS: Mahendra Singh Dhoni's comeback makes a huge difference to the morale of the side. He is still one of the biggest game-changers in the shorter and shortest versions of the game. With a couple of weeks' rest, Dhoni must have recharged his batteries adequately. With a brilliant batsman like Virat Kohli in their ranks, India can beat any opponent on their day if the Delhi boy fires big time. The likes of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma also have capability of winning matches on their own. This is not to forget Suresh Raina, who in my opinion, is one of the finest batsmen in this format.

Another area of strength for India is the availability of two spinning all-rounders in Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin. Both of them have started contributing with the bat and this gives Mahi the option of playing an extra batsman or bowler.

WEAKNESSES: India's bowling is their biggest weakness. The bowling attack to be fair, is below par. Save Mohammed Shami, none of the other bowlers have looked the part for a consistent period of time. 

Bhuvneshwar Kumar's lack of pace can haunt him and the side. The second season is always tougher and Bhuvi needs to evolve.

Mohit Sharma has consistently bowled well in the IPL but at the international stage, he is untested. Varun Aaron is too erratic and in T20, one poor over can change the game. Ravi Ashwin off late, has not looked as sharp as he used to be.


Death bowling in particular, has been an area where the bowlers have struggled in the past couple of years and it seems that we still don't have the answers for it.

OPPORTUNITIES: Yuvraj Singh and Raina are two players who would like to prove a thing or two to their detractors who feel that both have passed their sell-by-date. All criticism kept aside, Raina is a terrific T20 player in sub-continental conditions. He needed a shake up and the exclusion from the Asia Cup couldn't have come at a more correct time. The break must have given Raina a chance to re-evaluate his game. He would like to board that Australia-bound flight next year for the 50-over World Cup. His fight will start at the World T20 and if he performs, it will certainly make a huge difference. For Yuvi, it will probably be one of the last chances to cement his place in the limited overs side. He has been scoring quite heavily in Vijay Hazare Trophy matches recently. If Yuvi can show flashes of his form in the 2007 World T20, we would certainly fancy our chances.

THREATS: Losing like winning is also a habit. The Indian team has lost more in recent times than they have won. Therefore, the team's motivation is at its lowest ebb going into a major tournament like the World T20. 

Some of the players like Kohli and Shami, have been playing non-stop cricket and the team management cannot afford to rest them during the World T20. The lack of a proper seam bowling all-rounder has also been a factor. 

The way Stuart Binny has been handled, shows that the team management doesn't have too much faith in him. Why else would a guy who scores consistently at the Ranji Trophy level, was called to bat below Ashwin?

So far in 2014, India have won only two ODI matches and that too against Afghanistan and Bangladesh. They have lost four matches against New Zealand and a match each against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. That means against premier nations, we haven't won anything this year. I would be surprised if it doesn't play at the back of their minds once they get into the field. But just like every Indian wants, I would like to see Mahi hold aloft the glittering trophy at the Shere-e-Bangla Stadium in Mirpur on April 6.