T20 World Cup 2016 India profile: MS Dhoni's side are the favourites to win at home

Coach: Ravi Shastri

ICC World Ranking: 1

Squad: MS Dhoni (C&WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Shikhar Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, Mohammad Shami, Pawan Negi, Ashish Nehra, Hardik Pandya, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh.

Fixtures

Match 1: India vs New Zealand, Group 2

Date and Time: 15 March – 2pm GMT/7.30pm IST

Venue: Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur

Match 2: India vs Pakistan, Group 2

Date and Time: 19 March – 2pm GMT/7.30pm IST

Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Match 3: India vs TBD (Qualifier 1A), Group 2

Date and Time: 23 March – 2pm GMT/7.30pm IST

Venue: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore

Match 4: India vs Australia, Group 2

Date and Time: 27 March – 2pm GMT/7.30pm IST

Venue: Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Chandigarh

Overview: The favourites to win the T20 World Cup 2016, India come into the competition on the back of some scintillating performances in the T20 format. The team lead by MS Dhoni, whitewashed Australia 3-0 in Australia while winning the Asia Cup comfortably earlier this month.

The number one ranked side who are playing at home, have a number of match-winners in their side, but what has been impressive though is the emergence of young quick bowlers in Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, who give a different dimension to this side.

If India play to potential and the pitches favour them, then come April 3, fans could see MS Dhoni lifting the World T20 cup for a second time.

Key player

Virat Kohli: The Player of the Series in the last edition of the T20 World Cup, Virat Kohli has seen himself rise to meteoric heights since then. From taking over the run-making mantle to being appointed captain of the test team, the Delhi lad has not put a step wrong.

Kohli is averaging an unbelievable 52 in the T20 format along with a strike rate of 133, add to this the passion he brings on to the field and you know you have the total package. Though India have big hitters at the top of the order, Kohli will be expected to fire if India have to progress to the latter stages of the tournament.

World Cup history: India won the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, they reached the finals of the 2014 edition but lost to eventual winners Sri Lanka.

Prediction: India are drawn in Group 2 along side Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand and the winner of the Group A qualifiers. Playing at home and with Ashwin and Kohli in their ranks, we predict that India will progress to the knock-out stages.