Sachin Tendulkar believes Dhoni and Yuvraj can lead India to World T20 triumph

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar expressed confidence that India can emulate their 2007 World T20 success, thanks to the likes of skipper MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and youngster Jasprit Bumrah, whom the Mumbaikar feels will be the game changer for the Men in Blue, Times of India reports.

Tendulkar said that he was delighted with the way Dhoni and Yuvraj were batting at present. He praised Dhoni’s leadership abilities and felt that he has answered his critics perfectly with his recent return to his explosive best, best demonstrated by his 6-ball 22 against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup final.

"No player in the world has ever been in good form throughout his life as he is not a machine. When I heard the sound of the ball meeting Dhoni's bat, I felt that it was a different sound. That was the sound that tells you that the batsman is in a different mindset," Tendulkar told Aaj Tak news channel on Sunday.

"The biggest asset of Dhoni is his ability to absorb the pressure which has made him a good captain. He has matured over the years. He does not show even when he is tense which is a good sign. Often a captain who is short-tempered or nervous can create panic among ranks which is not the case with Dhoni," Tendulkar explained.

Another batsman who seems to be getting back to his fluent best is fan-favourite Yuvraj Singh and Tendulkar feels that the left-hander’s improvement in using his feet has been key to his renaissance.

"During Asia Cup, I found his mindset changing, which is good for India. Again, like Dhoni, that feel of the bat hitting the ball was important for me but the most important thing has been Yuvi's footwork,” he said.

Tendulkar, who mentors Mumbai Indians in the IPL, picked out his protege Jasprit Bumrah as the one player who can prove to be the difference as far as India is concerned.

“As far as the 'game Changer' is concerned, I feel Jasprit Bumrah can be that man for India in the World T20. He has a deceptive action and may look slow but hits the bat harder than you can think," said the 42-year-old.

Tendulkar, however, feels that India’s biggest strength is its flexibility and balance and is confident that India can achieve World Cup glory on their home turf, just like in 2011.

"The biggest strength in our team is that there is no predictable pattern in our team strategy. We have seen Yuvraj and Dhoni being shuffled in the batting order. Similarly, Ashwin has opened the bowling for India. The balance in our side is fantastic. So I feel, in terms of celebrations, April 3, 2016, in Kolkata will not be different from April 2, 2011," Tendulkar said.

Tendulkar names his World T20 semi-finalists

The batting maestro picked out hosts India, Australia, South Africa and England as the four teams that he feels will make it to the semi-finals stage of the World T20. While he credited Australia’s batting potential as the reason behind his selection, the presence of AB de Villiers alone was enough to make up his mind regarding the Proteas.

"Australia may not have that depth in bowling as they had earlier but is still decent. The batting is very good which makes them a good side. South Africa may have not done well in crunch matches but they have AB de Villiers,” Tendulkar said.

The Master Blaster elaborated on the spin duo of Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali as England’s biggest strengths and feels they have the potential to upset even India at their own game.

“England is a very good side with fine T20 players. I love their bowling attack. Someone like Moeen Ali, who I feel is a cerebral spinner, who knows what he is bowling. It's not that he justs lands the ball and gets wickets, he uses effective strategy. Also, they have a leg-spinner Adil Rasheed, who can be effective if he can be a bit slower through the air rather than pushing the ball. Although India is not scared of anyone, England can be a team that can cause some worry," said Tendulkar.

He also said that the absence of Brendon McCullum could prove too big a void for New Zealand to make any notable progress in the tournament.

"Having McCullum used to be a great advantage for them. He played a fearless brand of cricket which is essential. He could hit the first ball of a match for six. They will miss McCullum," Tendulkar said.