Top 5 contenders for the 2016 ICC World T20

India won the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007Exactly 6 months from now, one of the most popular events in the cricketing world will start in India. It is the 6th edition of the ICC World T20. A nation which loves cricket like none other makes the tournament all the more exciting.The qualifying tournament has been done and dusted and now we have got all the 16 participants. This one is going to be one heck of an event. It promises to be an action packed 24 days of breathtaking force.By this time, every team has started taking the World T20 into consideration, with the teams having scheduled a few T20 games in their upcoming tours.Here is a look at the top 5 contenders to lift the trophy in 2016.

#5 Australia

Australia will take confidence from the 2015 ODI World Cup success

Australia hasn’t had a very fruitful time in the World T20s so far. The 5 time ODI world champions are still waiting for their first T20 title. They managed to get into the final once in 2010 in but they were defeated comprehensively by an England side led by Paul Collingwood. In the last edition in 2014, Australia had a horrible time winning a solitary game out of 4 matches and that too against Bangladesh and were knocked out in the first round itself.

But that is all history now. Come 2016, it could be their best chance to lift the trophy as they have a fairly young squad. Led by a new captain in Steve Smith, they will be hoping to turn the tables with the title of the ODI world champions on their side.

With so many power hitters like David Warner, Shane Watson, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh and Matthew Wade, Australia is capable of scoring big runs and achieving any target. Batting is their main strength. In the bowling department, they have Mitchell Starc who demolishes the batting on his day while Nathan Coulter-Nile has emerged as a decent T20 bowler too.

The weak link will be the spin department as Australia doesn’t seem to have a spinner who is consistent enough. Because the conditions will be spin-friendly, they need to look for quality spinners. While teams like India have gone in with 3 spinners in the past to make most of the conditions, Australia will certainly need Maxwell to work on his bowling and give them the full quota of overs.

The biggest challenge that Australia will face is the capability of the batsmen against the turning ball. The last two tournaments were played in the subcontinent and the batsmen had a pretty tough time against the spinners.

Where Australia has the advantage is that their big guns have been playing in the IPL for a long time. The conditions won’t be new for them as they spend 2 months every year in India during the IPL. They all have played enough and done well to be familiar with what the Indian pitches on offer. If only Australia could strengthen their spin unit, we might well witness a new champion at the World T20s.

#4 South Africa

South Africa will be banking on AB De Villiers as they look to secure their maiden ICC title

South Africa has undoubtedly been the unluckiest team in ICC tournaments, thus earning the nickname ‘chokers’. They have come very close to winning many times yet a world title has remained far from their reach. In World T20s, they reached the semi-finals in 2009 and 2014, with the latter edition ending on a disappointing note as Virat Kohli’s heroics denied them a chance in the final.

This year they can hope for a better outcome. Most of the players have been involved with the various IPL franchises since the inception of the tournament. AB de Villiers, David Miller & Faf Du Plessis have been the key performers for their respective franchises while Hashim Amla looks secured in any format.

These players need to turn their IPL success into international glory. Dale Steyn is the leader of the bowling attack and has got Morne Morkel as his perfect accomplice. Together they have been the most successful bowling pair for the Proteas.

South Africa needs to bank on Imran Tahir who has done well for them in limited overs cricket. His style of bowling is well suited for the T20s – He has variations, he can bowl the quick leg break and has the ability to deceive the batsmen. With the experience of playing for Delhi Daredevils, he knows what needs to be done in India.

They might need another spinner though according to the situation of the pitches in India. Aaron Phangiso did a decent job against New Zealand in the recent T20s and could very well the man chosen for the task.

The biggest influence in the team is ‘Mr. 360’ AB de Villiers and he needs to put his hand up this time around. He has shown his genius ability on numerous occasions, but when it comes to crucial stages, he needs to go the distance. Having a wonderful IPL record, AB de Villiers is the man for South Africa in their quest for their first ICC title.

#3 Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka are the defending World T20 champions

Sri Lanka had a terrific time last time around in Bangladesh and went on to secure their first World T20 title. The legends Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene were to retire after the World T20 and the team gave them the wonderful send off.

Sri Lanka is known for its fighting spirit. They have been making it to the finals of several world cups like the 2007 and 2011 ODI World Cups & 2009 and 2012 World T20s. They finally went the extra mile in the 2014 World T20.

Now that the two stalwarts of Sri Lankan cricket have hung up their boots, the responsibility lies upon the shoulders of the youngsters. Led by a very calm and collective captain in Angelo Mathews, they will have to reconstruct the legacy of the team. Their batting constitutes the likes of Kusal Perera, Dinesh Chandimal, Lahiru Thirimanne and the skipper himself. These batsmen have gained a handful of international experience. Now it’s time they perform.

Sri Lanka are blessed to have the best T20 bowler in the world in Lasith Malinga. He is someone Mathews can trust at any stage of the innings and with Malinga being associated with Mumbai Indians, he has the feel of the Indian environment.

The reason why Sri Lanka has an edge over the others is because of the depth in the spin bowling department. They have a world class spinner Rangana Herath who played a pivotal role in their triumph on the previous occasion while they have plenty of other spinners to select from which makes it ideal for Indian conditions.

The other side of the coin shows that they lack experience. The team is under transition after the retirement of Sangakkara and Jayawardene. Angelo Mathews is the most experienced and reliable batsman in the line-up. If Sri Lanka is to defend the championship, they would need a collective effort from the whole team.

#2 West Indies

West Indies won the World T20 in 2012

The champions of 2012 are known for their power hitting and are flooded with match winners – Chris Gayle, Dwayne Smith, Marlon Samuels, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell, Darren Samm – the list is endless. Even the 2012 World T20 was won on individual performances. Every time someone stepped up and clinched victory for the team. It was Marlon Samuels who played a lone hand in the final and won the trophy for his side.

Even in 2014, they had a good run. They finished 2nd in the group just behind India. They reached the semi-finals where their quest to win a 2nd title on the trot was cut short by Sri Lanka.

All the West Indian players have been of prime importance for their respective franchises in the IPL. These players have actually brought life in the Indian tournament. The conditions are not alien for anyone. The long list of power hitters is their major strength; they just keep coming one after the other. On the day, West Indies is capable of achieving any target. From Chris Gayle to Darren Sammy, everyone has the ability to thrash any type of bowler. Even their number 9 Jason Holder has won matches for them.

Contrary to the batting, West Indies might struggle with their bowling. Sunil Narine, who has been their mainstay in the shortest format, is still dealing with his action issues. If he is denied the chance to play, West Indies could be in trouble and they will have to look for other spinners like Samuel Badree.

The various fast bowlers have found themselves in and out of the side. Jerome Taylor, Kemar Roach and Jason Holder have done well at times. But due to the slow pitches, they will have to seek for pace variations. Darren Sammy does that well. Others will have to implement this in their armoury too.

Despite all the troubles, West Indies stands a good chance to win their 2nd championship. If most of the batsmen contribute, they are sufficient to win matches for them. The combination of big hitters makes West Indies the most watchable team of the tournament.

#1 India

India have an young, energetic side raring to go backed on by the home support

The winners of the inaugural World T20 India in 2007 have had a tremendous run in the recent ICC tournaments. They won the 2011 ODI world cup, 2013 Champions Trophy, reached the finals of 2014 World T20 and semi-finals of the 2015 ODI World Cup. When it comes to the ICC events, Indian team takes the game to new heights.

India has always been blessed with extraordinary batting talents. They keep producing batting greats one after the other. Currently, Virat Kohli is the face of Indian cricket. He was the player of the tournament in the previous World T20. He had an outstanding tournament scoring 319 runs in 6 matches with an astonishing average of 106.33 which included four scores of 50 plus. With his recent success as Test skipper, he will be looking to transform the confidence into the big tournaments as well.

India have a powerful batting line-up which constitutes Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina and the captain cool MS Dhoni. All are capable of playing according to the situation of the match. The line-up is very well balanced. Openers can provide fast starts, Kohli and Rahane can consolidate the innings, if required, as well as play big strokes while Raina and Dhoni can provide the finishing touch.

India also has a garage of spin bowlers to choose from. Ravichandran Ashwin was magnificent in 2012 as well. He picked up 11 wickets in 6 matches at just 5.35 runs per over with an average of 11.27. He is bowling as well as he has ever bowled. To assist him, Indian selectors have Ravindra Jadeja, Amit Mishra, Pragyan Ojha, Akshar Patel etc. to choose from. Suresh Raina is also there to play the role of the third spinner. Indians are pretty much secured in the spin department.

Bhuwaneshwar Kumar and Mohammad Shami could be the leading fast bowlers for India in the format. Umesh Yadav has pace and needs to be consistent. To suit the conditions, they also will have to rely on a change of pace.

The only problem India could have is the leakage of runs at the death. They have had this problem for quite a while. They need to bowl yorkers at the end overs. Kumar and Shami have shown that they can bowl full and up to the stumps. If they can’t bowl cheaply at the death, the bowlers will definitely have their work cut out.

That the tournament will be played in India gives them the biggest advantage. The players have played under these conditions day in, day out. They are fully aware of how the pitches would behave. IPL has given them the right experience for the world stage.

Home advantage is the biggest advantage in cricket. India won the ODI World Cup 2011 too at home. Even though MS Dhoni might not express his emotions in the way Kohli does, his desire to lift one more trophy is quite evident. If all goes well for India, we might see the first ever champions become the champions yet again.