The T20 World Cup is scheduled to take place from October 17 to November 14 later this year. The mega event was originally to be hosted in India, but as a result of COVID19, the BCCI and ICC decided to shift the tournament to the UAE. The expectation would have been high on India to lift the T20 World Cup for the second time in 14 years with home advantage in their favor.
However, with that aspect is now out of the window, and plenty of other cricketing nations also fancying their chances at a neutral venue, it can turn out to be an interesting watch. There was a time, when Team India used to take part in series’ and tournaments in the UAE, which were frequent in the 90s. But, the scenario has changed since then, and the Men in Blue haven’t been much involved in the Gulf Nation.
India did take on Pakistan for a two ODIs at Abu Dhabi in 2006. Their next assignment in the UAE was in the 2017 Asia Cup, as they ended up winning that tournament. That being said, the newer bunch of Indian players haven’t played a whole lot of crickets in the colored blue at UAE. In contrast to that, the likes of Pakistan, Australia and even New Zealand have had quite a few games there.
If there is a team that India should be wary off, then it has to be their arch-rivals Pakistan. The Pakistan Cricket Team have played most of their cricket in the last decade or so in UAE. They also have quite a few T20 specialists that could help them go the distance. Interestingly, both India and Pakistan are in the same group, in what promises to be another mouth watering encounter. The two nations have a T20 Cricket World Cup each under their belts so far.
One major advantage that Virat Kohli and his men will have in the upcoming T20 World Cup will be the experience that they’ll gain through the IPL. The 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League was enitrely hosted in the UAE, with Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi being the usual venues. The second half of IPL 2021 is also to be contested at the same venues. The IPL ends a week prior to the T20 World Cup, which shall give plenty of Indian cricketers the edge in the tournament ahead.
Another factor which works largely in favor of India is that the wickets at UAE are bound to be of similar nature to that of home. The spinners are expected to get purchase off the wicket, but it’s the batsmen who are likely to score some big runs on the flat surfaces. The likes of Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant and the rest can certainly pack a punch, especially after being all warmed-up, courtesy the IPL.
Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami will have to stick to a tight line and be clever with their variations, while, Yuvendra Chahal could turn out to be the most valuable asset with his wrist spin for India.
With all aspects considered, the ICC T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates is being anticipated to be a blockbuster.