After the conclusion of the gala IPL final around two weeks back, now the primary question before team India is that can the defending champions retain the ICC Champions Trophy this time? ICC Champions Trophy is touted as the most important 50-over format tournament after ICC Cricket World Cup. So, before predicting about India’s performance, let us understand the team’s strengths and weaknesses.
ICC Champions Trophy 2017: SWOT Analysis of the Indian team
Considering Virat Kohli’s lackluster form in the IPL, fans are little skeptical this time about his performance. He scored just 308 runs from 10 matches while team RCB team stood at the bottom of the IPL points table.
However, Kohli’s ability to withstand pressure and play outstanding cricket at important matches makes him a reliable player. So, it is still too early to write Kohli off. He is a class player and can bounce back anytime with good knocks and meticulous captaincy.
Strengths at a Glance
India played seven editions of the tournament winning two of them while staying as a runner-up once. India are favorites to win this edition of the championship too. India’s batting unit has a galaxy of star-studded batsmen including the likes of Kohli, Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan.
Even lower middle order is quite strong too with good batting options like Dinesh Karthik, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja. India’s biggest asset in bowling would be the Bhuvneshwar Kumar who scalped 26 wickets in 14 games in the IPL 10 and is in sublime form these days. Not to forget Bumrah’s unusual style of bowling that is fetching him lots of wickets of late. He also picked up 20 wickets at IPL 2017.
Weaknesses at a Glance
The major weakness for team India is their non-playing of 50-over format games for the last three-four months. Earlier, these cricketers get out of their T20 mood better it will be for the team. India have to play like a complete unit in this gala championship.
Another weakness will be the form of R. Ashwin. He has been out of action for the last few months and it will be interesting to see how the off-spinner bowls at ICC Champions Trophy 2017. The pitches in the UK are likely not to support spinners in the early summer but then Ashwin knows how to turn balls at bouncy tracks.
Opportunities at a Glance
India’s right-hand-fast bowling pair of Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Shami is likely to offer a right amount of swing and pace to team’s bowling combination. Kohli has recently stated that team India is a lot fitter, matured and experienced side now.
India will officially start its ICC Champions Trophy campaign on June 4 against Pakistan on June 4 at Birmingham. The tournament will give a massive opportunity to Rohit Sharma and Dhawan to spearhead India’s batting at the upcoming championship. Likewise, Kedar Jadhav is also sniffing a chance to showcase his batting talents at the mini world cup.
Threats at a Glance
Hasty and reckless start from Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan is something that the duo should avoid. Opening stand is important to build the foundation of the team’s score. So, the duo needs to start the innings carefully without any hurry to play big shots.
Both batsmen are susceptible to short balls so they need to maneuver those deliveries carefully. India’s death bowling could be a big worry as well. However, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Bumrah at the helm – India’s death bowling is likely to be more impressive this time.
India Squad: Virat Kohli(c), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Yuvraj Singh, Ajinkya Rahane, Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami.
Tags: #CT17, ICC Champions Trophy 2017, India, Squad, SWOT Analysis, Virat Kohli
