Dubai, Oct 24
A lot of hype has been built around Virat Kohli ahead of the big-ticket 'Super 12' game against Pakistan in the ICC T20 World Cup later on Sunday, given that the skipper will relinquish his T20 captaincy after the mega-event.
It could be a blessing in disguise for the other players in the team, especially the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Ravichandran Ashwin and Rohit Sharma, to go about their task in a cool and calculated manner in the high-pressure game, with the spotlight firmly on their skipper.
With Kohli deciding to relinquish T20I captaincy and coach Ravi Shastri's term set to end, India will be hoping to ride on an all-round performance later on Sunday against Pakistan to begin their title quest on a winning note.
Ranked No.2 on the T20I Team Rankings behind England, and with plenty of experience playing in UAE conditions, India are one of the favourites to claim the title. They've dominated world cricket in all formats in the past few years, built formidable depth, and excelled at home and overseas.
Yet, they haven't won a global tournament since the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, falling in knockout games at every event. India's last success in the T20 World Cup came in the inaugural edition in 2007 when they defeated Pakistan to win the title.