Home
Since the devastating loss in the 2016 T20 World Cup semi-final against West Indies, who went on to become the only team to win the title for the second time, India's T20 picture has changed.
Looking back at the 2016 marquee event, India was clubbed along with Pakistan, New Zealand, Bangladesh and Australia in Group 2. The hosts had opened their campaign against New Zealand in Nagpur, where they were bundled out for 79 on a spin-friendly wicket, chasing a total of 127 and losing their first game by 47 runs.
It was then the time for the epic rivalry between India vs Pakistan and MS and his boys registered a comfortable six-wicket win over the arch-rivals. It was Virat Kohli who stepped up to the task and helped India chase down a low total of 119 in the rain-curtailed match.
The match between India and Bangladesh was a do and die for both the teams and Bangladesh started with well by restricting Indian's first inning to 146/7. It was Hardik Pandya, who bowled the last over defending 11 runs in an epic last-ball showdown where Dhoni pulled off a crucial run out to keep India's chances alive.
India’s next encounter was against Australia, which was termed as a virtual quarter-final for Dhoni’s men. After a shaky start from Indian openers, Kohli along with Yuvraj Singh and Dhoni, stood tall and defeated the mighty Aussies by six wickets to qualify for the semi-finals.
India were on the verge of reaching their third T20 World Cup final, after 2007 and 2014, but the West Indies riding on their luck, stopped the Indian juggernaut. India had amassed a total of 192/2, with another half-century from in-form Kohli. West Indies were two down on the score of 19 while chasing 192 including a key wicket of Chris Gayle. However, Indian bowlers faltered as Johnson Charles, Lendl Simmons and Andre Russell spoiled the party and knocked out the hosts of the tournament.
Since their forgetful loss to the mighty West Indies in 2016, India have gone on to win 17 T20I series, losing five and three of them ending in a draw. The numbers are even more stacked in India’s favour during the two-year period between 2019 and 2021 where India have lost just one T20I series against Sri Lanka in July in 2021.
With Dhoni's ‘Midas’ touch back in the dressing room as a mentor and 2021 edition being Kohli’s last assignment as the T20 captain, can India lift the trophy for the second time?
