The troika of Ravi Shastri, Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni will be pulling out all the stops to ensure that the Indian cricket team gets its hand on the elusive T20 World Cup for the second time. While the journey to the top is expected to be arduous, the Men in Blue will begin its World Cup campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on October 24 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

While the fans wait for the match, let’s take a quick look at Team India’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis.

Strengths

Top-order batting. Middle-order batting. Bowling. Familiarity with UAE pitches. The Indian top-order in packed – Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (Ishan Kishan is another option). If they start firing, the opposition bowling unit is bound to be in tatters.

Middle-order firepower: Surkyakumar Yadav’s addition to the likes of Ishan Kishan, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya will not only yield runs for the team but also leave the opposition reeling.

If the top-order fails, the middle-order hasa enough to lift the team. Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are handy with the bat, as well.

Bowling boom: India’s variety in the spinning department is massive. From R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Rahul Chahar to Varun Chakravarthy, the spin department is ably locked and loaded.

While Ashwin is an off-spinner, Jadeja is a left-arm orthodox, Chahar is the only wrist-spinner in the squad. V Chakravarthy’s use in the death overs is something that the other teams will be keeping an eye out for.

The pace department has the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami. These three can any day topple any fiery batting unit easily. Whatever the combo the Indian management plays, it will be picking up wickets. Again, with ease.

Weakness

Top-order batting. Death bowling options. Sixth bowler. While the Indian top-order is packed with heavy artillery, it takes them time to get going.

India wants someone who starts hitting from the word go, one of the many reasons why Shikhar Dhawan may have been excluded from the squad. A boost is the one thing that every team needs in the first six overs.

Bowling: Mohammed Shami is India’s third pacer and his skills with the ball are well known. Even though he has been doing good for himself in the IPL, in the shortest format of the game, Shami has not been impressive. As for Bhuvi, he has performed better in the powerplay. Jasprit Bumrah is the only death bowling option India has. Had T Natarajan not been injured, his inclusion in the team could have been noteworthy.

Sixth bowler: Hardik Pandya, yes? Hardik Pandya, no? The all-rounder has not been in the best of forms since he returned from his injury. While Pandya got swift starts, he failed to convert them into big ones. His bowling, too, hasn’t been on the mark. While it is yet to be seen what role Pandya plays, his exclusion seems unlikely.

Opportunities

If things work out for India, it is the chance for Virat Kohli to finally bag an ICC trophy. As mentioned earlier Virat Kohli has the likes of Shastri, Dhoni and Rohit to take help from, in terms of captaincy.

He also has the captaining brains of R Ashwin, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant to pick.

From a bowling point of view, India’s spin department will be itching to make a dent and provide India with important breaks.

Varun Chakravarthy, keep an eye out for him.

Threats

Too many cooks spoil the broth. The Indian management has heads who like things to go their own way. Virat Kohli’s fire, vice-captain Rohit Sharma is known for his guile, Shastri’s straight-to-the-point words and then there is MS Dhoni. While disagreements may not favour India, if their cricketing minds align, it will only be good news for Team India.

Togetherness: Despite IPL and Test cricket stints, the team hasn’t been clubbed together for many T20Is. In total, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav and Rahul Chahar have played 12 T20Is. Shami, who can be less of a wicket-taker and more of a run-halter, has played 14 T20Is in seven years. As for Bumrah, he played his last T20I 19 months back. Ashwin, on the other hand, hasn’t played white-ball cricket in over four years.