After a month’s gap before starting a new season, a depleted India played a good cricket against New Zealand to get some momentum and move to No. 1 for one day (on 11th September 2009) in the ICC’s ODI rankings. After a month’s break, and in their first match of a new season, India has done enough to indicate they are back in business. Team was not able to continue momentum against Sri Lanka. The ongoing series in Sri Lanka will help team to gain much need practice before Champions Trophy.

 

Victory in this month’s ICC Champions Trophy would allow 1983 world champion, ICC Champions Trophy 2002 joint-winner with Sri Lanka and the ICC World Twenty20 2007 champion an opportunity to remind the rest of the world how good a side it is.

 

For India it won’t be an easy path into the semi-final stage of the eight team elite competition, particularly as India’s group features defending champion Australia, former winner the West Indies and reigning ICC World Twenty20 champion Pakistan.

 

 

Key Players to watch:

 

Let’s have a close look on key players and team strength of India, Pakistan, Aussies and West Indies from Group-A.

 

India has good combination to handle every situation; there are a lot of players to watch like Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina and Ashish Nehra.

 

India and Pakistan the two traditional rivals go head to head at Centurion on 26 September. The Pakistan side has Younus Khan and Mohammad Yousuf. Other players to keep an eye on are Misbah-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi and Umer Gul but Yousuf is definitely a player to watch.

 

One can’t label current West Indies team as ‘second-string’. Their main strength is top players like Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul. These players had good record against India and had always given performance when India is on the other side.

 

India has good record against Australia in the past Champions Trophies but one can’t take Ponting side for granted. Aussies squad has good players like Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Nathan Bracken, Michael Hussey and Shane Watson. Aussies performance in ongoing series against England proves once again that they are still tough side to beat in ODI cricket.

 

Indian squad for Champions Trophy:

 

M S Dhoni (Capt), Yuvraj Singh (VC), Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Harbhanjan Singh, Dinesh Karthik, Praveen Kumar, Amit Mishra, Abhishek Nayar, Ashish Nehra, Yusuf Pathan, Suresh Raina, Ishant Sharma, and R P Singh.

 

M S Dhoni:

 

Current age: 28 years 67 days
Major teams: India, Asia XI, Bihar, Chennai Super Kings, Jharkhand
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Fielding position: Wicketkeeper
Record: 140 Matches, 4602 runs 138 catches and 43 stumps
Award: ICC One-Day Player of the Year 2008

 

Yuvraj Singh:

 

Current age: 27 years 274 days
Major teams: India, Asia XI, Kings XI Punjab, Punjab, Yorkshire
Batting style: Left-hand bat
Bowling style: Slow left-arm orthodox
Record: 237 Matches, 7026 runs 70 catches and 75 wickets
Award: ICC Twenty20 International Performance of the Year 2008

 

Rahul Dravid:

 

Current age: 36 years 244 days
Major teams: India, Scotland, Asia XI, ICC World XI, Karnataka, Kent
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm off break
Fielding position: Occasional wicketkeeper
Record: 334 Matches, 10599 runs 194 catches and 14 stumps
Award: Wisden Cricketer of the Year 2000
ICC Test Player of the Year 2004
ICC Player of the Year 2004

 

Sachin Tendulkar:

 

Current age: 36 years 141 days
Major teams: India, Asia XI, Mumbai, Mumbai Indians, Yorkshire
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm off break, Leg break googly
Record: 426 Matches, 16730 runs 129 catches and 154 wickets
Award: Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1997

 

Gautam Gambhir:

 

Current age: 27 years 333 days
Major teams: India, Delhi, Delhi Daredevils, India Red, President’s XI,
Batting style: Left-hand bat
Bowling style: Leg break
Record: 78 Matches, 2594 runs 24 catches

 

Harbhanjan Singh:

 

Current age: 29 years 71 days
Major teams: India, Asia XI, Lancashire, Mumbai Indians, Surrey
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm off break
Record: 190 Matches, 940 runs 53 catches and 210 wickets

 

Dinesh Karthik:

 

Current age 24 years 103 days
Major teams India, Delhi Daredevils, India A, India Blue, Indian Board President’s XI, Tamil Nadu
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Fielding position: Wicketkeeper
Record: 32 Matches, 468 runs, 23 catches and 2 stumps

 

Praveen Kumar:

 

Current age: 22 years 345 days
Major teams: India, Air India, India Red, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Uttar Pradesh
Playing role: Bowler
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm medium
Record: 24 Matches, 63 runs, 6 catches and 30 wickets

 

Amit Mishra:

 

Current age: 26 years 292 days
Major teams: India, Delhi Daredevils, Haryana, India Blue
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Leg break
Record: 3 Matches, 2 catches and 2 wickets

 

Abhishek Nayar:

 

Current age: 25 years 339 days
Major teams: India, India Green, Mumbai, President’s XI, Mumbai Indians
Batting style: Left-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm medium
Record: 2 Matches

 

Ashish Nehra:

 

Current age: 30 years 136 days
Major teams: India, Asia XI, Delhi, Delhi Daredevils, Mumbai Indians
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Left-arm medium-fast
Record: 78 Matches, 5 catches and 102 wickets

 

Yusuf Pathan:

 

Current age: 26 years 299 days
Major teams: India, Baroda, India Green, Rajasthan Royals
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm off break
Record: 28 Matches, 242 runs, 6 catches and 15 wickets

 

Suresh Raina:

 

Current age: 22 years 289 days
Major teams: India, Chennai Super Kings, India Blue , Uttar Pradesh
Batting style: Left-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm off break
Record: 67 Matches, 1603 runs, 30 catches and 2 wickets

 

Ishant Sharma:

 

Current age: 21 years 10 days
Major teams: India, Delhi, India Red, Kolkata Knight Riders
Playing role: Bowler
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm fast
Record: 32 Matches, 142 runs, 6 catches and 45 wickets

 

R P Singh:

 

Current age: 23 years 280 days
Major teams: India, Deccan Chargers, India A, Leicestershire, UP
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Left-arm fast-medium
Record: 53 Matches, 102 runs, 12 catches and 63 wickets

 

Author: Mona Gupta

 

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