Champions Trophy 2017: 5 Reasons why Team India can defend their Champions Trophy title

India won the Champions Trophy the last time around when it was played at the same venue. In 2013, India were the World Champions and had one of the most stable sides in world cricket. They were also led by a man who was a mastermind when it came to winning such tournaments. The openers were in top form and the confidence of the team was at an all-time high.

This year, the Indian team still has one of the most stable squads but is led by a new leader who is very different to the one they had previously. The skipper is leading the team for the first time in an ICC event. But they still have some experienced players who have previously done well in English conditions. That said, the Indian team is capable of winning the trophy again and here are five reasons why.

#1 Squad Depth

Like mentioned before, India are one of the best sides in the world right now. They have everything in terms of talent and experience. While some of the guys are touring England for the first time, they still have enough experience to guide them throughout the tournament.

They have a perfect blend of young talent and experience. One thing the Indians lacked over the years was a fast bowling all-rounder, they even have one of those now. There is a little bit of everything and that makes them one of the most balanced sides in the tournament.

#2 The Incredible batting line-up

India has produced some outstanding batsmen over the years and they are never short of batters. However, this time around they have the same top three batsmen that won them the trophy in 2013. The opening pair of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma is back.

The duo managed to give India excellent starts in all the games. That experience is going to be pivotal for them. To back them up are Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni, Kedar Jadhav and the list goes on. All of these batters are match-winners. Even the backup batsmen Ajinkya Rahane and Dinesh Karthik are capable of walking into the side any given day. One of the main reasons why India will go deep into this tournament.

#3 The bowling partnerships

India’s pace attack has never been this good. During 2013, they almost had the same line-up. The pacers go along with the spinners extremely well. They have Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja and both of them are in superb form. The last time India became the champions, these 2 had played pivotal roles.

The likes of Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Shami will give batters a nightmare. Umesh Yadav had a fantastic home season and has improved a lot since the 2013 Champions Trophy. Mohammad Shami compliments Umesh Yadav extremely well and it will be very crucial for them to fire if India are to retain the Champions Trophy.

#4 The best death bowlers in world cricket

India have two of the best death bowlers in world cricket; Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. They have a wonderful slower delivery and are very clever when it comes to using it. To add to that, these two can bowl the yorkers at will. It will be extremely difficult for the opposition batsmen when these two will bowl in tandem.

We have seen Bumrah bowl yorkers in the super over to win the match for his team in the IPL and we know how good Bhuvaneshwar Kumar is with his wide yorkers. The only person to have undone them is their teammate MS Dhoni. This duo is going to be very important in the end stages of the innings as they have the ability to restrict the runs.

#5 They have done it before

India have won the Champions Trophy before. They have won it in the same country with almost the same side. The fact that the MS Dhoni who won it previously still plays for India also changes a lot of things. His experience and his inputs will be invaluable. Kohli can be seen strategizing with Dhoni in almost all the matches and the combination of the duo will come in handy once more.

They have the experience of doing it once and this gives them the advantage over all the other teams who failed. This is something which stands out from the rest of the teams and might just be the difference between whoever India faces. If the players play to their potential, the team is sure to retain the trophy with them.