India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have won three out of the five stagings of the biennial tournament, while the 2010 final was the only one that did not feature a team from South Asia.
Former players and pundits have been united in endorsing India, who won the 50-over World Cup at home in 2011, as favourites to add a second World Twenty20 title to their cabinet and given the side’s run of form, it is hardly surprising.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men have won 10 of the 11 Twenty20 contests they have played this year, including a 3-0 win in Australia, and have looked supremely balanced with their often-soft bowling attack also showing plenty of bite.
The only worry for India’s fanatical cricket following will be that the team have peaked too early and they will be desperately hoping that the law of averages catches up with them after the final at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens on 3 April.
While India have enjoyed a relatively trouble-free build up to the tournament, it has been far from smooth sailing for fellow Asian contenders Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Pakistan, the 2009 champions, arguably have the most potent pace attack with left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Amir seamlessly integrating into the side after a five-year spot-fixing ban.
But Shahid Afridi’s men have had troubles with their top-order, prompting the selectors to twice tinker with the squad and a row over security leading to a venue change for the highly charged India match will not have helped matters.
Defending champions Sri Lanka have failed to adequately replace retired batting stalwarts Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene after their 2014 World Twenty20 triumph and were forced to install Angelo Mathews as their new captain this week.
The island nation have lost recent series against New Zealand, India and a woeful Asia Cup display led to the sacking of the entire selection panel.
The team and their supporters will keep their fingers crossed on the fitness of pace spearhead Lasith Malinga, who relinquished the captaincy due to the slow recovery of his injured knee but insists he can still play a part.
