India's ace off-spinner Harbhajan Singh feels that the experience of playing in the Indian Premier League will hold 'Team India' in good stead on the big stage of the T20 World Cup which starts in the West Indies on Friday, reports Times of India.
He also believes that since the conditions in the Caribbean Islands will be more or less similar to India, the Men in Blue ought to have an obvious advantage heading into the tournament.
"Most Indian players have been playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and that experience will come in handy. Some top players like Suresh Raina, M Vijay, MS Dhoni, Zaheer and myself have even played the final. Then there are others like Yusuf Pathan, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik, Piyush Chawla, Ashish Nehra, all of whom have done well for their respective teams. So the confidence is there. We just need to carry the momentum into the World Cup," Harbhajan Singh told TOI in an exclusive interview.
"The conditions in the West Indies would be more or less similar to what it is in India. The wickets will be on the slower side. We have a great team and if we play well, we can win the World Cup," he added.
On a more personal note, Bhajji said he was happy with his form although losing the IPL final to Chennai Super Kings was painful. "Chennai played well under pressure and they deserved to win. Period. I am happy to have done well for my side. I had a good IPL where I finished as the second highest wicket-taker (17) behind Pragyan Ohja (21). Now, I am looking forward to the challenge in the T20 World Cup," he said and added that he's no rabbit with the bat.
"I'm also fancying my chances as a batsman. In the last couple of years, I have played a few crucial innings for India in Tests. Now I take my batting seriously and work hard in the 'nets'. I just hope they give me a chance and send me up the order (laughs)."
That call will have to be taken by his captain MS Dhoni -- Bhajji not only rates him highly but also shares a good rapport with him off-the-field. "Dhoni is an ice cool person. He never shows his emotions on the ground, never gets upset with the players. To me, he is the best captain in the world. He is a fine mix of brain and brawn and he always backs his instincts. He is a great guy to have as captain. Indian cricket is safe and healthy under his leadership."
The 29-year old Harbhajan also sounded optimistic of his Punjab colleague Yuvraj Singh regaining his best form during the World Cup.
"Yuvi is a dangerous player, probably one of the best in T20 cricket. He is a sure match-winner. It is just that he came back from an injury during the IPL where he performed indifferently. But he is one guy who loves a challenge and I think a good innings from him is just around the corner. In fact, I feel he is just one over away from his best. Once he finds his touch and starts playing the big shots, he is very difficult to stop. He is too good a player to keep failing."
