Team preview: India

India boast of a heady mix of experience and youth in their 15-man squad, which has Virat Kohli – No.1 batsman in the MRF Tyres ICC ODI Player Rankings for batting – at its helm.

Let's dive into the tournament preview for the Men in Blue:

Strengths and weaknesses

The top three of the Indian batting order – Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan – are as good as they get in the 50-over game. While the former two names lead the ODI batting rankings, Dhawan comes in as the next Indian at No.13. Dhoni's tactical acumen and efficiency behind the wicket will also be one of India's biggest assets.

Jasprit Bumrah comes in as the bowling ace in Kohli's arsenal. He's at the apex of the MRF Tyres ICC ODI Rankings for bowlers, and the numbers show why: since January 2017, he has claimed 29 scalps in 18 games at 21.03. There have been just two instances of him giving away 60 or more runs in this period, and he has conceded less than 30 in nine games!

Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav make up a formidable duo in the middle overs, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar completes a strong bowling core.

One of India's major concerns ahead of the tournament will be the No.4 position. Many batters have tried to fill this spot since the previous edition, but none made a strong statement. Finding balance in his playing XI will be a challenge for skipper Kohli. Also, Dhoni's role with the bat will also need to be determined ahead of the tournament.

Key player

**Jasprit Bumrah:**The 25-year-old piques his skipper as India's most important player, courtesy the sheer accuracy he exhibits in the death overs. The pacer will be key to India's attack on the batting-friendly surfaces in England, and his performance might have a direct effect on how deep they go in the tournament. He has come off yet another terrific campaign in the Indian Premier League, where he picked up 19 wickets at 21.52, giving away just 6.63 runs per over.

X factor

Hardik Pandya: The all-rounder missed a bunch of international games due to a combination of injuries and disciplinary reasons, but has since made a strong statement through his comeback performances. With 14 wickets and 402 runs to his name, Pandya finished as the second-most valuable player in the Indian Premier League. The last time India played in a multi-nation tournament in England, he played a phenomenal innings in the final against Pakistan, scoring a 43-ball 76 before falling to an unfortunate run-out.

Tournament history

India were one of the eight teams to kick-off the inaugural edition of the tournament in 1975, where they finished third in their group and were unable to qualify for the knockouts. They found no joy in 1979 as well, where they were unable to win a single game before crashing out of the tournament.

1983 saw a change in fortune for the Asian side, as they found their mojo under Kapil Dev. They overcame a dominant West Indies team in the tournament final, lifting the first Cricket World Cup in their history. They hosted the tournament in 1987 and finished atop their group, but were knocked out by England in the semifinal.

Their 1992 campaign was another disappointment, as they finished with just two wins in eight games. A semi-final appearance followed in 1996, but a rioting crowd at the Eden Gardens meant they could go no further.

They got to the Super Six stage in 1999, but finished at the bottom of the table. 2003 saw one of India's best all-round performances at the CWC, as they went all the way but were thwarted by Australia in the final.

Another dismal campaign followed in 2007, as they were unable to progress from a group consisting Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Bermuda. They turned things around at the home World Cup in 2011, as MS Dhoni led them to the trophy after 28 years. He took them to the semi-final in 2015, where they were ousted by Australia, the eventual champions.

Recent form (most recent first)

L L L W W W L W W W

Fixtures

5 June: v South Africa, The Ageas Bowl, Southampton
9 June: v Australia, The Oval, London
13 June: v New Zealand, Trent Bridge, Nottingham
16 June: v Pakistan, Old Trafford, Manchester
22 June: v Afghanistan, The Ageas Bowl, Southampton
27 June: v West Indies, Old Trafford, Manchester
30 June: v England, Edgbaston, Birmingham
2 July: v Bangladesh, Edgbaston, Birmingham
6 July: v Sri Lanka, Headingley, Leeds

Squad

Virat Kohli (c), MS Dhoni (wk), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Vijay Shankar, Ravindra Jadeja, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav.