Key players in the T20 World Cup: Karthik and Sammy weigh in

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WEST INDIES

Defending champions West Indies are one of the favourites to win this year too. Boasting a strong team with proven T20 specialists, it will be interesting to see which player will emerge as their most important asset.

Dinesh Karthik: Nicholas Pooran, for me he is somebody who is special. I do think when he finishes his career he will be one of the T20 greats because of the way he bats. There is something called bat swing and I think he’s probably got the best bat swing in world cricket. He could hit a cricket ball further than most have ever done. For me that makes him really special. He’s a very important player if West Indies need to move forward in this tournament. When he does well, more often than not we’ll see West Indies smiling.

Daren Sammy: For West Indies, there’s this leg-spinner that has been bowling really well called Hayden Walsh Jr. He’s been working really hard on his game. He is one to watch out for. If he can bowl well for the West Indies in UAE, this is the missing piece of the puzzle. No Samuel Badree so if he can come and do well we will definitely win this tournament.

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INDIA

India's rise in world cricket in the last few years has been nothing short of remarkable. Can they live upto the hype and prove themselves?

Karthik: For India, when you want to win big tournaments you need characters, people who are up for a fight. For me that is Hardik Pandya. He is there with the ball, he is there with the bat and he plays a critical role with the bat because every time India has floundered a little bit or wants to up their run-rate he is the guy. He can hit most bowlers to most parts of the ground. T20 batting is a lot about bat speed and he has a plenty of that. Even his bowling is very clever. He’s gone on to become a leader of the pack, you can see him talking a lot on the ground, helping out other bowlers. For me he is going to be very critical.

AUSTRALIA

Australia have never won a Men's T20 World Cup but if they have to make a case in this edition, they need to focus on their bowling.

Karthik: Mitchell Starc, if he comes good for Australia he will be bowling those important overs, up front at the death. He hasn’t been going too well of late but the last series against West Indies, especially in the ODI format, he’s found his rhythm back, he’s got the ball to come back in and he’s got people with sheer pace. I’m hoping he holds onto that because if Australia were too do any damage in this tournament, he would play a critical role and for me he is a key player as well.

ENGLAND

Defending champions of the 50-over World Cup, England will have a lot to prove in the shortest format as well.

Sammy: If I say about England, Jonny Bairstow will have to play a crucial role in England’s bating line-up. He is batting really well at the moment.

SOUTH AFRICA

Pressure gets to the Proteas in big tournaments but if their bowlers do well they can prove more than a match for most teams.

Sammy: South Africa, you see somebody like a Quinton de Kock. If there’s one thing I understand it’s that batters win you games, bowlers win you tournaments. So for them, Kagiso Rabada – how well he bowls will dictate how far they go.

PAKISTAN

Under Babar Azam's captaincy, Pakistan have really flourished of late. He will be crucial in their bid for a trophy this year.

Sammy: You look at Pakistan, Babar Azam – his leadership will become so important in that tournament. We all know how classy he is as a batter, if he can make some sound decisions from a captaincy point of view, the bowlers that he has, if he can rotate them well, Pakistan will be a force to be reckoned with.