Don’t know how India get favourites tag, says Michael Vaughan ahead of Virat Kohli & Co.'s Pakistan tie

The T20 World Cup 2021 edition has started with the qualifying round underway whereas the automatically-qualified teams are engaged in the warm-up encounters. Before the main draw of the showpiece event, former England captain Michael Vaughan has made a big claim on Virat Kohli-led Team India.

While many former cricketers and experts of the gentlemen's game feel India are one of the favourites for the seventh edition of the T20 WC, Vaughan begs to differ. "England for me are the favourites. I don’t know how India get the “favourites” tag in T20 cricket. I just think they’ve been a long way off in the last few tournaments,’ Vaughan told BBC Test Match Special.

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He further asserted, "West Indies and Pakistan will be threats. I wouldn’t write off Pakistan either. New Zealand have high-class players and you know they will come up with strategies to win games. I’ll say it now, I don’t give Australia much chance. In T20 cricket they’ve struggled. Glenn Maxwell’s exceptional so he will have to have an incredible tournament. But I don’t see the Aussies doing too much. England, India, West Indies, New Zealand, one of those four and maybe Pakistan because of the conditions."

“The pitches will be interesting because they’ve been used and slow [during the Indian Premier League]. I think 150-160 might be defendable scores,” Vaughan added.

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For the unversed, India are placed in Pool B along with Pakistan, New Zealand, Afghanistan whereas two more teams will join from the qualifiers. The Men in Blue will like to end their ICC-title drought as Kohli & Co. haven't won any mega event since 2013 Champions Trophy. In the previous edition, in 2016, India ended their campaign in the semi-finals after losing to eventual winners West Indies.

How far will India go in the T20 WC? Will they end their title-drought? Only time will tell...