Virat Kohli

In the 50-over format, he can be ranked equal to MS Dhoni, AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla. In T20 Internationals he is without a shadow of doubt the best ever. He beats Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum – the big-hitting greats of modern-day cricket – by big margins. While Gayle and Brendon average 35, he has an astonishing average of 48. Whereas Gayle and McCullum have 13 fifties each in this format in 45 and 71 matches, respectively, Kohli has 10 in just 31 games.

He had not made his international debut when India won the first World Twenty20 in 2007. He was part of the team that won the 2011 50-overs World Cup. But a World Twenty20 trophy has eluded India since he came on to the international stage. The sixth World Twenty20, which is going to be played in his homeland, is the best opportunity for him.

Faf du Plessis

Despite being a middle order batsman, he averages more than 39 in international T20 games. He handles pressure situations well and is a good finisher – something that is very scarce in South Africa as their record of world events shows.

Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers are better than him in Tests and ODIs, but he is easily the best South African batsman for the T20 format. How well the South African team does in the mega event will depend a lot on him.

Kane Williamson

This young man is almost equally good in all three formats of the game and has been scoring runs aplenty since he made his international debut five years ago. This is how he has been scoring in T20Is since March 2014: 24 not out, 51, 29, 42, 19, 37, 0, 32, 57, 20, 42, 25, 53, 32 not out, 70, 72 not out, 33.

If he is able to repeat these performances in India, New Zealand’s chances of winning their first-ever world trophy will be greatly boosted.

Suresh Raina

He is among the few unselfish batsmen of India. Whenever he bats for India, he bats to win the match. Watching him bat is always a special treat. Unlike many GREAT Indian batsmen he is courageous enough to play aggressively when the situation demands.

This man, who can be a worthy successor to MS Dhoni in limited overs cricket, has the guts to win the World T20 for his country.

Aaron Finch

He is a true T20 cricketer. This man averages a whopping 40 runs in the shortest format of the game and has a staggering strike rate of 151. Once he gets going it is too difficult for any team to beat Australia. Such is his impact on the game.

It is no wonder that he has played for as many as five teams in India: Delhi Daredevils, Mumbai Indians, Pune Warriors, Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Martin Guptill

He has played a central role in New Zealand’s recent T20 triumphs against South Africa, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. New Zealand have higher chances of winning the match whenever he scores big – he is so unlike Sachin Tendulkar of India. If he keeps going like he has been in the last six months, New Zealand will have a big chance at the World T20.