It has been over 11 years since India has managed to win an ICC trophy, with the team coming tantalizingly close on multiple occasions but ultimately falling short. The 2023 ODI World Cup, held at home, was another heartbreaker as India entered the finals as favourites only to see both their batting and bowling units falter, resulting in a six-wicket defeat.

Moving into the T20 World Cup 2024, India appears confident and has performed well, yet there are murmurs about certain vulnerabilities. Virat Kohli is still seeking to find his form, and concerns are growing regarding the performances of Shivam Dube and Ravindra Jadeja.

The exclusion of Rinku Singh from the 15-member squad sparked considerable debate, further intensified by Dube’s lacklustre displays. Despite these concerns, former cricketer Stephen Fleming remains optimistic about India’s prospects. He suggests that the team should not be overly worried and points out that the challenging surface in New York posed specific difficulties.

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However, the players are well-acquainted with the conditions in the West Indies and are expected to perform better as the tournament progresses into the Super Eight stage.

Stephen Fleming praised the Rohit Sharma-led side for their adaptability and maturity, particularly during the New York leg. He believes the team has covered all their bases and anticipates strong performances in the West Indies. He highlighted that the players handled the seaming conditions in New York with aplomb, demonstrating resilience and skill.

“Not really, and neither should there be, because there’s so much talent to pick from. The vulnerability would have come from New York where the ball was seaming around, and from the pace bowling point of view, you had a little bit of uneven bounce, but they dealt with that quite well,” Stephen Fleming said on ESPNcricinfo’s ‘Timeout’ show.

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“The last game was, I thought, very mature in the way they chased down the target, so they got through that, and I would expect if conditions are as we anticipate in some of the key venues, they should have all bases covered. I thought the danger period was really in New York where we had no idea how it was going to play, but they dealt with the challenges there quite well. So, I would expect this side, given their talent, to get a little bit stronger,” the 51-year-old added.

With the Super Eight stage approaching, India’s ability to adapt and build on their current momentum will be crucial as they aim to end their ICC tournament drought.