T20 World Cup: Tournament predictions from the Test Match Special team

Finn: Kuldeep Yadav. He can clean up in the group stage, look out for India’s opponents, and the wrist-spin is always a potent threat for the wickets as the tournament goes on.

Mills: It is difficult to look beyond Jasprit Bumrah, an outstanding bowler across all formats but especially within T20 who will clearly play a huge role in India’s claim to the title.

Gordon: Australian Nathan Ellis. A highly skilled T20 bowler who can bowl at all stages but is particularly strong at the death.

He often goes under the radar in a quality offense but regularly throws some of the hardest hits.

Moran: How can we look beyond Bumrah? He won the tournament for India two years ago in the final against South Africa and will be a regular again. Few bowlers can do what he does, and his excesses at the death will be part and parcel of that.

Hartley: I don’t like to imitate my friends, but, as they said, how do you look beyond Bumrah? I want to pick a spinner and I want that guy to be Varun Chakaravarthy but I’m not sure he will play all the games.

Nawaz: I’m sure it will be dizzying. There are so many to choose from, but I’ll go with Adam Zampa. He was one of the few positive elements for Australia in Australia’s 3-0 defeat at the hands of Pakistan.

Wakankar: I expect Hardik Pandya to be that person, as fitness is the only challenge. He is definitely the main cog in the Indian team as the main spin bowler.

Norcross: Abrar Ahmed. Maybe a left field pick but hear me out.

Pakistan will play all their matches in Sri Lanka as the pitches have shown strong signs of favoring spin.

The bespectacled leg-spinner has recently put the Aussies in trouble and has every chance of taking a significant number of wickets in the opening group stage against weaker teams.

Henry: All the leading wicket-takers in the past three editions of the IPL have been seamers. Always improving, always moving the new ball, I would choose Marco Janssen from South Africa.