Ashwin is the number one spinner in the world: Kumble backs India to lift ICC WT20 title

Udhagamandalam: Former ace leg spinner Anil Kumble today expressed hope that India would win the ICC World Twenty 20 Championship. “The world cup is round the corner and I am hoping that India will bring the cup,” Kumble told reporters here on the sidelines of a training programme of his academy Tenvic. [caption id=“attachment_2668358” align=“alignleft” width=“300”] Former India leg-spinner. AFP[/caption] Replying to a question about playing against Pakistan, he said whenever India played against any one, “We played for the cause of the team.” Kumble said. On the performance of off-spinner R Ashwin, the former India captain said: “He is really capable. Probably he is the number one spinner in the world and performed well over the years.” Kumble isn’t the only former Indian cricketer to have given India the favourites tag in the upcoming ICC World T20. Earlier, former Indian opening batsman, Virender Sehwag had put India as the favourites to win the Twenty 20 World Cup. India remain favourites to repeat the feat of 2007. They are playing good cricket at the moment and the combinations are working well," Sehwag had told PTI. Former India captain Kapil Dev is also a part of the long queue of former players who have tipped India for glory in World T20. “I normally don’t pick favourites but this time I will have to say India look best prepared. Apart from them, the other semifinalists will be Australia, South Africa and Pakistan. M S Dhoni doesn’t have a lot of problems at the moment,” said the Kapil Dev. India will begin their ICC World Twenty 20 campaign against New Zealand at Nagpur on 15 March. PTI