Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 6 (ANI): Indian batting veteran Ajinkya Rahane predicted the Men in Blue to touch the 300-run mark in the T20 World Cup history for the first time ever as they start their title defence against the USA from Saturday onwards.

Team India, unbeaten and unconquered under skipper Suryakumar Yadav and powered by 'SKYball', will be starting their title defence against the USA from Saturday at Mumbai's iconic Wankhede Stadium. Having hit 359 sixes so far and having a second-best top-seven strike rate of 158.21, the expectations of touching the 300-run mark in the tournament's history for the first time ever rest on the Men in Blue. Abhishek Sharma and a red-hot Ishan Kishan's explosive starts could very well help them get to the mark on their day. India's highest T20I total is 297, against Bangladesh at home in 2024.

During a question-and-answer session on his Instagram account, Rahane said, when asked whether the 300-run mark would be reached in the WC, 'Yes, it will be the Indian cricket team.'

On the growing Sanju Samson-Ishan Kishan debate, Rahane acknowledged that while Ishan is in great form, 'the experience of Sanju matters and backing him will build confidence'.

In the series against NZ, the final assignment before the T20 WC, Samson could score just 46 runs in five innings while Ishan made the most of his comeback with 218 runs in four matches at an average of 53.75, at a strike rate of over 231, including a century in 42 balls and a fifty. Since his incredible Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025/26 title-winning campaign as a captain for Jharkhand, where he scored 517 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of over 197 with two centuries and fifties each, Ishan has been a red-hot opening choice. During the warm-up match against South Africa, Ishan opened the innings with Abhishek and smashed a 20-ball 53, with two fours and seven sixes.

Rahane backed the 2024 edition semifinalists Afghanistan to be the 'darkhorses' for the tournament and finalists to be India and South Africa, in a rematch of the 2024 title clash at Barbados.

He also said that the idea of playing lefties Ishan, Abhishek, and Tilak Varma at the top, along with Axar Patel and Rinku Singh later, would not hurt India, saying, 'What matters more is role clarity and match-ups.'

Rahane, who represented India in 20 T20Is and scored 375 runs, adviced a young Indian team to 'stay in the moment' during their campaign, and it is upto the team to manage the combinations well and turn it into an advantage.

India is in Group A with arch-rivals Pakistan, Namibia, the Netherlands, and the USA, and will start their campaign against the USA in Mumbai on February 7. If Team India pulls off a successful title defence, they will become the first team to defend their T20 WC title, and this will mark their third T20 WC trophy, making them the most successful team in the tournament's history.

India T20 WC squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh. (ANI)