Opener Gautam Gambhir feels the upcoming World Cup will be India's best chance ever to win the title.
"The batting line up that we have this time could be the most destructive ever and all batsmen have made runs in different conditions and situations. So, that will be India's biggest strength," he said.
"Any team that handles the pressure the best will win this time and for us the good news is that we have been performing so well under pressure in the last few years. The way we played in South Africa was just fantastic and even though we didn't win the series, our confidence is high and we feel we can win anywhere in the world now," the left-hander told Aaj Tak.
"The result is not in our hands yet but we'll give more than 100 per cent on the field and if we do play to our potential, this could be our World Cup." Gambhir also expressed concerns over the weight of expectations and warned his teammates of not bowing to that. "Handling the crowd's expectation is a must even if it isn't too easy. The home crowd creates more pressure but if the players start fearing about something that might go wrong, it can be detrimental to the team's success," he said.
Gambhir, who got injured on his hand during the Cape Town Test and had to return home after that series, has started batting in the nets and expects full recovery ahead of the Indian team's World Cup camp.
"I have already started batting in the nets and even though there is still some swelling left, I will be fully fit very soon. I am very excited because it's my first World Cup. I know I won't get to open the batting and will play at No. 3, so my role will be different."
"When you open you can play aggressively, but if you are playing at No. 3 you have to hold the innings together. I'm just visualising my role," he said.
"I was just two years old when India won the 1983 World Cup but I have heard a lot and seen so many videos of that final so I know what it might have meant for the country. I too experienced all this when we won the World T20 in 2007, but let me tell you if we win this World Cup, it will be far bigger than the T20 triumph. This will be the best gift for the people of India."
Gambhir also credited skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and coach Gary Kirsten for having taken the Indian team to the next level. "Our dressing room has a very relaxed environment."
"Both Gary and Dhoni have worked very hard for this and they both should be given credit for that, especially the way Gary handled the team as he never gets rattled by the situation and that gives the players a lot of confidence," he said.
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