Monank Patel, born and raised in Anand, Gujarat, moved to the US chasing the American Dream. A decade on, he is back in India and, ironically enough, could well be chasing the mythical Indian Dream. With the World Cup starting in India tomorrow and the promise of a potential IPL contract, opportunities are plenty for the 32-year-old captain of the USA in India, which is now the epicentre of the game. The grass may actually be greener on this side of the aisle for him.

"It is a great feeling to come to India and play in the World Cup. As a kid, I always dreamt of playing a World Cup, but I never imagined doing so in India while representing the USA. It's a great feeling not just for me, but for many players in the team. We're really excited to play in the World Cup," the 32-year-old hotelier from Atlanta, Georgia, said as his side prepares to take on India.

"They've gone now to the land of dollars," the India skipper said of the USA players, which has nine players of Indian origin. "But I see it from a good perspective. It's good that people are getting an opportunity. Even though they're playing for other countries, it's a good opportunity for them. I've played a lot of cricket with them. But right now, we're having fun in our own cricket."

Much is expected of Patel's men, described as the golden generation of American cricket. Having shocked Pakistan and made the Super 8 stage last season, the USA team - despite administrative chaos in the USA Cricket - has recorded a 60 per cent win rate, with 12 wins in 20 games since the last World Cup, and is well placed to continue its giant-killing efforts. They have added quality players like Saiteja Mukkamalla, Shehan Jayasuriya, Sanjay Krishnamurthy, Mohammad Mohsin and Shubham Ranjane to the squad since 2024.

The big stumbling block in their pursuit is the Indian team, which has been like a sledgehammer of late, for whom every opposition appears to be a nail. Suryakumar Yadav's men are an even more inexhaustible force in home conditions - more so in perfect batting conditions like those at the Wankhede, where pundits predict a T20I total of 300 is an imminent possibility.

And not so fortunately for them, in a contest between the world's No. 1 and No. 18 ranked teams, low-scoring conditions rather than high-scoring elements would be preferable for the underdog side. It is not to be so in Mumbai, and David will have very little chance against Goliath this time in the Group A World Cup contest. The Indian dream could well turn into a brutal nightmare for the American side.

With an 80 per cent win record since the 2024 World Cup and three recent back-to-back bilateral series wins, the Indian team looks unstoppable, and it appears to be a World Cup for India to lose, much like MS Dhoni's side in 2011, which lived up to its favourites' billing. The batting line-up is explosive, but it is in bowling that India may have an edge over their rivals.

In Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Hardik Pandya and Varun Chakaravarthy, India have an attack accustomed to all conditions and match situations. The challenge for captain Suryakumar and coach Gautam Gambhir is to find a way to field both Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav in the XI - two wrist spinners in an XI may be a luxury, but it could well be a gamble worth exploring.

The sticking point for the Indian team is the weight of history - no team has managed to defend the title, and no home team has ever won the championship. "Yes, everything runs in everyone's mind. But at the same time, you have to be in the present as well. You have to see what you want to do on the given day, what kind of cricket you want to play. That is, I think, very important. Just stay in the present. Have your feet where you are. Stay grounded, because when you're playing at home," said Suryakumar ahead of their World Cup opener, reflecting on the record and the team's approach.

Of course, it is a fact that no home team has ever won the T20 World Cup. The record was similar before MS Dhoni's team bucked the trend in 2011 with a side many saw as the strongest of that World Cup, much like Suryakumar's men now, and comparisons have been drawn between the two sides. It's time for India to rewrite history, just as they did in 2011.