Can India retain world supremacy?

The second edition of the ICC World Twenty20 begins on Friday and though one thing seems certain - that England won't win it - the trophy, held by India, is truly up for grabs with any number of sides having a legitimate claim to be favourites.

India have high hopes of defending the title they won in such swashbuckling style two years ago, but they are sure to be pushed by the likes of Australia, South Africa, Pakistan and New Zealand.

West Indies are capable of good things on their day in this format, while Sri Lanka will just want to enjoy this, only a few months after the horrendous attack on their team bus in Lahore.

Bet365 make India favourites at 3/1 and that has to be about right. They have a great mix of seamers and attacking batsmen - remember how Yuvraj Singh and co went berserk at times in 2007 - and their mix of experience and youth is perfect. Plus, they play so much one-day cricket that Twenty20 is no bother. They will be tough to beat.

South Africa are second favourites at 4/1. In Herschelle Gibbs and the Morkels, they have some outstanding shot-makers and wicket-takers and they will be up there, not least because they have avoided the "group of death".

That includes Australia, Sri Lanka and West Indies - one of whom will go out of the tournament after the first stage, simply because of the way the competition works.

It doesn't stop the Aussies from being made third favourites at 9/2 and experience tells us that they should never ever be written off. They are probably still smarting from the fact that they didn't win this last time round and they have enough match-winners in their side, together with that winning attitude to suggest 9/2 could be a good price.

They do, however, have a bigger fish to fry in the Ashes later this summer, and they have been doing an awful lot of travelling lately, so perhaps they will not quite at their freshest.

Behind those three, there is a big gap to Sri Lanka, at 15/2, New Zealand at 8/1, Pakistan at 17/2 and England at 9/1.

I think we can discount England. Despite having home advantage, they just don't seem to play this game very well. Again, their focus has to be on the Tests against Australia and while they could easily reach the semi-finals, I think that's as far as they will go.

Pakistan were runners-up last time and though they have lost a couple of players, in Younis Khan they have an outstanding batsman and a young captain, while Salman Butt, Misbah ul-Haq and Shahid Afridi make them dangerous, if inconsistent.

It will be good for Sri Lanka to be truly back on the world stage after the horror of Lahore, and they do have plenty of stars in their side, notably captain Kumar Sangakkkara, together with a lot of flair in their batting. However, I don't see them quite having enough to win it.

Of the chasing pack, New Zealand could be the dark horses. Semi-finalists in the past two World Cups, they made the last four in this event two years ago, beaten by Pakistan for a place in the final. Jesse Ryder and Martin Guptill will fill the void created by the retirements of a couple of their most important players, and in Daniel Vettori, they have an outstanding captain and a fine, fine bowler.

West Indies should not be totally written off either, at 12/1. Yes, they were abject against England recently, but they have talent and plenty of big hitters, as well as some good all-rounders. They could spring a few surprises and a semi-final berth is not beyond them.

Any of about six sides could win this - they really could - but it's about consistency as much as anything - and India have that, while New Zealand may squeeze through to the final, at a good each-way price.