For India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, previous results will be irrelevant when the sides take to the field at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium in the Bangladeshi capital on Friday evening.
“Nothing of the past matters in this game,” he said, reminding critics that India lost just one game at the 2012 edition and yet failed to make the knock-out rounds.
“The matches to follow are as important as the one on Friday, but we are not looking beyond our first game yet.”
True to the unpredictable nature of T20 cricket, there have been different champions each time. England won in 2010 and the West Indies triumphed in 2012, adding to the victories for India and Pakistan.
Darren Sammy’s West Indies, who open the defence of their title on the back of a confidence-boosting series win against England, boast one of the most destructive batsmen in world cricket — opener Chris Gayle.
Sri Lanka — the top-ranked T20 side — have prepared by spending more than six weeks in Bangladesh, winning the Asia Cup there earlier this month.
The final is on April 6.