Since February this year, they have been the No 1 ranked ODI team, justifying their tag of being the World Champions. In Tests, India tend to outplay opponents at home on turners, before surrendering on juicy pitches abroad.
In Twenty20, they haven't looked as fresh and dangerous since the inaugural World T20 in 2007. But in one-dayers, they have rather been dominant, winning 38 games out of 59 after the 2011 World Cup, even while losing 10 out of 24 Tests in the same period.
What is it that has made the world fear India in one-day cricket? For starters, the 'transition' has been seamless and excellent, remindful of the great Australian team of the 90s, when the 'replacements' used to be as good as those in the first XI.
There are only four survivors of the lot that celebrated the World Cup triumph on April 2 in Mumbai almost a couple of years back. A slew of youngsters have 'invaded' this team since then, infusing a fresh verve and spirit into it. It has helped that their level of performances have been as good, if not better, than those that they have replaced.
So, the strokes of a Shikhar Dhawan, now partnered at the top by the gifted, re-energized Rohit Sharma, has helped us forget the magic of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir. The surprise all-round feats of Ravindra Jadeja have helped us cope with the absence of Yuvraj Singh. The spin of R Ashwin has helped us find us a better alternative than Harbhajan Singh, and the swing of Bhuvneshwar Kumar has put Zaheer Khan's skills to shade.
To top all this, India have arguably the best No. 3 and the best finisher in Kohli and Dhoni respectively. Both are playing their roles to perfection, with Kohli's amazing consistency a real revelation.
The critical thing is: this team takes its fields seriously, and, unlike those of the past, is really good at it. The likes of Jadeja pulled off run outs that at crucial stages in the Champions Trophy, leaving former England cricket stars Michael Vaughan and Shane Warne pleasantly surprised with India's improved fielding standards.
"The biggest reason for the Indian ODI side is doing well is that the selectors have shown faith in the youngsters, which has meant that the fielding standards have gone up. You can do well in one-day cricket if you field and run between the wickets well, and there has been an improvement in team India on both aspects. The youngsters have made the biggest difference, they have had to sweat to earn their place, and they know that," says former India left-arm spinner Maninder Singh.
"Improved fitness and fielding standards have helped us get there," says former India skipper Dilip Vengsarkar. "In our time, we had to hide two-three fielders, but in this team, there are five-six outstanding fielders. We never had that luxury earlier, which is why we lost a few games we could have won," says former India seamer turned commentator Atul Wassan.
"These boys save 20 runs in every game with their fielding, and they take some brilliant catches. The attitude of the team has changed. These boys are hungrier. They are fighting for their places, and want to make a mark soon," says former India opener Chetan Chauhan.
These 'young brigade' seems to be thriving under Dhoni, while the skipper seems to love leading them. "Dhoni looks in command because he doesn't have to worry about anything else now. The atmosphere of the team looks happier. He doesn't have to hide the seniors on the field, something to which he admitted a couple of years back," opines Maninder, while making another pertinent point.
"Dhoni's handling of the youngsters is fantastic. He keeps them comfortable, and free of pressure. All the youngsters under him know that they will get their chance, so he takes the 'fear factor' out of the boys, and become 'fearless' like him. That rubs onto the boys. His communication skills must be brilliant," Maninder says.
"Basically, the team looks more as a unit now, then scattered. They seem to be enjoying each other's performance," concludes Maninder.
Of course, the IPL has helped India become a better ODI side. "The IPL has helped the batsmen play more shots, increase their range of strokes, which helps them in pressure situations, improved their reflexes and eyesight," feel Chauhan. "The Twenty20 format has helped us get better in ODIs," concurs Vengsarkar.
All this recent success, however, has by and large been powered by the 'MSD' factor. "Dhoni has won us around 15 games in the past three years that we could have lost," says Wassan.
"He is the backbone of this team. He can adjust his game beautifully according to the situation. He is a matured player and captain. He has transformed this side," says Chauhan.
Vengsarkar puts India's success in ODI cricket vis-a-vis Tests in perspective. "In Tests, you have to get a team out twice. You need bowlers who are capable of taking five wickets. You need seamers who can strike with the new ball and reverse the old ball. This is the reason why we struggle in Tests. You need batsmen who can play for three to five sessions there. It is much easier to bat and bowl in ODIs than in Test cricket," he says.
There, however, are chinks in the Indian ODI armour. "We still lack bowlers who can bowl well at the death against good sides," says Vengsarkar. Wassan says the limited overs team still has a few 'final frontiers' waiting. "The real test of this team will be in the in South Africa and Australia, where we still lose in ODIs," he says.
Much of how far this team has come will be judged on how it plays in South Africa this winter. If we do beat the Proteas on their turf, defending the World Cup triumph Down Under will seem a distinct possibility. Presently, MS Dhoni & Co seem a safe horse to bet upon!
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