Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo's T20 World Cup selection to be dictated by IPL performances believes Brian Lara

The defending champions will have a target on their backs come the showcase tournament in Australia in October and November

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West Indies' T20 World Cup squad will be heavily dictated by performances by their players in the upcoming Indian Premier League - and could be key for Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo, according to Brain Lara.

Bravo has recently re-committed himself to the Windies and played his first T20 internationals in four years against Ireland and Sri Lanka earlier this month.

Gayle has been less committal over his future aspirations and has not represented the Windies for a year, though he has found time to play in several franchise competitions.

A dozen West Indies players, including Shimron Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran and Kieron Pollard, are scheduled to play in the IPL when it gets underway on March 29.

And Lara feels the tournament will be key in shaping the squad which will travel to Australia in October and November.

"I think the IPL is going to be a huge point or signal for who is actually going to carry on," Lara told ESPNcricinfo when asked about Bravo and Gayle's hopes of being part of the squad.

"It's still going to be five months after the IPL for the World Cup. 

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"Fitness levels are very important, but a gruesome tournament like the IPL is going to tell the West Indies selectors who are the players that they really need going into the last four months of preparation for the World Cup."

Lara believes the West Indies, the defending champions after their 2016 success in the final against England in India, are among the favourites for the title.

Indeed, the 50-year-old is worried that such is quality available to coach Phil Simmons that rival teams will raise their game against them

"Traveling later in the year for the T20 World Cup I feel the kind of squad that we have - Shimron Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran, Pollard himself, Dwayne Bravo, I see Andre Russell is back, [Evin] Lewis, I think we've got a group of players in which anyone or two or three of them can turn things on and beat the best in the world at what they do. 

"I think we've got a great chance and my biggest worry is that every other team will be worrying about the West Indies, and they're going to put their best foot against the West Indies.

"And I hope that the guys are up for the challenge. I don't think we are going to be dark horses in the World Cup. I think everybody is going to look at the West Indies as the team to beat."