The T20 World Cup concluded on Sunday, with England beating Pakistan by five wickets in Melbourne to win their second T20 World title. It was a very good tournament with several big upsets, and in the end, the most deserving team lifted the trophy.
On this note, we will get on with the job of picking the team for the tournament. Let’s get on with it.
Jos Buttler (England) (C & WK)
Though the soft-spoken and laconic Buttler has been hailed as the “quiet leader,” his playing style on the field is anything but quiet He has been his usual destructive self with the bat in most of England’s matches and finished the World Cup with 225 runs.
Along with Alex Hales, the 32-year-old Buttler did the demolition job perfectly in their thumping win against India in the semifinal. He continued to time the ball and found the gaps well in the final, and his 26 runs in the power-play proved crucial.
Buttler also used the abundant bowling resources available to him judiciously and hence, gets picked up as the team leader.
Alex Hales (England)
The 33-year-old Hales was out of the England team for a while but succeeded in making a grand comeback in the World Cup. His partnership with Buttler was successful in most of their matches, as Hales finished with 212 runs in the tournament.
Hales successfully played his shots down the ground and used the sweep shot to great effect against India at the Adelaide Oval with smaller square boundaries. His shortcomings against the ball swinging in toward him were exposed in the final, but overall, Hales had a memorable tournament.
Virat Kohli (India)
The 34-year-old Kohli was in sublime touch throughout the tournament and finished as the highest run-scorer with 296 (check the top ten run-scorer in the tournament). His epic match-winning knock of 82 against Pakistan was what legends are made of, and he continued making runs whenever given an opportunity.
However, at times, his innings were a bit sedate by T20 standards as he had to play the sheet anchor’s role after the opening partnership was broken early in most of India’s matches. Still, Kohli makes this side without any hint of doubt.
Suryakumar Yadav (India)
If any Indian batter succeeded in overshadowing the brilliant Kohli in the tournament, it was the 32-year-old Yadav. His knock of 68 against South Africa on a fast and bouncy track in Perth was incredibly good.
Yadav also played a whirlwind knock of 61 against Zimbabwe, and his strike rate remained above 170-180 – occasionally even touching 200- throughout the tournament. He played lofted shots over extra-cover and long-off and swept the opposition pacers for over boundaries over fine leg. Yadav walks into this side as the most destructive middle-order batter in this format.
Ben Stokes (England)
Performing in big matches comes easy to Stokes, as he again demonstrated in the final and the do-or-die battle with Sri Lanka in the Super 12 stage. Stokes curbed his natural attacking instincts on both occasions to win the matches for England.
With 110 runs and six wickets in the tournament, the 31-year-old Stokes should play as the no. 5 in this team. He also has the knack of picking up important wickets with the ball and hence, will provide his skipper with lucrative options with both bat and ball.
Shadab Khan (Pakistan)
Shadab was arguably the best-performing all-rounder in the World Cup and one of Pakistan’s better players. He does not usually turn the ball much, but his ability to bowl a tight line and pick up wickets proved to be an asset for Pakistan.
Shadab also played breezy knocks with the bat at times and finished the tournament with 98 runs and 11 wickets. He is still only 24 and hence, has a long cricketing career ahead of him. However, his exploits in the tournament have been enough to guarantee him a place on this team.
Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe)
It is not usual for a player from a side that failed to make the last four to feature in any such team. However, Raza’s all-round performance has made him stand out in this World Cup – only player in the tournament to feature in both top ten run-maker and wicket-taker list.
Raza is no spring chicken at 36, but his exploits on the field often defied his age. He bowls with a lot of variety and can deliver off-breaks, leg-breaks, knuckle balls, and seam-up ones.
His stump-to-stump line fetched him several wickets, and he also played a few useful knocks for Zimbabwe. In the end, he finished with 219 runs and 10 wickets and deserved a place in this team.
