The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup came to an end, with Australia defeating New Zealand, their trans-Tasman rivals, in the final. Both favourites, Pakistan and England, were eliminated from the tournament after the pre-tournament favourites, West Indies and India, crashed out in the Super 12s stage.
The T20 World Cup had an interesting outcome, with the two finalists, Australia and New Zealand, both losing their previous series to Bangladesh by 4–1 and 3–2, respectively. This was the first time in T20 World Cup history that both teams who reached the finals had lost the previous series against the same team, before entering the tournament.
Here’s the best playing XI from the T20 World Cup 2021:
1. Jos Buttler
The explosive English wicketkeeper-batsman, Jos Buttler, was the World Cup’s most spectacular English player. After taking a break from the second leg of the IPL 2021, he returned and decimated every opponent.
Opening the batting for England along with Jason Roy, he targeted the powerplay overs efficiently. His innings of 101* off 67 balls against Sri Lanka, when England was reeling on 60–3 on a very tricky Sharjah pitch, is considered to be one of the most skillful T20I innings ever played. Another innings of 71*(32) against the mighty Australian side, in which England chased a target of 126 in just 11.4 overs, demonstrated his ability and hitting prowess.
With an average of 89.66, he finished second to Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan with 269 runs. Over the course of six innings, he hit 13 sixes with a destructive strike rate of 151.12. His ability to score runs quickly against both pacers and spinners makes him a valuable asset for any team.
2. David Warner
After being treated unfairly by the Sunrisers Hyderabad, David Warner had only one goal in mind: redemption. Warner warmed the SRH benches during IPL 2021 after being removed from the captaincy and then the playing XI. However, he made a strong comeback in the World Cup.
He was the second-highest run-scorer in the World Cup, with 289 runs. His best score against the West Indies was 89*. He had a strike rate of 148.42 while scoring three fifties. Averaging 48.16 in seven innings, he scored the most number of fours in the tournament i.e., 32, and hit 10 humongous sixes.
In the semifinals against Pakistan, where they were chasing 177, he hit a crucial 49 off 30 balls, while in the final against New Zealand, he scored 53 off just 38. He has often been recognized as a big match player, and he has always lived up to expectations.
3. Mohammad Rizwan (WK)
Another stylish wicket-keeping opener batsman who stole the show in this World Cup was Mohammad Rizwan. A very technically sound opener and an astounding wicketkeeper, he was instrumental in Pakistan’s unbeaten run to the semifinals. Also, he played a gritty innings of 67 in the semifinals after being hospitalized with a chest infection for two days. This innings demonstrates his dedication to the game.
Averaging 70.25 in six innings, he scored 281 runs, only behind his captain Babar Azam. His ability to steal cheeky singles and score a hefty amount of runs through the square leg region, made Babar Azam play the anchor role for Pakistan. Rizwan also became the first batsman in T20I cricket to score 1000 runs in a calendar year.
His memorable 79* against arch-rivals India, as well as his 152-run partnership with Babar Azam, helped Pakistan win the first World Cup match against India. Not to mention his excellent wicketkeeping against both fast bowlers and spinners. His catch of Surya Kumar Yadav against India stands out as one of the tournament’s best.
4. Charith Asalanka
An aesthetic left-handed batsman, Charith Asalanka, was one of the most emerging talents in this World Cup. Making №3 position his own in this struggling Sri Lankan side, he played some breathtaking knocks on some tough pitches that assisted spin.
Having all kinds of shots in his armory, Asalanka is a compulsive puller of the ball. He plays the cut and sweeps to perfection against the spinners. His backfoot game is pretty strong and he also tries to dance down the track to hit spinners over their head.
At a healthy strike rate of 147.13, he hit 231 runs in this competition. His match-winning innings came against Bangladesh, where he scored an unbeaten 80 off 49 balls with five fours and five sixes on a really difficult Sharjah pitch.
5. Aiden Markram
The tall, right-handed South African batsman, Aiden Markram, resembles the legendary Jacques Kallis. He is a very stylish player because of his upright stance and superb temperament to play shots both off the front and back foot. His back-foot cover drive is a shot that exudes class.
Markram’s attacking game astounded everyone in this tournament. Normally an opener, he was slotted into South Africa’s middle order. He has improved his game against spin by attacking spinners with his feet. His finishing abilities shone through against England, where he scored 52 off 25 balls, including four massive sixes.
Another mind-boggling innings came against the West Indies when he scored 51 off 26 balls and finished the game in 18 overs. Markram, who is also an excellent fielder, has progressed significantly as a middle-order batsman and it will be exciting to see how he performs in the future.
6. Moeen Ali
Moeen Ali, England’s star all-rounder, was crucial to the team’s success in the tournament. After a successful stint with the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2021, he entered the World Cup on the strength of strong performances in the cash-rich league.
He made an immediate impact in the first game against the West Indies, recording impressive figures of 2/17. In the second game against Bangladesh, he finished with 2/18 and utterly wrecked Bangladesh’s batting line-up in the power-play itself.
Moeen Ali, a naturally aggressive left-handed batsman and spin basher contributed significantly more with his off-spin and finished with seven wickets at an economy of 5.50. His 51 off 37 balls under pressure against a quality New Zealand bowling attack demonstrates his ability as a quality all-rounder.
7. Wanindu Hasaranga
With his outstanding performances for the island nation, Sri Lanka’s star player, Wanindu Hasaranga, established his presence on the international stage. With his googlies, he bamboozled the associate nations and single-handedly propelled Sri Lanka into the Super 12s.
In the Super 12s, he continued his impressive form, taking a hat-trick against South Africa, including Markram, Bavuma, and Pretorius, albeit in a losing cause. He finished with 16 wickets at a 5.20 economy rate, becoming the tournament’s leading wicket-taker in any edition.
His batting abilities were also on display against Ireland, where Sri Lanka was reeling at 8–3. Hasaranga scored an important 71 off 47 balls, propelling Sri Lanka to a match-winning total. His meteoric rise as a star all-rounder for Sri Lanka comes at a critical time for the island nation, which is in the midst of a sustained transition period.
8. Chris Woakes
Designated as a Test specialist, Chris Woakes brought in his Test match experience into the white-ball format. He was given the role of a powerplay specialist by Eoin Morgan and he performed that role with perfection.
He took wickets in the powerplay regularly and managed to decimate the opposition. He was given to bowl three overs on the trot inside the powerplay on most occasions. He produced a match-winning spell against Australia where he trapped David Warner and Glenn Maxwell.
He has a natural out-swinger which he uses to perfection with the new ball. He is a pretty handy batsman down the order too. He took seven wickets with his best spell coming against Australia with figures of 2/23.
9. Trent Boult
Trent Boult was another left-arm fast bowler who wreaked havoc in this World Cup. Boult, who was previously regarded as a powerplay specialist, proved everyone wrong by demonstrating his excellent prowess at the death. While his companion Tim Southee handled the new ball department admirably, Boult took on the responsibility of choking the opposition to death.
With perfect yorkers and cutters, he has greatly improved his death bowling. It was on display against Namibia, where he troubled the batsmen with his variations. He has recently added wider slower balls and cutters to his arsenal, making him more lethal.
Boult spearheaded New Zealand’s attack and achieved enormous success, taking 13 wickets with an impressive economy of 6.25. His spells of 3/20 against India and 3/17 against Afghanistan were regarded as among the best by a New Zealand bowler in this World Cup.
10. Adam Zampa
Adam Zampa was instrumental in Australia reaching the T20 World Cup finals. His ability to stifle the opposition’s run-flow in the middle overs aided Australia in putting pressure on the opposition.
Zampa, who took 13 wickets from six games at an economy rate under 6, provided crucial breakthroughs in the middle overs. He sent the dangerous Asalanka back to the pavilion against Sri Lanka, and he took five wickets for 19 runs against Bangladesh, limiting Bangladesh to a paltry total of 73 runs.
Zampa has a plethora of variations that he employs effectively in matches. Along with natural leg-spin, he has deceptive googly that completely fools the batsman. Zampa has been Australia’s match-winner with the ball, and they will be hoping for him to repeat his heroics in the finals.
11. Shaheen Shah Afridi
Shaheen Afridi, the tall, left-arm fast bowler, instilled fear in the hearts of all Indian supporters when he dismissed Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul on completely unplayable balls. He then went on to dismiss Virat Kohli at the death, bringing India’s innings to a halt with a par total.
For Pakistan, the tall fast bowler is an all-phase bowler. He can bowl in the powerplay and at the end of the game. He swings the ball at 140+kmph, making it extremely difficult for batters to counter. He is also one of the talented bowlers who can perform yorkers at will.
He has all the variations up his sleeve at the death. He can bowl slower cutters, fiery bouncers and boot-cracking yorkers at any point in the game, making him a lethal weapon against any opponent. With his best bowling figures of 3/31 against India, he took seven wickets at an economy rate of 7.04.
Originally published at https://cricclubs.com.
