My World T20 Eleven
The World T20 has come to an
end after three weeks of thrilling cricket. There is no tournament in this
world that provides entertainment and competition like the World T20. Once
these tournaments end, there is a sense of withdrawal, an emptiness, that you
are unsure of how to fill; and you can't help but reflect about the matches and
the players that left an impact on you and the cricket world.
Here are the eleven players that left had the biggest impact on
the World T20 in my opinion.
The Openers - Numbers 1 and 2
Several openers did well and ended the tournament among the
leading 10 run scorers in the World T20. Rohit Sharma, Hashim Amla, David Finch
all gave their teams good starts throughout the World T20 and notched up
impressive tallies.
But the two openers that left the greatest impact on the
tournament are the two centurions - Alex Hales and Ahmed
Shehzad. Both Hales and Shehzad became the first batsmen from their
respective countries to knock T20 centuries.
It is interesting to note that England and Pakistan were the only
two test playing nations (besides Bangladesh and Zimbabwe) who did not have a
T20 centurion among their ranks before the start of this World T20.
Quite fitting that they do now.
The Number 3
This is probably the most easiest choice as it is impossible to
ignore the leading run scorer of the tournament and man who ends a tournament
with a 100+ average. That too a T20 series / tournament.
Virat Kohli's tally of 319 runs is the also the highest number of
runs scored in any World T20 tournament. Kohli was in sublime form throughout
the competition and he never looked like getting out. In the final, it seemed
like it was only he was out there to play while the rest of the Indian batsmen
struggled against a good bowling attack on sluggish pitch.
Virat Kohli is in a league of his
own. There is absolutely no comparison.
The Middle Order
The stand out middle order batsmen in this world T20 were Glenn
Maxwell, JP Duminy, and Darren Sammy.
In a tournament where Australia refused to turn up, one man
definitely turned up. Glenn Maxwell spared no one and smashed
all bowlers to all corners of the grounds he played in so effortlessly that it
looked like he was playing against school boys. I have not seen anyone deposit
balls over midwicket and square leg with the ease that Maxwell did throughout
this World T20.
It is difficult to be the best batsman in your team when you have
names like Hashim Amla and AB De Villiers in there. But JP Duminy managed
just that, despite both Amla and De Villiers being in fine touch.
No one finished games in this World T20 the way Darren
Sammydid. No one clubbed sixes the way Sammy did. No one celebrated hitting
sixes the way Sammy did. And no one celebrated winning a game the way Sammy and
the West Indies did.
You can't keep a man who averaged over a 100 and hit the ball at a
strike rate of over 220 out of any team.
What's more is that all three of these batsmen - Maxwell, Duminy,
and Sammy - can bowl as well!
The Wicket Keeper
Even though he failed with the bat, Quinton De Kock was
by far the best wicket keeper in the World T20. Everyone was raving about Dale
Steyn defending 7 runs in that final over against catch of Luke Ronchi, which
could have so easily gone for four to third man. Not many wicket keepers in
this world would have held on to that.
The Spinners
With the World T20 played in the subcontinent, the spinners were
always going to be crucial. It is no surprise that 4 of the leading 5 wicket
takers in the World T20 are spinners. Imran Tahir, Samuel Badree, Ravi Ashwin
and Amit Mishra scripted many a victory for their teams.
Imran Tahir ended the World T20 as
the leading wicket taker in the tournament, despite playing a game less than
both Ashwin and Mishra. Leaving him out of this team will be injustice.
There is very little to choose from between Badree, Ashwin, and
Mishra. Badree and Ashwin took 11 wickets each, while Mishra took 10. Badree
and Ashwin have slightly better economy rates than Mishra.
I would play both Badree and Ashwin but considering that Maxwell
and Duminy can also turn over their arms, it will be too many spinners in the
side. And I do think that a team should have at least two genuine pacers, no
matter what the conditions.
I'll go with Ashwin purely because of variety.
Playing two leg spinners can never be a good strategy.
The Pacers
It is very difficult to ignore Ahsan Malik, the
highest wicket taker among the pacers in this World T20. In fact he is the
joint highest wicket taker of the tournament. He did play two more games than
other pacers, but his average, economy, and strike rate in the tournament were
phenomenal.
His 5-19 almost led the Dutch to victory over South Africa. It was
the only 5 wicket haul by a pacer in the entire tournament and one of the only
two 5 wicket hauls in this World T20.
Dale Steyn took wickets, won South Africa a match, but he was
expensive. The pacer who made a greater impact in my opinion was Nuwan
Kulasekera. He opened the bowling for the champions and got early wickets
for them almost every time. He was also one of the few pacers who finished the
World T20 with an economy of less than 7 runs an over.
This is the World T20 IMPACT
Eleven:
1. Alex Hales 2. Ahmed Shehzad 3. Virat Kohli 4. Glenn Maxwell 5.
JP Duminy 6. Qinton De Kock (WK) 7. Darren Sammy* (C) 8. Nuwan Kulasekera 9.
Ravi Ashwin 10. Ahsan Malik 11. Imran Tahir
12th man: Samuel Badree
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