With each team having just one more Super 12 match in the T20 World Cup, the team of the tournament is starting to take shape with some of the game’s biggest names and emerging stars dominating.
As it stands, these 11 players have stood head and shoulders above the rest as we head into the final few games before the semi-finals get under way next week before the tournament which culminates with the final at the MCG on November 13.
Indian kingpin Virat Kohli is the early frontrunner to be named player of the tournament as the leading run-scorer after scoring 220 runs from his four innings and only being dismissed once.
South African paceman Anrich Nortje, Indian rising star Arshdeep Singh and English left-armer Sam Curran have been among the wickets and could rival Kohli for the top award along with the star batter’s young middle-order teammate, Suryakumar Yadav.
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Let us know in the comments below who should be in or out.
Quinton de Kock bats. (Photo by Steve Bell – ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
Team of the World Cup
Openers
With the wet weather around and the new ball swinging, it hasn’t been a great tournament for openers. New Zealand’s Devin Conway slammed 92 off 58 against Australia at the SCG and Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendi smacked the Irish around for 68 off 43 to start the Super 12s but have done little since. Quinton de Kock has been the most destructive at the top of the order but he would be in this team as the keeper. Litton Das has also done well for Bangladesh in a couple of knocks.
You can make a case that besieged Australian skipper Aaron Finch has been one of the most consistent performers among the openers with 107 runs at 53.5 from his three knocks but he is striking at 107 and he admitted his scratchy unbeaten innings in the run-chase against Sri Lanka in Perth was poor.
Verdict: Mendis & Conway
Middle order
Indian superstar Virat Kohli is a no-brainer at first drop after dominating the tournament with 220 runs from four innings which started with his magnificent 82 off 53 to break Pakistan’s hearts at the MCG.
(Photo by Daniel Pockett-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
His protege Suryakumar Yadav (164 runs at 54.66 with a 164 strike rate), New Zealand power hitter Glenn Phillips (178 at 26.42 with a 185 strike rate) and South Africa’s Rilee Rossouw, who smashed the only hundred of the tournament, have also shone. Ireland’s Lorcan Tucker also deserves a mention for his unbeaten 71 off 48 which cruelled Australia’s net run rate hopes.
Verdict: Kohli, Yadav & Phillips.
All-rounder
Hardik Pandya has been bowling steadily for India and getting a few handy runs without making a big score, while Marcus Stoinis has stood up for Australia to score 101 runs but only has one wicket, Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza and English star Ben Stokes have had their moments without dominating.
Sri Lanka’s Dhananjaya de Silva has been the most consistent, taking a wicket in all four matches and hitting 133 at 44.3.
Verdict: Dhananjaya
Dhananjaya de Silva of Sri Lanka bats. (Photo by Chris Hyde-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
Wicketkeeper
De Kock has been da bomb for South Africa with his batting fireworks while he has been for the most part tidy behind the stumps.
He went ballistic with an unbeaten 47 from 18 deliveries against Zimbabwe before smashing 63 against Bangladesh in Sydney.
Verdict: De Kock
Spinner
Waninda Hasaranga and Kiwi tweaker Mitch Santner have done well but Pakistani leg-spinner Shadab Khan’s eight wickets over the past three games have helped retore pride in his team’s campaign after a rough start.
Verdict: Shadab
Fast bowlers
South Africa’s pace duo of Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi have ripped through top orders, English left-armer Sam Curran has used his guile to bag nine wickets while Indian breakout star Arshdeep Singh also has nine scalps.
Taskin Ahmed has been a revelation for Bangladesh while Mark Wood has rivalled Nortje for pace and Mohammed Wasim has stepped up for Pakistan.
Verdict: Nortje, Curran & Arshdeep
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