The ICC has unveiled its 'Team of the Tournament' for the recently concluded T20 World Cup, featuring six standout Indian players. Notably absent from the lineup was Virat Kohli, despite his pivotal performance in the final against South Africa.
Kohli, who took on a new role as an opener, had a subdued tournament overall but delivered a match-winning knock of 76 runs off 59 balls in the final, earning him the man-of-the-match award. India clinched their second T20 World Cup title in a thrilling encounter, defeating South Africa by seven runs in a dramatic finish.
Leading the Indian contingent in the ICC XI were skipper Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, and pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh. Rohit Sharma stood out with 257 runs at an impressive strike-rate of 156.7, placing second in the tournament's leading run-scorers list behind Afghanistan's Rahmanullah Gurbaz.
Bumrah, hailed as the Player of the Tournament, played a crucial role with 15 wickets, but it was his exceptional economy rate of 4.17 that set him apart, making him India's linchpin throughout the competition.
Afghanistan, following their historic semifinal finish, saw three of their players in the ICC team, including Fazalhaq Farooqi and Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Farooqi jointly topped the wicket-takers chart with Arshdeep Singh, both securing 17 wickets each.
Rashid Khan, Afghanistan's captain, showcased his leadership and spin prowess with 14 wickets and an economy rate of 6.17. Marcus Stoinis from Australia and Nicholas Pooran from West Indies completed the XI lineup.
Despite their runner-up finish, South Africa did not secure a spot in the ICC team, with pacer Anrich Nortje named as the 12th man. Nortje's standout performance included a remarkable 4/7 against Sri Lanka and consistent wicket-taking ability throughout the tournament, culminating in figures of 2/26 in the final.
ICC Team of The Tournament:
- Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh (India)
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rashid Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi (Afghanistan)
- Marcus Stoinis (Australia)
- Nicholas Pooran (West Indies)
- 12th man: Anrich Nortje
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