Indian middle-order batter Suryakumar Yadav has been appointed as the captain of the ICC Men's T20I Team of the Year, which also features Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravi Bishnoi, and Arshdeep Singh. Meanwhile, in the ICC Women’s T20I Team of the Year, the lone Indian representative is all-rounder Deepti Sharma.
This marks Suryakumar's second consecutive inclusion in the Men’s T20I Team of the Year, and he is currently in contention for the T20I Men’s Cricketer of the Year. His performances in 2023 showcased resilience and consistency, notably bouncing back from a modest start against Sri Lanka to scoring impactful innings against the West Indies, Australia, and South Africa. Suryakumar also took on the captaincy role in the absence of Rohit Sharma and the injured Hardik Pandya, contributing significantly to India's series wins.
Joining Suryakumar in the Men’s T20I team are Yashasvi Jaiswal, who made a mark on his T20I debut, leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi, who claimed 18 wickets and led the ICC Men’s T20I bowler rankings, and left-arm fast-bowler Arshdeep Singh, who excelled with 26 wickets in 21 appearances.
Deepti Sharma, the only Indian player in the Women’s T20I Team of the Year, showcased her prowess as an off-spinner, claiming 21 wickets in 17 outings, including crucial spells against the West Indies. She also contributed with the bat when required, accumulating 106 runs at an impressive strike rate.
The Men’s T20I Team of the Year also features players like England opener Phil Salt, West Indies wicketkeeper-batter Nicholas Pooran, New Zealand batter Mark Chapman, Zimbabwe all-rounder Sikandar Raza, Uganda spinner Alpesh Ramjani, Ireland pacer Mark Adair, and Zimbabwe fast-bowler Richard Ngarava.
In the Women’s T20I Team of the Year, players include Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu, Australia wicketkeeper-batter Beth Mooney, along with pacer Megan Schutt and all-rounders Ellyse Perry and Ash Gardner. South Africa batter Laura Wolvaardt, West Indies captain Hayley Matthews, England vice-captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, and left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone, along with New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr, complete the lineup.
(With Agency Inputs)
