Unexpectedly, England cricket veterans Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain have chosen the 2024 T20 World Cup “Team of the Tournament,” which does not include Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli. The only other Indian player on the esteemed list is Jasprit Bumrah, the elite bowler.
Jasprit Bumrah Shines Amidst Indian Exclusions
Jasprit Bumrah was selected for the team due to his outstanding performance. For Hussain, Bumrah’s participation was obvious, given his five wickets in India’s opening three matches and his two Player of the Match accolades against Pakistan and Ireland. Stars of Indian cricket such as Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, and Arshdeep Singh were conspicuously missing from the starting eleven despite their outstanding performances.
Virat Kohli’s Disappointing Campaign
With just five runs scored thus far in the tournament, Virat Kohli, the all-time top run scorer in T20 World Cup history, is off to a slow start. His exclusion emphasises how competitive the World Cup is this year, with only the most significant players receiving recognition.
Unsung Heroes Recognized
The choice chosen by Atherton and Hussain gave preference to less well-known individuals who had made important contributions. The standout performances came from USA’s Aaron Jones, Scotland’s Brandon McMullen, and Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz. After winning the IPL 2024, Gurbaz amassed 167 runs with a strike rate of more than 150 in four innings. McMullen claimed a strike rate of 170, which was even faster.
Marcus Stoinis: The Standout All-Rounder
Marcus Stoinis of Australia was the team’s lone all-round player. Stoinis has been outstanding, finishing third in the 2024 T20 World Cup in terms of runs scored thus far. In four games, he has taken six wickets at an economy rate of 5.77 while hitting at a strike rate of 190.
Super 8 Stage Kicks Off
Excitement is high as the T20 World Cup moves on to the Super 8 round, with the hosts, the USA, playing South Africa in Group II on Wednesday, June 19.
Atherton and Hussain’s ‘Team of the Tournament So Far’
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk) (Afghanistan)
- Travis Head (Australia)
- Brandon McMullen (Scotland)
- Aaron Jones (USA)
- Marcus Stoinis (Australia)
- David Miller (South Africa)
- Alzarri Joseph (West Indies)
- Akeal Hosein (West Indies)
- Adam Zampa (Australia)
- Jasprit Bumrah (India)
- Fazalhaq Farooqi (Afghanistan)
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