Tournament’s leading run-getters Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav were on Monday named in the ‘Most Valuable Team’ of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022. Former India captain Kohli finished as the most prolific batsman of the tournament with 296 runs at an impressive average of 98.66. Kohli began his campaign with an unbeaten 82 against arch-rivals Pakistan and secured a heart-wrenching four-wicket win off the final ball.
And in the semi-finals an unbeaten 64 against Bangladesh, an unbeaten 62 against the Netherlands and a 50 against England helped savor the taste of individual competition. One of the greatest white ball batsmen of the modern era. Fellow Indian Suryakumar finished as the third highest run-scorer of the tournament with 239 runs overall.
However, there was no place in the squad for Pakistan captain Babar Azam, who had a modest T20 World Cup 2022 by his lofty standards. Although Pakistan reached the final of the T20 World Cup 2022, Babar could only score one fifty in the tournament – against New Zealand in the semi-final.
Three half-centuries – 51 not out against the Netherlands in Sydney, 68 against South Africa in Perth and 61 not out from just 25 balls against Zimbabwe in Melbourne – helped propel his side into the semi-finals as he struck a staggering 200 Scored runs at the rate. 189.68 in his six innings. Another Indian, Hardik Pandya was named as the 12th man in the side.
“Players from six different teams have been named in the Upstox Most Valuable Team of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022,” the ICC said in a statement a day after England won their second world title in the shortest format.
Captain, wicketkeeper and opener Jos Buttler, fellow opener Alex Hales and seamer Sam Curran all made the cut for England. New Zealand star Glenn Phillips and Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza occupy the No.5 and 6 spots in the playing XI. Phillips’ brilliant century against Sri Lanka helped his team to a comfortable 65-run victory in Sydney.
Another innings of 62 against England helped him score a total of 201 runs at an average of 40.20. For Raza, 219 runs and 10 wickets proved to be a vital asset for Zimbabwe with both bat and ball.
He scored an impressive 82 off 48 balls in his country’s first match against Ireland in Hobart, before contributing to further batting against Scotland, the Netherlands and India – taking an impressive three for 25 as Zimbabwe stunned Pakistan in Perth – Concluded a tournament to remember.
Completing the middle order is Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan, who took 11 wickets at an average of just 15.00. And he was equally impressive with the bat, scoring 92 runs at an average of 24.50 to help them reach the final in Melbourne.
Four _______ players and two each from __ and __
@ upstox Most Valuable Team of the Tournament#T20worldcup https://t.co/wdGDTWMiUA
– ICC (@ICC) November 14, 2022
Sam Curran and Enrich Norge line up at numbers 8 and 9, with the former being crowned Player of the Tournament after a series of spellbinding bowling displays. The left-arm pacer claimed remarkable figures of 3 for 12 in his four overs in the final, when he took five for 10 against Afghanistan in a similar fashion.
Another bowler who starred was pace ace Nortje, who served as a vital weapon in South Africa’s arsenal after finishing with a tournament-best average of only 8.54. Nortje conceded only 94 runs, while his 11-wicket haul as four wickets against both Bangladesh and Pakistan helped him become one of the most feared bowlers of the competition in the process.
At No.10 and 11 are teammates Mark Wood and Shaheen Shah Afridi, who took nine and 11 wickets for England and Pakistan respectively.
His replacement as the 12th player is Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who performed brilliantly with both bat and ball, taking 128 runs and eight wickets. The dangerous middle-order player had scored 63 runs against England in the semi-final and also took important wickets against Pakistan, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe during the Super 12.
Most Valuable Team of ICC T20 World Cup 2022: Alex Hales, Jos Buttler, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Glenn Phillips, Sikandar Raza, Shadab Khan, Sam Curran, Enrique Nortje, Mark Wood, Shaheen Shah Afridi; 12th player: Hardik Pandya.
(with PTI inputs)