Six Indians in ICC Team of the Tournament; no spot for Kohli despite match-winning final knock

Dubai: The International Cricket Council has picked six Indians in its ‘Team of the Tournament’ for the just-concluded T20 World Cup but there was no place for star batter Virat Kohli, who played a match-winning knock in the final against South Africa.

In his new role as an opener, Kohli had an underwhelming World Cup before rising to the occasion in the big final where he was adjudged man-of-the-match for his 59-ball 76.

India pipped South Africa by seven runs in a sensational comeback in the death overs to win their second T20 World Cup title after 17 years.

The ICC XI featured Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel and two pacers in Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh.

Rohit led from the front with 257 runs at a splendid strike-rate of 156.7 to his name. He was the second most leading run-getter after Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz.

The Player of the Tournament and India’s trump card in their title win, Bumrah returned with 15 wickets.

But more than his wickets, his impact in restricting the scoring rate of teams made Bumrah India’s most important player right through the tournament.

His economy rate of 4.17 was the best ever by any bowler in a single edition of the men’s T20 World Cup.

Following their historic semifinal finish, Afghanistan found three players in the ICC team, including left-arm quick Fazalhaq Farooqi, who topped the wicket-takers chart jointly with Arshdeep (17 wickets each).

Wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who topped the runs scorers’ list with 281 runs as an opener for Afghanistan, also found a place alongside skipper Rashid Khan.

The crafty leg-spinner brilliantly led Afghanistan in their historic run and returned with 14 wickets with a tidy economy of 6.17.

Marcus Stoinis of Australia and Nicholas Pooran of the tournament co-hosts West Indies completed the XI.

Runners-up South Africa did not find a player in the XI and pacer Anrich Nortje was named the 12th man.

Nortje began the tournament with a brilliant 4/7 against Sri Lanka and took at least one wicket in all but one match.

In the final, he was the pick of South Africa’s bowlers with figures of 2/26 from his four overs.

ICC Team of The Tournament

Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh (all Indians); Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rashid Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi (Afghanistan); Marcus Stoinis (Australia) and Nicholas Pooran (West Indies); 12th man: Anrich Nortje.