Best Asian T20 International XI

#2 Middle-order

3. Virat Kohli (c) – 1,957 runs in 55 matches at 137.91

An orthodox technique even in the shortest format is what separates Virat Kohli from his competitors

One of the best to have ever batted at the international level, Virat Kohli has reached the pinnacle of ODI cricket as well as made his name in T20 cricket, irrespective of country and franchise. Kohli has perfected the art of moulding an innings, often knowing best when to deal in singles and when to attack and his ability to run rapidly between the wickets ensures crucial runs are not missed out throughout the innings.

However, what easily separates Kohli from his competitors is the orthodoxy with which he bats despite fully knowing that he must maximize runs from every ball, due to the fast-paced nature of T20 cricket.

4. Mahela Jayawardene – 1,493 runs in 55 matches in 133.18

One of the mainstays of Sri Lanka’s batting all through the first decade and more of the twenty-first century, Mahela Jayawardene adapted to different formats with an uncommon ease for batsmen not brought up in the T20 era. In international matches, Jayawardene hit 9 half-centuries to go with a solitary hundred against Zimbabwe in the 2010 World T20 in West Indies.

In the same tournament, just four days later, the prolific run-scorer hit 98* - in fact, both these knocks came as openers – as Sri Lanka reached the semi-final; other massive contributions included a 27-ball 65 against Kenya in the 2007 T20 World Cup, as Sri Lanka raked up the then highest T20 international score, while he retired from the format after Sri Lanka won the 2014 event.

5. Yuvraj Singh – 1,177 runs in 58 matches at 136.38

Undoubtedly, Yuvraj Singh has been regarded as a limited-overs specialist, having repeatedly made comebacks into the national side of late; and his exploits in the shortest format were visible as early as 2007, when Stuart Broad was dumped into the stands off all six balls in an over during the World T20.

Two games later, in the semi-final against Australia, he bashed 70 from 30 balls to bewilder the opposition bowlers, as India went on to surprisingly win the tournament. He still holds the record for the fastest T20 international fifty, which he hammered against England on that dreadful night, and three of his highest international innings have come at a strike rate of 200 or more.

5. Mohammad Shahzad (wk) - 1,816 runs in 60 matches at 136.23

The big man from the now-full member Afghanistan team, wicket-keeper Mohammad Shahzad's performances in the middle-order have often gone unnoticed with contemporaries like MS Dhoni and Quinton de Kock stealing all the limelight. The 30-year-old has as many as 12 half-centuries and a century in 60 T20 international innings with a highest of 118* made against Zimbabwe in 2016 by slapping 10 fours and 8 sixes.

In another memorale innings, he slammed 44 off only 19 balls against South Africa in the 2016 World T20, with their bowling attack featuring Kagiso Rabada and Imran Tahir, amongst others.