Harsha Bhogle picks his T20 XI of 2018

The year 2018 is about to come to an end, and it is that time of the year when the experts and the analysts all over the world review the year in terms of cricket.

Harsha Bhogle is one of the best cricket analysts despite not having any professional experience of playing the sport. He is best known for his cricket storytelling.

Bhogle picked his T20 XI of the year through his vlog with Cricbuzz, notably this team is not a team of the best T20 players in the world comprising the likes of Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, or Ab de Villiers. The team is selected based on the best T20 performances in this year.

The criteria of selection are based on the performances not only in the international cricket but also the franchise cricket. Without much ado, let's take a look at the T20 XI of 2018 picked by Harsha Bhogle.

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#1 Aaron Finch (Australia)

Aaron Finch celebrating after scoring 172 in a T20I match

2018 has been the year of Aaron Finch, from scoring 172 runs in a T20I against Zimbabwe to representing the national team in the Test format of the game. Finch might have had a poor IPL, but his numbers in the Vitality Blast T20 tournament, and in the international stage are mind-boggling. With 1350 T20 runs in 2018, Finch ended the year as second highest run-scorer.

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#2 Shikhar Dhawan (India)

Gabbar rediscovered in the shortest format of the game

We all know Shikhar Dhawan is one of the best openers in the ODI, but his T20 numbers previously were not enough to secure his spot in the team. Then came the year 2018, where Dhawan rediscovered himself.

The southpaw managed to score 689 runs for India in the shortest format of the game which also involved 6 half-centuries at a breathtaking strike rate of 147.22. Dhawan had a good time in the IPL as well, scoring 497 runs at an average of 38.23.

#3 Colin Munro (New Zealand)

A no-brainer pick

The leading T20 run-scorer in the year 2018 makes his way into the team. While representing the BlackCaps in this year, Colin Munro scored 500 runs which involved one hundred, and also was the highest run-getter in the CPL with 567 runs next to his name.

With a total of 1529 T20 runs in the year, Munro has made the No.3 spot his own.

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#4 Rishabh Pant(India) (wk)

Future of Indian Cricket

Rishabh Pant got the nod ahead of Jos Buttler and Dinesh Karthik in this team. The wicket-keeper batsman from Delhi had a great 2018. From scoring a destructive ton against SunRisers Hyderabad in the IPL to representing India in the Test arena and scoring a hundred in England, Pant did it all.

Pant scored 684 runs in the IPL at a strike rate of 173.60. He also scored the 2nd fastest century in T20 cricket when he scored 100 in just 32 balls in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

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#5 Glenn Maxwell (Australia)

The Big Show

Glenn Maxwell might not have had the best year in terms of T20 numbers, but he is being added into the side as an floater.

Maxwell scored 962 T20 runs at a strike rate of 146.87 with one century and 6 half century next to his name. T20 is a format of game changers, and Maxwell is one such player that every captain wants in his team.

#6 Andre Russell(West Indies)

Best T20 All-rounder ?

All-rounders are always in huge demand in the shortest format of the game as they give the perfect balance to any team. Probably the greatest T20 all-rounder of all time walks straight into the team.

In the 36 T20 matches that Russell has played in 2018, he scored 625 runs at strike rate just above 186 and took 35 wickets. In a CPL match, he scored 121 runs in 49 balls, and also got a hat-trick with the ball, in the process becoming only the second player to do so.

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#7 Dwayne Bravo (West Indies)

Dwayne Bravo

Dwayne Bravo is known for his death bowling skills, and the ability to strike the ball when needed. His economy rate has increased from the previous year, but this increase is because of him bowling the tough overs towards the end of the innings.

He was joint leading wicket taker in the BBL 2017/18 with 18 scalps, and scored his runs at a strike rate of 156.18.

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#8 Sunil Narine (West Indies)

Another West Indian in the team

Sunil Narine is one of the mystery spinners that world cricket has seen, a skill set which is increasingly becoming more valuable in T20 cricket, but 2018 saw him become an even better T20 commodity thanks to his prowess with the bat.

In the 36 matches that he played in this year, Narine scored 521 runs and took 35 wickets.

#9 Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)

Best thing happening in cricket right now

Nobody has taken more wickets in T20 in this year than Rashid Khan. In the 57 T20 matches that he has played in 2018, Rashid has taken 89 wickets at an economy rate of mere 6.47.

He has improved his batting skills as well, as he finished few games for his team in the Afghanistan Premier League.

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#10 Jofra Archer (West Indies)

The next big thing?

Jofra Archer is one of the main fast bowlers in this team. Archer was picked ahead of Andrew Tye because of Archer's ability to bowl at the top as well.

In the 37 matches that he has played this year, Archer has taken 55 wickets at a shocking strike rate of 14.8.

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#11 Billy Stanlake (Australia)

Big Billy

Billy Stanlake is a tall, lanky fast bowler from Australia who hit the deck very hard and can be valuable in any pitch that he plays on. In the 27 T20 matches, he has picked up 37 wickets at an economy of just 7.5.

Harsha has picked up Stanlake because of his aggressive nature, and how he is different from most of the fast bowlers.

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The statistics shown above are only considered till the 16 December, 2018. Comment on how you feel about the XI picked by Harsha Bhogle, and also comment your T20 XI of 2018.