India's All-Time T20 XI 

Team India started their T20I campaign in 2006 on the front-foot by registering a comfortable victory against South Africa. India then managed to clinch the inaugural T20I World-Cup where MSD inspired a young Indian team to the title.

Though the immediate years following the World Cup did not bring much glory, the Indian team bounced back with a strong performance in the 2014 T20I World-Cup where they fell just a step short of the title as they were defeated by Sri Lanka in the finals.

There was no looking back after that and the Indian team managed to find a set of core match-winners in the shortest format of the game and team's performance in the past couple of years irrefutably advocates the same.

Indian team has registered a total of 61 victories in the 99 international appearances that the team has made. Riding on their incredible run in the format, India managed to surpass South Africa (60 victories in 103 games).

Of all the teams that have played the T20I format, Team India has the highest winning percentage.

Celebrating India's glorious recent run in the shortest format, we thought that it is the perfect time to script down the best possible T20XI from the pool of 73 players who have sported the Indian jersey.

Note: All Statistics are accurate as of 23 March 2018

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Openers

Rohit Sharma

"Hitman" Rohit Sharma is right there at the top with the best in the business. One of the most successful IPL batsmen of all time, he has played some really good innings on the international stage as well. Sharma might have been a little inconsistent but he cannot be written off. His ability to score big hundreds in the shorter formats and bat deep into the innings makes him very special.

Rohit's best performance in the shortest format came against Sri Lanka in 2017 where he demolished fragile Sri Lanka bowling attack hitting the bowlers all around the park. Rohit scored a century off just 35 balls, including 12 fours and 10 monstrous sixes. Riding on Rohit's assault India easily defeated Srilanka.

He has added a new feather to his cap - his sheer brilliance as the captain. He has captained the national team in nine games and the team has won eight of them which proves his credential as the skipper. Also, he has led his IPL franchise Mumbai Indians in five seasons and they have won three of those.

Rohit has scored a total of 1852 runs in the format at an average of 30.87 and a destructive strike rate of 135.78.

Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir is one of the most under-rated cricketers of the present time

India's man in pressure situations, Gautam Gambhir has played some of the greatest innings that the world cricket has ever witnessed. It is Gambhir's temperament that makes him stand out from the crowd. His ability to keep his head calm and anchor the innings even in most adverse circumstances makes him an obvious pick.

We all still remember the way he single-handedly won the 2007 T20I World Cup final for India. His 75 off 54 propelled India to a competitive total of 157 and they eventually managed to clinch the inaugural World Cup trophy.

He has played a total of 37 T20I games and has scored 932 runs at an average of 27.41.

Honourable Mention: KL Rahul

Middle Order

Virat Kohli (VC)

Virat Kohli is the best T20 batsman

The player whose inclusion in any sort of best XI does not need any reasoning. Virat Kohli has been right at the top of his game. His attitude of giving 100% to everything that he does makes him a player that he is. He has looked near-perfect in the shortest format and has played a number of match-winning knocks.

Although Kohli has played a number of scintillating knocks, his innings of 82* off 51 against Australia in the 2016 T20I WC stand out as it guided the Indian team to semi-finals when the going looked tough for every other Indian batsman.

Kohli has scored 1983 runs in the shortest format at an astonishing average of 50.87 and a good enough strike-rate of 137.33 with 18 fifty-plus scores to his name.

Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina is synonymous with the Indian Premier League

Suresh Raina might have found going a bit tough in the past couple of years but there is no denying the fact that he is just an innings away from a good form. Every now and then, Raina has proved his worth as a T20 player in the IPL and the domestic T20 tournaments.

He tops the list of highest run scorers in IPL history which has the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, David Warner behind him.

His best performance in Indian colours came against South Africa in the 2010 World Cup, when he became the first Indian to hit a century in the T20I format. Riding on his century India easily defeated the strong South African team.

He boasts of an ability to chip in with a couple of tight overs and is always a live wire at the field saving crucial runs for the side.

Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh at his very best was the most dangerous batsman in the world

Yuvraj Singh was an integral member of the 2007 T20 World Cup winning squad. His six sixes in an over off Stuart Broad and 70 off 30 against Australia turned out to be the tournament changing knocks for India.

His never-give-up attitude and passion towards the game are praised by one and all. Although he might have been out of the national side, he still can demolish any bowling attack thanks to his batting pyrotechnics.

Although he has not got a continuous streak of games for the national side, he has played some really good knocks whenever he got the chances and therefore will be a critical part of the all-time national side.

Yuvraj has scored 1177 runs in the shortest format at an acceptable average of 28.02 and strike rate of 136.38.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (C & WK)

MSD is unarguably one of the best finishers

Finishing games? Wicket-keeping brilliance? Making important calls during pressure situations? MSD can do it all. He does not have anything left to prove to anyone.

Every now and again Dhoni has proved his mettle, whether it be his leading skills, batting skills or keeping skills. Ability to remain calm and guide the team in the tensest of situations puts him a mile out of any other international player.

MSD's career average stands at 37.03 and he has scored over 1400 runs in the shortest format.

Honourable Mentions: Dinesh Kartik, Manish Pandey

All-Rounder

Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya is a talented all-rounder

India's long-awaited search for a fast bowling all-rounder finally seems to have come to an end. The younger Pandya can whack the cricket ball a long distance and also is more than handy as a bowling option.

Though he has faced issues of consistency at the international level, with age on his side, he can still work on his flaws and can go on to achieve a lot.

In the 30 T20I games that he has played, he has claimed 26 wickets at an economy of 7.99 which includes a couple of match-winning performances. He has not been able to prove himself as a batsman but that can be argued as he hasn't got enough chances.

Spinners

Ravichandran Ashwin

Ashwin is a street-smart cricketer

Ravichandran Ashwin might have been out of action for the past couple of years, there is no point writing him off. Having made his debut around eight years back, Ashwin has only improved since then.

On the pitches supporting turn, he is unarguably the most lethal bowler in the cricketing fraternity. It is Ashwin's accuracy which makes him a great bowler.

The newly appointed KXIP captain has scalped 52 wickets in the 46 international appearances that he has made at a mind-boggling economy rate of 6.98. His utility as a batsman can never be neglected making him a valuable asset.

Yuzvendra Chahal

Yuzvendra Chahal has been in sensational form over the past couple of years

Wrist-spinners are gradually becoming the prime factor behind the success of a T20 team. Team India is very lucky to have found a couple of them. Yuzvendra Chahal, the 27-year-old, with his knack of turning a game in the space of a couple of deliveries has evolved as a match-winner for both the Indian team and the RCB.

Currently positioned second in the ICC T20I bowler rankings, Chahal, in no time, has become the frontline Indian spinner in the limited overs format. The leggie has claimed 35 wickets in 20 games that he has played so far at an aggressive strike rate of 13.97 with the best figures of 6/25.

Honourable Mention: Harbhajan Singh

Fast Bowlers

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has become India's pace bowling spearhead

Bhuvneshwar Kumar made his debut in 2012 and the Pakistan top order looked clueless against his troublesome swinging deliveries. He impressed everyone with the way he bowled.

Six years down the line, Kumar is leading India's pace attack in all three formats. After having increased his speed by a couple of yards, he now is a true match-winner.

Whether it is about taking crucial wickets at the start or bowling toe-crushing yorkers towards the back end, he has mastered them all. The right-arm pacer has taken 28 wickets in the 26 international games that he has played. His economy is an impressive 6.74.

IPL Purple cap winner in the last couple of seasons, Bhuvneshwar is a definite pick in the all-time XI.

Jasprit Bumrah

Bumrah has been mighty effective for the Indian team in the shorter formats

Death bowling was one of the major concerns for India before they found Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah has been mighty effective for the Indian team in the shorter formats. His ability to bowl yorkers at will has perfectly addressed India's death bowling woes.

Bumrah with Bhuvneswar has successfully been able to control the opposition batsman in the slog overs. The pacer has taken 41 wickets in a total of 34 games at an economy of 6.86 which is great considering the fact that he bowls at least a couple of overs towards the fag end of the innings.

He is continuously learning and with age being on his side, Bumrah can turn out to be the next big thing in Indian Cricket.

Honourable Mention: Ashish Nehra