India’s Marvel-ous Champions Trophy XI

India’s 15-man Champions Trophy squad has been announced, meaning Virat Kohli and co will make the trip to England to defend their title. For India and its cricket fans, the men on the field have always been handed special treatment. Being treated as superhuman figures is definitely not alien to the Indian cricket team.

Keeping in line with that, we decided to pick an Indian XI through the lens of Marvel and its superheroes. And it only feels like the right thing to do, considering Captain America: Civil War premiers on Star Movies and Star Movies HD on May 14th at 1:00 PM and 9:00 PM. So here goes…

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Virat Kohli (Captain America)

Kohli is the captain of the side and if you’re going to shout ‘Yes captain!’ it’s only right that you shout it at him! If Kohli is Captain America then he needs a shield, right? Well, ask any bowler today and they’ll vouch for his bat being as impenetrable as Captain America’s shield. This match is a no-brainer.

MS Dhoni (Iron Man)

In terms of characteristics who’s the exact opposite of Captain America? Iron Man of course! Remember Civil War, where both characters take opposite sides? Well in terms of characteristics on the field, MS Dhoni is the exact opposite of Kohli. Off the field, Dhoni’s wit isn’t lost on anyone, another similarity to Iron Man. Oh and let’s not forget, when Dhoni runs he flies, no need to tell you who else flies right?

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Shikhar Dhawan (Falcon)

Assisting the Captain is what Falcon does, going out to take the fire first. Now that’s a role opener ShikharDhawan understands quite well. Facing the new ball is what Dhawan does for India and when he gets going he sure does soar through just like Falcon.

Rohit Sharma (Vision)

Vision spent most of his time staying calm and not kicking up a storm, but when he did boy was it some storm! Rohit did something similar too, frustrating Indian fans by not kicking up a storm often enough. When Rohit did eventually kick up a storm though, he did it in the form of double centuries in ODIs, twice!

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R Ashwin (Spiderman)

Spinning a web around batsmen is what Ashwin does for a living. It’s no surprise then which Marvel superhero he would be. You could almost imagine Ashwin run-up to the crease and shoot out a string of webs as nonchalantly as he releases his famed carrom-ball.

Yuvraj Singh (The Hulk)

Get on the wrong side of this guy and you’re in for serious trouble. The beauty of that sentence is that it works equally well for Yuvraj Singh and The Hulk. Remember the 2007 World T20, where Andrew Flintoff sledged Yuvraj Singh? Well, Stuart Broad sure does, as Yuvi dispatched the Englishman for six sixes in an over, shortly after Flintoff’s sledge.

Talk about channelling your inner-Hulk, Yuvraj certainly knows how to!

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Ravindra Jadeja (Hawkeye)

Accurate. One word that defines Hawkeye, also one word that defines Jadeja. Be it his left-arm orthodox or his shy at the stumps, everything Jadeja does on the field is accurate. Rarely do you see Hawkeye miss the target, well, the story is pretty much the same with Jadeja.

Jasprit Bumrah (Black Panther)

When Iron Man needed a superhero, Black Panther turned up out of nowhere. When India needed a pace bowler, Bumrah came to the fore rather inconspicuously. Oh and both Bumrah and Black Panther use speed to their advantage. Some definite similarities there.

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Ajinkya Rahane (Black Widow)

Much like Black Widow, Rahane goes about doing his job stealthily and without much fuss. You wouldn’t expect him to land the big blows but somehow he always manages to find a way. Just like Black Widow, Rahane never lets the situation get the better of him.

Umesh Yadav (Thor)

What does Thor do with his hammer? He swings it at pace! Exactly what Umesh Yadav does with the ball right? Well, it’s only fitting then that we equate the two. After all, Thor probably swings that hammer in the mid-140s anyway.

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Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Ant Man)

Ant Man’s biggest quality is his ability to adapt to the situation. No one understands that better than Bhuvneshwar Kumar. When the ball is new, Bhuvi knows how to swing it and pick wickets. In the death overs he adapts, going from swing bowling to slower deliveries and Yorkers.