Former RCB spinner picks his all-time T20I XI; includes 3 Indians

Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) spinner Tabraiz Shamsi has named his all-time T20I XI. The 35-year-old South African cricketer revealed his selections in a conversation with CricTracker, backing West Indies legend Chris Gayle and his compatriot Quinton de Kock as the openers.

At No. 3, he chose Indian batting great Virat Kohli, who retired from the format in 2024 after helping the Men in Blue clinch the T20 World Cup. The No. 4 and No. 5 spots went to former South African stalwart AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis.

At No. 6, Shamsi picked former India skipper MS Dhoni, who led the team to victory in the inaugural 2007 T20 World Cup. The Proteas spinner named the 44-year-old as the skipper and wicketkeeper of his playing XI.

Shamsi slotted Andre Russell at No. 7. The all-rounder recently retired from international cricket in July after featuring in 86 T20Is and was also part of West Indies’ T20 World Cup-winning squads in 2012 and 2016. He then picked Afghanistan star Rashid Khan, the second-highest wicket-taker in T20Is with 161 scalps, behind Tim Southee’s 164.

India’s Jasprit Bumrah gets the nod in Tabraiz Shamsi’s dream T20I XI

In the bowling unit, Tabraiz Shamsi went with Imran Tahir to partner Rashid Khan in the spin department. For the pace attack, he included India’s Jasprit Bumrah, who has 89 T20I wickets to his name and was named Player of the Tournament at the 2024 T20 World Cup.

The final spot went to Australia’s Mitchell Starc as the second frontline seamer. The left-arm quick is Australia’s second-highest wicket-taker in T20Is, with 79 scalps in 65 matches, behind spinner Adam Zampa’s 130.

Tabraiz Shamsi’s all-time T20I XI: Chris Gayle, Quinton de Kock, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis, MS Dhoni (c/wk), Andre Russell, Rashid Khan, Imran Tahir, Jasprit Bumrah and Mitchell Starc.

About the author

Dev Sharma is a cricket journalist at Sportskeeda with over two years of experience. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and has previously worked at Times Now as a sports writer.

His degree has empowered him with a good understanding of ethics in journalism and effective interviewing techniques, which he employs in his articles. He researches and verifies facts from multiple sources and remains impartial in his viewpoints. He has had the privilege of interviewing renowned sports journalist Vijay Lokapally.

Dev loves cricket because of its ability to keep spectators on the edge of their seats and its ability to foster a sense of community and shared passion. He is a staunch supporter of the Indian cricket team and his favorite cricketer is Yuvraj Singh, especially after he hit those iconic six sixes in an over in 2007. He also admires Rohit Sharma’s leadership as he led Mumbai Indians to five IPL titles and Team India to the T20 World Cup.

When he’s not working, Dev enjoys watching football or catching up on his sleep.

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Edited by Dev Sharma