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T20 Cricket has triggered a lot of excitement and anxiety, with nail-biting finishes and close matches. It has encouraged an approach to play with the batsmen's and bowlers' minds, with the view to bowl unexpected variations and play new innovative shots to score runs quickly.
Many of the modern day batting stars wouldn't have been famous, had it not been for T20 cricket. Ranging from AB de Villiers' reverse sweeps to MS Dhoni's helicopter shots to put away yorker length deliveries to Kevin Pietersen's switch hit, T20 cricket has inspired a new repertoire of shots in order to score runs as quickly as ever.
However, with time, bowlers have come up with new variations and styles too, and the whole new experience of this 3 hour, result guaranteeing format has come a long way to become one of the most viewed formats.
Given the current state of affairs in global T20 Cricket, let us have a look at the present best T20 XI team, transcending all national boundaries....
#1 Aaron Finch
The Aussie opener has maintained his spot in the top 5 of the ICC T20 rankings for a very long time now, and that calls for a definite spot in the World T20 XI. Finch has the ability to smash the ball very hard as well as score big by staying at the crease for a considerable period of time.
He holds the record for the top two highest individual scores by a batsman in T20 cricket, a 172 and a 156, with both the innings coming outside his home country. Finch has a colossal strike rate of 158.5 and bats at an average of 41 runs in each T20 International. Those statistics are enough to suggest how extraordinary a batsman he is.
#2 Babar Azam
The young lad from Pakistan has played well enough to prove that he is not to be taken lightly in the shortest format of the game. Azam took the world by storm when he slammed seven Centuries in his first 33 innings and was immediately being compared to greats such as Virat Kohli and etc.
Though he plays at a weak strike rate, he need not worry about it as long as Finch is by his side. Azam has been tremendously consistent at the top and scores runs very freely. What this team would need from him is to stay at the crease for a considerable period of time while Finch and company keep playing the big shots at the other end.
#3 KL Rahul
The Indian batsman, who has already scored 2 hundreds and several fifties in the very few T20 Internationals he has played, has staggering numbers to justify his inclusion. He has a strike rate of 152 and an average of 49, which speaks volumes of his class and worth as a T20 Batsman.
Rahul generally opens the innings but would have to bat at 3 for this side as Azam cannot bat at 3, due to his inability to score runs as quickly. Rahul will get a good opportunity to play his shots with freedom as someone like Babar Azam would not give away his wicket easily and Finch too would be able to provide good starts more often than not.
#4 Colin Munro
Munro has stunned one and all in the last one year with his batting outburst. He had always been this number batsman from New Zealand who could hit the ball hard but was not considered very dangerous and was often dismissed at below average scores. He had never looked as lustrous and eye-catchy a batsman as he has looked in the last 12-14 months as he has started scoring runs in almost every match.
He has begun opening the innings for New Zealand as well as the franchises he represents globally and has given a good bang for the buck. He has begun smashing the cricket ball all over the park at mammoth strike rates and cannot be ignored from this lineup at all.
#5 Glenn Maxwell
Maxwell's career has been pretty variable, with his performances going down shortly after an attractive start. He was being compared to the likes of ABD and Jos Buttler, with all the innovative shots he played, but his performances dipped soon after and he wasn't even making it to the regular Australian XI.
However, the Aussie batting all-rounder has pulled up his socks and is again gaining a good reputation in the T20 format. His ability to chip in with some off-spin adds value to his side apart from the wide range of shots he plays all around the ground.
#6 Mohammad Nabi
The Afghan all-rounder is a must for this side just due to the value he brings to the side. Nabi carries the rare combination of skills to finish off innings with strike rates of around 200, hitting the big shots at will, and also picking crucial wickets and not leaking runs with his genuine off break bowling.
Given that he has led the Afghanistan National side in big tournaments such as the 2014 ICC T20 WC as well as the 2015 ICC CWC, Nabi's inputs to the skipper might also help the team's think tank. He might not have that flair as a batsman or bowler, but his all-round abilities are certain to benefit the side greatly, as it benefits Afghanistan.
#7 Shakib Al Hasan (C)
Shakib Al Hasan has been the backbone of the Bangladesh team for a while now. From batting courageously in the top and upper middle order against top international bowlers to bowling to the best batsmen in the world such as Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, AB de Villiers etc.,
Shakib has risen by fighting hard against all hurdles. He has played responsible knocks with the bat as well as bowled crucial match winning spells for his side. With the overall package Shakib brings to a side, he is a proven match winner and also being the most experienced out of the lot, he is expected to lead the side.
#8 Rashid Khan
The name that immediately comes up in one's mind when someone says T20 cricket, is Rashid Khan. Khan has made himself so popular with his performances just as a bowler that now, no T20 tournament in the world can take place without his presence.
Rashid is absolutely unpredictable as a spinner, his arm barely looking any different while delivering the leg break, or the googly or the flipper, making it almost impossible for batsmen to pick him. He has been praised greatly by former cricketers and legends, earning great respect from all over the cricketing world. His slogging abilities with the bat make him just the best bet, as he can play great cameos to finish off games.
#9 Andrew Tye
Tye has been a T20 revelation for Australia, as he is comfortable bowling with the new ball as well as thoroughly effective in the middle and death overs. At a time when Australia had been struggling in T20 Cricket, with Starc being mostly injured and the likes of Faulkner and Hazlewood being rendered ineffective, all the pressure of picking early wickets and also bowling at the death had fallen on to Nathan Coulter-Nile's shoulders, but that is precisely when Andrew Tye came to his rescue and has now become Australia's first choice T20 bowler. He can bowl slower balls and is good with the yorker length too, something very integral to a pacer in the death overs. Tye was the leading wicket taker in the IPL too, proving his versatility by scalping wickets in a country with spin favoring pitches.
#10 Jasprit Bumrah
Bumrah came to the limelight as a bowler who could bowl yorkers at will. He was seen doing exceedingly well for Mumbai Indians in the IPL and was subsequently called up to the national side. There has been no looking back for him since, as he has not only taken the T20 spot with open arms but has become an ODI regular, grabbing the number one ODI bowler spot.
He is extremely effective with the new ball and his probably the best death bowler in the world right now, having slower deliveries at his disposal and specializing in bowling the yorker. He is certain to do well for any side in T20s.
#11 Mustafizur Rahman
Often termed as the Fizz, Rehman has been quite a revelation for Bangladesh, as he has single-handedly helped them beat India while debuting for Bangladesh in a bilateral series, where he picked 11 wickets in 2 matches.
He has been extremely integral and useful for his country, contributing largely to many more such triumphs. Fizz has a great off cutter slower ball, which he uses very often to trick batsmen into playing their shots early, while the ball reaches them late, getting the edge of the bat. Fizz has also been fairly good with the new ball.
He has won matches for sides in T20 tournaments too, such as Sunrisers Hyderabad and is again, very difficult to pick.
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