World Cup 2019: 7 Underrated players who did exceedingly well

After high octane action for six weeks, England lifted the World Cup for the first time in cricketing history. Many expected the World Cup to be the one where batsmen would dominate the bowlers because of the pitches and high-scoring pattern in England in the last four years.

Although few batsmen were on a run-scoring spree, it was the bowlers who called the shots in the tournament. Many low totals were defended successfully during the second half of the tournament. Teams with a strong bowling unit were the ones that qualified for the knockouts.

Successful teams used their resources well in terms of team selection. Many players who were expected to play a supporting role, turned to be the main cast. That X-factor helped teams to win games from losing positions. Let's look at seven such underrated players who did exceedingly well in the 2019 WC.

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#7 Hardik Pandya - India

Pandya has improved his bowling a lot

Hardik Pandya's reputation as a batsman is high after his exploits in the Indian Premier League 2019. But with the ball, he was seen as a potential weak link that opposition batsmen might target at. That prompted the team management to play Kedar Jadhav who was the team's sixth bowling option.

But the Baroda all-rounder had an excellent tournament with the ball. In the pressure game against Pakistan, he dismissed the experienced duo of Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik in two successful deliveries to break the middle order.

Defending a low total against Afghanistan, he provided crucial breakthroughs in the form of Gulbadin Naib and Najibullah Zadran. His best performance came against Bangladesh where he used the conditions well to outsmart the batsmen. On a slow pitch, his off-cutters and slower deliveries deceived the likes of Shakib Al Hasan and Soumya Sarkar.

His effectiveness was so much that the team management played the second half of the WC with only five bowling options in the playing 11

#6 Rassie van der Dussen - South Africa

Rassie despite being a late starter might have a big international career

South Africa had the worst possible start to their WC campaign as they lost three games at the start. To add insult to the injury, reports started circulating that AB de Villiers made a late attempt to come out of retirement and play the WC. But the management went ahead with Rassie van der Dussen who was brought into the team to replace de Villiers.

Debuting in January 2019, van der Dussen had an excellent start to his ODI career with three 50s from first four games. He continued it in the World Cup as well. Against England, SA was in the chase with half-centuries from him and Quinton de Kock.

Although he failed to capitalize his starts against India and Bangladesh, it was his sensible knock of 67* that helped the Proteas post a competitive total against New Zealand. His best knock came against Australia as he formed a formidable partnership with Faf du Plessis.

He started slowly but went all guns blazing at the death to score 95 off 97 balls. He was the lone bright spot for South Africa in a disappointing campaign as he scored more runs (311 in six inns) than de Kock (305 in nine inns) and Hashim Amla (203 in seven inns).

#5 Nicholas Pooran - West Indies

Nicholas Pooran impressed everyone with his game

Hailed as a child prodigy, Nicholas Pooran was destined to play for West Indies right from the day when he scored a 24-ball 54 as a 17-year-old in his CPL debut in 2013. Despite proving his worth in various T20 leagues it took six years for the southpaw to make his debut.

Going into the World Cup, he had played only a single ODI and was expected to support the likes of Chris Gayle, Shai Hope, and Shimron Hetmyer. But the Trinidadian scored the most runs for the West Indies with 367 under his belt at an excellent average of 52. His ability to curb his attacking instincts in the middle overs was well appreciated.

His attacking strokeplay in the games against Australia and Afghanistan was a treat watch. The composure he displayed in his 63 against England showed his adaptability when wickets kept falling at the other end. In a 315-run chase against Sri Lanka, his 103-ball 118 almost took his team to victory after they slumped to 84-4.

His calm demeanor and an aggressive batting style will serve West Indies cricket for years.

#4 James Neesham - New Zealand

Neesham was a vital cog in New Zealand's wheel

If there was one player who gave his all in the WC final for New Zealand, then it has to be James Neesham. It was his crucial death bowling that not only earned him wickets but also gave Trent Boult more runs to defend in the final over. In the field, it was his pinpoint throw that caused the run-out in the final ball.

In the super over, he was entrusted to win the WC with the bat. Despite being such an impact player, it was baffling to know that he was contemplating retirement in 2017. He made a massive comeback to international cricket in 2019 by scoring 34 runs in a single over against Sri Lanka.

He continued it to the World Cup by contributing with both bat and ball. He picked up the Kiwis' lonely 5-wicket haul of the WC against Afghanistan. His major contribution with the bat came against Pakistan as he and Colin de Grandhomme rescued the innings with a 132-run partnership after the team slumped to 83-5.

#3 Lockie Ferguson - New Zealand

Lockie Ferguson

Going into the World Cup, Lockie Ferguson was not in his prime with a disappointing IPL stint and faced the rage of West Indies batsmen in the warm-up game. But he proved to be the match-winner for the Kiwis as he ended as tournament's second-highest wicket-taker with 21 scalps.

Despite bowling well, he was not given the new ball by Kane Williamson. Yet the 28-year-old used his height and sheer pace to trouble the batsmen. His impact was huge because of his ability to dismiss the opponent's best batsman. In WC 2019 he accounted for the likes of David Warner, Steve Smith, Faf du Plessis, Jos Buttler, and Jonny Bairstow.

His spell in the WC final was one of the primary reason that the Kiwis tied the match. He not only picked up the wicket of Bairstow but also broke the 110-run stand between Buttler and Ben Stokes that spanned for 21 overs.

It was because of such performances that New Zealand progressed to the finals despite having only one major contribution with the bat.

#2 Liam Plunkett - England

The unsung hero of England's WC win - Liam Plunkett

Liam Plunkett is the unsung hero of England's WC triumph. While the bowling spotlight was on Jofra Archer and Chris Woakes, Plunkett picked up crucial wickets which turned the match in England's favor. His biggest contribution came in the final as he dismissed a well-settled Kane Williamson

He also picked up the innings' highest scorer Henry Nicholls for 55. His best spell came against India as he had three important scalps. First, he outwitted Virat Kohli to break the 138-run stand with Rohit Sharma and came back to dismiss the attacking duo of Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya.

Much like Ferguson, he also brought the downfall of opposition's best batsman in Williamson, Kohli, Chris Gayle, Mushfiqur Rahim, Quinton de Kock, and Hashim Amla. He kept bowling short at the batsmen and forced them to hit towards the longer square boundaries. He mixed up the slower balls and off-cutters very well, which kept the batsmen guessing.

#1 Alex Carey - Australia

Carey was brilliant with the bat

Alex Carey shot to fame after an impressive run at the top of the order in the BBL triumph of Adelaide Strikers in 2018. Despite his pyrotechnics as an opener, he was picked in the World Cup squad as a wicket-keeper with a middle-order batting slot. The ODI vice-captain stepped up in the quadrennial event to rescue the innings every time the batting unit failed.

After the top-order was rattled to 79-5 against West Indies, the southpaw joined with Steve Smith to steady the innings which helped them to post a winning total. His knocks against India and England showcased his ability as a finisher. Two of his best knocks came against two quality seam bowling attack.

Against New Zealand, his man of the match performance of 71 helped them post a competitive total of 243 after tottering at 92-5. His valiant 85 off 69 balls almost pulled off the chase against South Africa. In the semifinal, he was promoted to No:5 after Australia lost three wickets with just 14 on board.

He was hit by a Jofra Archer delivery which caused bleeding from his chin. It was his partnership with Smith that his team to a respectable total.