5 potential surprise picks for the World T20

2016 has arrived and it promises to be a special year for cricket players and fans alike. One of the primary cricketing events to look forward to this year is the sixth edition of the ICC World Twenty20.Preparations have already begun for the tournament which is considered as the holy grail of T20 cricket with teams looking to establish the perfect mix of players for their respective campaigns. While there may be a lot of players retained from the present squads, there is every chance of some surprise entrants making it through.Here are 5 players from different cricketing nations who may turn out to be surprise picks for the World Twenty20:

#1 Chris Lynn (Australia)

Chris Lynn has been in great touch at the BBL this year

The hard-hitting 25-year-old Aussie, Chris Lynn, has been quite a specialist in the T20 format. Lynn has been around in the Australian domestic circuit for close to 5 years and represented his country twice in T20Is against England in 2014.

Apart from that, he has also been action in T20 leagues in India and West Indies. While he was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2015 IPL, he represented Jamaica Tallawahs in the latest edition of the Caribbean Premier League.

The reason why Chris Lynn could come into contention for Australia’s World Twenty20 is his performance in the ongoing Big Bash League. Currently, he is the highest run-scorer in the tournament with 212 runs in 4 games and has scored his runs at a strike rate of over 160 and a staggering average of 70.

#2 Shreyas Iyer (India)

Shreyas Iyer has dominated at the Ranji Trophy this year

One of India’s superstars in the making, Shreyas Iyer, has been performing exceptionally across all formats in domestic cricket. Iyer made an impression for the Delhi Daredevils in the 2015 IPL and has been the highest run scorer in the 2015/16 season of the Ranji Trophy.

The 21-year old has risen to prominence particularly due to his aggressive style of batting, which reminds one of a young Virender Sehwag. His strike rate of 95.48 in the Ranji Trophy, a tournament which consists of only 4-day matches, has been staggering to say the least.

Shreays Iyer could be one of the surprise inclusions in India’s squad for the World Twenty20 due to his ability to score big runs at a quick pace. The biggest T20I tournament in world cricket could be the ideal platform for someone like Iyer to make his mark.

#3 Tabraiz Shamsi (South Africa)

Young Shamsi has been a consistent performer in domestic cricket

Left-arm chinaman bowler Tabraiz Shamsi has been playing domestic cricket in South Africa since 2009 and has been a consistent performer. Recently, he also played in the Caribbean Premier League for St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and did well there too.

Shamsi boasts of an exceptional record in T20 cricket so far with 45 wickets from 43 matches at an average of 22.68 and a good economy rate of under 7. Bowlers of his trade are generally known to trouble the batsmen and the 25-year old is no exception to this.

The ICC World Twenty20 will be played in India this year and Tabraiz Shamsi’s inclusion in the squad may help bolster South Africa’s spin attack.

#4 Kevon Cooper (West Indies)

Cooper has been a popular T20 player in domestic leagues

It is really hard to believe that Kevon Cooper has not made it to the West Indies T20I team despite having a stunning record in the format. Cooper has played T20 cricket in India and Bangladesh and has done exceptionally well in T20 leagues of both countries.

The medium-pacer had a highly successful season in the 2015 Bangladesh Premier League as he turned out to be the leading wicket-taker of the tournament with 22 wickets in 9 matches. Batting lower down the order, Cooper is very well capable of hitting a few out of the park.

Kevon Cooper’s ability to pick up wickets and experience in sub-continent conditions make him a suitable candidate for the West Indies squad for the 2016 World Twenty20.

#5 Sam Northeast (England)

Sam Northeast has been brilliant for his county side Kent

Not many may have heard about him, but Sam Northeast has been performing exceptionally well in England’s domestic cricket. Northeast was the second highest run-scorer in the LV= County Championship Division Two last year and the third highest in the NatWest T20 Blast.

His performance in the 2015 edition of England’s premier T20 tournament was quite outstanding. Northeast scored 641 runs in 14 matches at an average of 49.30 for Kent, the best feature being his strike rate of just under 153.

Since England have been infusing young blood like James Vince and Jason Roy in their limited-overs teams of late, Sam Northeast may have a chance of making it to the side for this year’s World Twenty20.