The T20 World Cup was initially supposed to take place in 2020. However, due to the pandemic, it was pushed to 2021. Therefore, all teams got an extra year to prepare for the event. They did just that, playing a lot of T20I encounters. There were plenty of solid performers, and in this article, we take a look at the best T20I XI of the year 2021.
Openers: Mohammad Rizwan (WK) and Martin Guptill
Mohammad Rizwan and Martin Guptill will open the batting for this best T20I XI of the year 2021. Rizwan was a revelation this year as he went on to score 1326 runs in T20I cricket. Across the T20 format, the Pakistan keeper made more than 2000 runs in 2021. His unreal consistency made Pakistan a force to reckon with in the T20 format this year. On the other hand, Kiwi opener Martin Guptill seemed to find his form back in 2021. He scored 678 runs in 18 games at the strike rate of 145.49.
Middle-Order: Babar Azam (C), Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram and Jos Buttler
Babar Azam was the highest run-getter at the 2021 T20 World Cup. In line with the recent years, the Pakistani skipper continued his top form in 2021, as well. Hence, he is an obvious pick in the squad.
After moving to No.3, Mitchell Marsh has done well for Australia. He did well in Bangladesh before finishing the year with a top performance in the final of the T20 World Cup. Aiden Markram, too, did well in the T20 format, accumulating 570 runs in the year.
Jos Buttler opened the batting for England, but in this XI, he will operate in the middle-order. The Englishman was the sole centurion at the T20 World Cup and was mighty impactful throughout the year with high strike-rate knocks.
All-Rounders: Wanindu Hasaranga
Wanindu Hasaranga picked 36 wickets in 2021 from 20 games. This is a stunning feat in a format that only gives 24 balls for a bowler to leave a mark. Apart from the show with the ball, he also pulled Sri Lanka out of the hole with a few important performances with the willow.
Bowlers: Tim Southee, Hasan Ali, Tabraiz Shamsi and Mustafizur Rahman
Tim Southee did well in the T20 format this year. The Kiwi collected a total of 24 wickets at an impressive average of 19.62. Tabraiz Shamsi, who held the No.1 ranking on the T20I bowler’s charts for a long time, collected 36 wickets. He is an easy pick for this XI.
Hasan Ali and Fizz will complete the pace attack. Although Hasan was not great at the T20 World Cup, in the other months, he did well. On the other hand, the Bangladeshi speedster collected 28 wickets this year and was the best bowler for his team in the format in 2021.
