- Friday, April 26, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
No Indian cricketer found a place in the men’s T20 and one-day international teams of the year for 2021 which have been unveiled by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Pakistan captain Babar Azam was chosen as the captain of both the curated teams.
In the T20 international team, besides Azam, opener Mohammad Rizwan and bowler Shaheen Afridi were the two other Pakistan players picked.
India opener Rohit Sharma, who has also been picked as the new captain of India’s white-ball teams replacing Virat Kohli, was ignored despite scoring 424 runs in 2021. England wicket-keeper-batter Jos Buttler was preferred over the ace India batter.
South Africa opener Aiden Markram and Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, who shone in the T20 World Cup, got picked in the team. Two more South African players – David Miller and Tabraiz Shamsi – were also taken in the team besides Sri Lanka’s Wanige Hasaranga.
Bangladesh seamer Mustafizur Rahman and Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood were also chosen to complete the bowling line-up of the ICC men’s T20I team of the year for 2021.
India are currently ranked second in the T20 international rankings, just behind England. Pakistan are ranked third, followed by New Zealand, South Africa and Australia, the reigning champions in the shortest format.
In individual rankings, KL Rahul is the only Indian to feature in the top 10 slots in the T20 internationals. He is the fifth best batter in the ICC’s T20 international rankings. There are no Indians in the bowlers’ or all-rounders’ list (top 10).
In the women’s T20 international team of the year for 2021, Smriti Mandhana is the only Indian to find a berth. The opening batter scored 255 runs in nine matches and finished inside the top five leading run-scorers in the calendar year. The women’s lead is led by England all-rounder Nat Sciver.
In the women’s category, India are the fourth best team in the T20 internationals in ICC’s list after Australia, South Africa and England.
Individually, India’s Shafali Verma and Mandhana are ranked second and third in the T20 international batting category.
In the bowling category, right-arm off-spinner Deepti Sharma is ranked fifth in the T20 internationals while in the all-rounders’ category, she is ranked fourth.
No Indian player found a place in the ICC men’s one-day international team of 2021 either. Azam has been chosen as the captain of that team too and it includes two Pakistanis, two Irish, three Bangladeshis, two Sri Lankans and two South Africans.
ICC Men’s T20I Team of 2021
Babar Azan (captain), Jos Buttler, Mohammad Rizwan, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, Josh Hazlewood, Wanidu Hasaranga, Mustafizur Rahman, Shaheen Afridi
ICC Women’s T20I Team of 2021
Nat Sciver (captain), Smriti Mandhana, Tammy Beaumont, Danni Wyatt, Gaby Lewis, Amy Jones (Wk), Laura Wolvaardt, Marizanne Kapp, Sophie Ecclestone, Loryn Phiri, Shabnim Ismail
ICC men’s one-day team of 2021
Paul Stirling, Janneman Malan, Babar Azam (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Rassie van der Dussen, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mustazifur Rahman, Simi Singh and Dushmantha Chameera
