2022 was the year of T20Is. While England’s golden generation continued to rule the roost, winning the T20 World Cup 2022, it was the above average performances from some of Indian cricketers like Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli that caught the eye. While Yadav was at his very best in T20I, Kohli used the Asia Cup and then the T20 World Cup to get back in the nick. The tournament was a dream for India’s number 3 and 4; that’s why we have slotted the duo at their respective positions as we sat down to select the T20 Team of the year which will be captained by wicket-keeper Jos Buttler.
The team had four Indians, two Englishmen, two Pakistanis, one Zimbabwean one Kiwi and one Lankan. We took a risk by including young Arshdeep Singh in place of Bhuvneshwar Kumar whose death bowling came under the scanner in Asia Cup. Furthermore, we also left out Josh Little to pick Pakistan’s Haris Rauf. Little was the top wicket taker in 2022. Here’s the playing eleven.
Also Read: ODI Team of the Year 2022: Young Indian Stars Dominate Playing Eleven, Babar Azam To Lead Squad With Effective Pace Attack
Openers
Jos Buttler (Captain/Wicket-keeper): Buttler had a dream 2022. By the first half, he had a superb run in IPL where he went onto play the final with Rajasthan Royals besides being the Orange cap holder with 863 runs. As soon as he landed in England, he got the news that he has been named the white ball skipper of his national team and he didn’t look back, winning the T20 World Cup trophy in style at the iconic MCG. He played 15 games and went onto score 462 runs at an average of 35.
Babar Azam: The cool and calm Pakistan cricketer usually drops down his anchor and sees his team through. Having a purple patch in 2022, the Pakistan captain had accounted for 735 runs in 26 T20Is with a strike rate of 124 with the average being 32. He also slammed a century against England in September besides five fifties which came against oppositions like Australia, England and New Zealand.
Middle Order
Virat Kohli: By the end of 2021, fans were worried when would Kohli break his century drought. Fast forward 365 days and Kohli is back with a bang. While, he struggled to score in the first half, August onwards, Kohli roared back to form, slamming a century against Afghanistan at Asia Cup. The run machine continued at the T20 World Cup as he scored the match winning 82* against Pakistan in the very first encounter. He accounted for 781 runs overall in 20 matches with an astounding average of 55. It included 8 fifties. However, with his exit for the Sri Lanka series, it’s anybody’s guess that he may no longer feature in T20Is here after, but he had to be included on the back of a dream run which came after a lot of struggle.
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Suryakumar Yadav: If there was one man who could have picked himself in any side in the world let alone the Team of the Year, it had to SKY. The Mumbaikar made his India debut at a ripe of age of 29, but came into his own in 2022, slamming 1164 runs (yes, you read that right!) in just 31 matches. The average was 47 and the strike rate was north of 180. SKY was the best T20 batter and picks himself up without any debate or justification.
Glenn Phillips: In Phillips, the Blackcaps have found a great middle order batter who can also double up as a finisher. Phillips scored a century against Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup and followed it up with a half-century in New Zealand’s next match against England. He scored the most runs for New Zealand in 2022 and finishes the year third in the ICC Men’s T20 Batting Rankings list.
All-Rounders
Hardik Pandya: At 6, you need someone who could come and start hitting with the get go. In Pandya, this team has a clean hitter who could also double up as a middle order batter in case of an early collapse. Moreover, being the 4th seamer, and his ability to bowl in the powerplay is something that can’t be
ignored. He also had a dream year where he accounted for 607 runs and 20 wickets which was enough to seal the deal.
Sikandar Raza: Zimbabwe’s superb T20 World Cup campaign saw them beating Pakistan and as usual Raza was again in the thick of things. He accounted for three crucial wickets in Pakistan’s chase and completed the win by running out Shaheen Afridi off the last ball of the match. He also won the Player of the Match on three occasions during the World Cup scoring 82 against Ireland and taking three wickets against the West Indies.
Tail Enders
Sam Curran: While Curran made all the news in the recent IPL auctions where he became the most expensive buy, his ability to bowl with the new ball makes him a sureshot choice. Not to mention, he is also a proper batter lower down the order. He picked up 25 wickets in 2022 and his best performance came in the T20 World Cup final where he took 3-12 and was named Player of the Tournament. Besides he has the best strike rate in the shorter format with a wicket every 16 balls.
Wanindu Hasaranga: Hasaranga was the highest wicket taker in T20 World Cup 2021, and 2022 was no different where he ended up achieving the same feat. In-fact, he had taken 34 wickets in 19 matches in 2022 with 4/33 being the best bowling in an innings.
Arshdeep Singh: Although, he was at the receiving end of a dropped catch in the Asia Cup against arch-rivals Pakistan, Singh showed mental toughness as he went onto complete a dream season in 2022, picking up 31 wickets in 20 matches. Here, he was considered over senior partner Bhuvneshwar Kumar who missed out due to his age and future prospects. Let’s not forget, Arshdeep is the future of Indian cricket and will play for India in 2024 T20 World Cup if things remain well and good. Moreover, he can swing the ball both ways!
Haris Rauf: Rauf is getting better and better with time. A Melbourne Stars net bowler, Rauf bowled his heart out in the Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka but couldn’t close the match. Nevertheless, by this time he had showed the world how pacey and accurate he can be. With 31 wickets and an economy of 7.5, Rauf is a fiery pacer who edged the top wicket taker in 2022 (Josh Little) to get into the playing eleven.
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