The high octane and thrilling 2021 ICC T20 world cup is all set to commence and it has already generated unbelievable buzz. Final teams have been locked and all countries have attempted to put their best foot forward with team selection.
However, in all of this, there are few players who have been dropped that pundits believe has been a mistake on part of the teams. Some of the biggest names to not have made the cut is Alex Hales, Chahal, and du Plessis. One wonders how a team of all great T20 players who have not been picked by their national teams would look like.
We put together a team of eleven players who have not been picked in their respective teams and see if they could beat the teams in the world cup.
1. Faf Du Plessis
The man who captain the Proteas till recently could not find a place in the final South African squad. This decision has come under intense scrutiny especially after the IPL finals. He was clinical in the finals and scored a match-winning 86 off 59. He came second in the Orange Cap list this year. He would have been the perfect fit as a steady opener.
2. Alex Hales
Arguably England’s best T20 players between 2011 and 2018. He was the man who first brought in the culture of going berserk at the top of the order. The England batting philosophy seems inspired of him. It is unfortunate that he could not find a place in the team. His T20 strike rate is at a healthy 137.
3. Joe Root
Joe Root is an underrated T20 batsman and in the England line-up, he is often forgotten. His exploits in red-ball cricket is so significant and the fact that England’s white-ball team is dotted with such big names makes it easy for Root’s achievements to be overshadowed. However, he played instrumental innings in the 2016 world cup when England made it to the finals. He is perfect to captain the side and come at one down.
4. Marnus Labuschagne
The no. 4 position is a tricky one and may not always need a big hitter but definitely needs an intelligent cricketer. Marnus has proven that he has a genius cricketing brain. His ability to read the game situations is second to none. He has played quite a few handy innings for Brisbane Heat in the BBL. He can also roll his arm in case it gets difficult to break a partnership.
5. Shreyas Iyer
Iyer’s T20 credentials require need no introduction. He has become India’s mainstay at the lower order in limited-overs cricket. He showed that he had it in him to close games in the Australia series. He played quickfire innings in the second T20 in Sydney in the India- Australia series last year to win it for India. His role at the no. 5 would be that of an enforcer.
6. Glenn Philips
An attacking right-handed wicket-keeper batsman, Glenn Phillips, is widely tipped as one of the next-generation batsmen. He came into prominence after scoring the fastest T20I century for New Zealand against West Indies in November last year. He has scored a total of 1147 runs in the last three editions of CPL. The young batsman has been a consistent performer for the last two-three years and his aggressive batting style got him picked for Rajasthan Royals this year.
7. Sunil Narine
An absolute legend of the T20 format is Narine. He was one of the most difficult bowlers to pick. his finger spin and mystery balls haunted the batsmen. He has the distinction of a maiden super over in T20 cricket. In this year’s IPL also he showed glimpses of his old self especially in the eliminator against Bangalore. It was his picking of crucial wickets and pinch-hitting towards the end that sailed KKR over the line. His injuries may have kept him out of the Windies team but his T20 legacy cannot keep him out of this team.
8. Deepak Chahar
A name that most people thought would be an automatic pick in the T20 squad after his heroics in Sri Lanka, it was surprising to not have him in the squad. He played a whirlwind of a knock in the second ODI where he took the team across the line by scoring 69 runs off 82 balls. All hopes were doomed as half the team was in the pavilion yet Chahar won the game single-handedly. His batting has substantially improved and his off-cutters are hugely effective on slow pitches of UAE.
9. Mohammed Siraj
Siraj could be probably rated as the most improved bowler in the last year. He has become a regular in the Indian test and the leader of the pack in Bangalore. His omission did surprise me a lot. His ability to maintain tight lines and bowl fast makes him a slippery customer. He had a great IPL this year and would be a sought-after pace bowler in any team.
10. Sheldon Cottrell
The “salute man” of world cricket has made a distinct place for himself. He was one of West Indies’ best-limited overs bowlers with his perfectly disguised slower ones and toe-crushing yorkers. However, he has fallen of the radar and Windies have decided to go with the veteran Ravi Rampaul in light of CPL and domestic circuit form. Cottrell could be of enormous service in this team and could be a surprise package.
11. Yuzvender Chahal
Indian spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has been dropped by the Indian selectors and the likes of Ravi Ashwin and Varun Chakravarthy have overtaken him. After a splendid performance in Australia earlier this year, Chahal has been out of form in recent months. He picked up a massive 18 wickets in the IPL and seemed as if he was paying with a point to prove. It was a rather unusual decision to drop India’s premier spinner who has roared back to form in the UAE leg of the IPL. His services in this team could be invaluable considering the UAE pitches.
