The T20 format was the ‘in’ thing ever since the first-ever World T20 in 2007 and with the Indian Premier League coming through, the decade of 2010-2019 saw T20Is becoming the must-have for all the countries. This has even led to Asia Cup being held in the 20-over format in 2016, while many tri-series also were held in various countries.
The experience gained in T20 leagues was applied to the international stage and we saw many performers playing the international matches in the same way as they played in the leagues and now have become some of the greatest players in this decade. Some have stellar records to go in a very short time and therefore, Team COC has decided to pick a T20I team of the decade featuring some of the best of the format.
Check out the COC T20I XI of the decade
(All stats starting from 01 January 2010)
Rohit Sharma has become the epitome of limited-overs batsmanship thanks to his ODI and T20I mastery. The Indian opener has redesigned how an opener goes about his game in the matches. He has played 90 games in the decade, scoring 2392 T20I runs at a strike rate of 140.92 with a record four centuries to his name, including the joint-fastest century off 35 balls. Not only that, but he has also hit 112 maximums and is definitely one of the greatest batsmen in T20I format, of all time.
Australian captain Aaron Finch is the only batsman to hit two scores of above 150 in T20I cricket- 156 vs England and 172 against Zimbabwe. He scored 1878 runs overall in 58 T20I games in the decade at a strike rate of 156.00. Finch is a big-hitting batsman out and out, who plays spin and pace equally well. He will be leading Australia in the T20 World Cup 2020 which will be played at home.
VIRAT KOHLI (IND)
M: 75| Runs: 2633| SR: 138.07| HS: 94*| 100s: 0| 50s: 24| 6s: 71| 4s: 247 Indian captain Virat Kohli has the most runs in T20Is in the decade- 2633 in just 75 matches at a strike rate of 138.07. His highest score of 94* came against West Indies recently and has scored 24 half-centuries in all. His method of making runs via a risk-free way of ground shots and running between the wickets is evident from the fact that he hit 71 sixes and 247 boundaries. Kohli is the model T20 batsman, who scores big totals without taking many risks.
Pakistan’s Babar Azam has played just 36 T20I matches but has scored 1405 runs with 12 half-centuries with a highest score of 97*. He is the no.1 ranked T20I batsman in ICC rankings and he is another stroke-maker who believes playing traditional shots in order to make his runs in the slam-bang version of cricket.
GLENN MAXWELL (AUS)
M: 61| Runs: 1576| SR: 160.00| HS: 145*| 100s: 3| 50s: 7| 6s: 81| 4s: 133 Australia’s brilliant batsman Glenn Maxwell has redefined innovative batting in the format, with his reverse sweep, switch hits and other shots. He has three tons in the format with the highest score of 145* at an eye-watering strike rate of 160.00. Maxwell’s off-spin is also handy given that he knows how to keep runs down despite batsmen going after him. His ability to single-handedly change the game makes him a special player.
MS DHONI (IND- C&WK)
M: 78| Runs: 1261| SR: 133.29| HS: 56| 100s: 0| 50s: 2| 6s: 45| 4s: 96 MS Dhoni is perhaps one of the best captains to lead an Indian side in international cricket. In T20Is, Dhoni took India to the finals of the 2014 World T20, won the Asia Cup T20 2016 and also took the team to semi-finals of 2016 World T20 held in the country. As a batsman, he made 1261 runs in 78 matches with two half-centuries at a strike rate of 133.29.
SHAKIB-AL-HASAN (BAN)
M: 65| Runs: 1438| SR: 125.58| HS: 84| 100s: 0| 50s: 9| 6s: 32| 4s: 149| Wkts: 79| Eco: 6.83| BB: 5/20 Shakib- Al-Hasan is the ideal player for the T20I format given that he excels at both the forms in batting and bowling. In the decade of 2010-2019, the Bangladesh legend has 1438 runs in 65 matches, to go with 79 wickets. His strike rate is 125.58, while his economy in bowling was 6.83. an asset to the Bangladeshi team, he has also led the team admirably well.
RASHID KHAN (AFG)
M: 45| Wkts: 84| BB: 5/3| Eco: 6.15| 4Ws: 3| 5Ws: 2 A sensation in the world of T20 cricket. Afghanistan’s leg-spinner Rashid Khan sits pretty at the top with 84 wickets in 45 T20Is at an economy of 6.15 with 2 fifers and the best bowling of 5/3. He also picked a hat-trick, including four wickets in four balls during that spell. Rashid still remains the no.1 ranked bowler in ICC T20I rankings and is truly the find of the decade in the format.
LASITH MALINGA (SL)
M: 59| Wkts: 82| BB: 5/6| Eco: 7.15| 4Ws: 1| 5Ws: 2 Veteran bowler Lasith Malinga has 82 wickets in 59 T20I matches in the decade. He has two hat-tricks in the format, including four wickets in four balls against New Zealand recently. Malinga’s economy in T20Is has been 7.15 in the decade. Malinga is still going strong in the format with an aim of playing and winning the T20 World Cup in Australia next year.
IMRAN TAHIR (SA)
M: 38| Wkts: 63| BB: 5/23| Eco: 6.73| 4Ws: 2| 5Ws: 2 Imran Tahir is another leg-spinner with an amazing record in the shortest format of international cricket. He has 63 wickets in just 38 matches with an economy of 6.73 and the best bowling figures of 5/23. Tahir has been a brilliant bowler for Proteas over the years and he justified the trust shown in him by the South African management.
Jasprit Bumrah made an immediate impact when he was found by the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2013, where he was groomed into the bowler of today by Lasith Malinga. He made his debut for India against Australia in 2016 and has become the deadliest bowler in this short time. He picked 51 wickets in 42 matches at an economy of 6.71 with the best bowling of 3/11. Bumrah’s ability to bowl yorkers and slower balls at will both at the start of the innings and at the end makes him the go-to bowler in the format.
COC's Best T20I XI of the decade: Rohit Sharma (IND), Aaron Finch (AUS), Virat Kohli (IND), Babar Azam (PAK), Glenn Maxwell (AUS), MS Dhoni (IND-C&WK), Shakib-Al-Hasan (BAN), Rashid Khan (AFG), Imran Tahir (SA), Lasith Malinga (SL), Jasprit Bumrah (IND)