Former Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Tom Moody was associated with the franchise for a long time and is credited with making the team a formidable one. The franchise won the IPL 2016 under his guidance and captain David Warner’s leadership.
Moody has seen the game of T20 evolve from close quarters and had the format being in his playing days, the two-time World Cup winner would have been a valuable asset for any team. Meanwhile, in a chat with Harsha Bhogle for Cricbuzz.com, Moody revealed his T20 XI featuring some of the best players in the format.
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He picked SRH captain David Warner and MI captain Rohit Sharma as the openers of his team. He also named Rohit captain given that he has won four IPL titles leading the Mumbai Indians and was part of India’s 2007 World T20 win as well.
Then comes the terrific RCB duo of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, who are the only pair to make two 200 plus partnerships in the format. They will be supported by KXIP keeper Nicholas Pooran, who has shown immense hitting power and temperament in his lone stint in the tournament while being a major player in CPL.
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Sunil Narine and Rashid Khan are the spinners picked by Moody. Narine is one of the most successful tweakers in T20 history and only one to bowl a maiden in the super over. Rashid Khan, on the other hand, is one of the most exciting talents in the format.
Andre Russell has been picked as the all-rounder in Moody’s T20 XI, given his incredible hitting prowess and ability to bowl deceptively quick. Apart from Russell, Moody also picked Mitchell Starc, Jasprit Bumrah, and Jofra Archer as his other fast bowlers.
Starc has been phenomenal in the one season he played for RCB in IPL, while has done well for Australia over the years. Bumrah has been the cornerstone of MI bowling lineup, while India has benefitted from one of the best death over bowlers the game has seen.
Jofra Archer exudes effortlessness in the way he plays the game, especially his bowling. He ambles onto the bowling crease and still manages to hit high 140kph speeds. He is a great talent, who in his short international career, has already won a World Cup and played a major impact in the Ashes 2019.
Tom Moody’s T20 XI:
David Warner, Rohit Sharma (C), Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Nicholas Pooran (WK), Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Mitchell Starc, Rashid Khan, Jasprit Bumrah, Jofra Archer
