COC T20I XI of the year 2018: The eleven best players who shined in T20I format in 2018

Eleven of the top performers in T20Is in 2018.

Pakistan ended 2018 as the no.1 ranked side in ICC T20I rankings
The limited overs season of the year 2018 has come to an end and we saw some truly brilliant performances from batsmen, bowlers, and all-rounders in the T20I format. With the focus on the 2019 World Cup, the T20I format got a bit sidelined in the shuffle, but still, international teams managed to give us some incredible moments in the format.

The year 2018 saw many brilliant individual performances by batsmen and bowlers which kept the fans on the edge of their seats and gave them value for money.

Therefore, Team COC presents to you, the COC T20I XI of the year 2018

Probably two of the best top order batsmen in recent limited-overs history,  Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan will be tasked with giving the team a big start to the COC T20I XI of 2018 as they will bat in the top three of the XI.​​​​​​​

Top order of Rohit, Finch and Dhawan can be quite intimidating | AP/Getty

Sharma scored 590 runs in 19 T20Is with two centuries and the best score of 111* and strike rate of 147.50, while Dhawan scored 689 runs in 18 matches with a best of 92 and strike rate of 147.22.

The other opener to partner Shikhar Dhawan will be Australia’s Aaron Finch, who scored a world record 172 against Zimbabwe and 531 runs this year. Finch remains the only batsman in T20I history to hit two scores of over 150 in the format’s international version.

Glenn Maxwell and Shoaib Malik | GettyGlenn Maxwell with 506 runs to his name and 9 wickets with the ball, gives the firepower at no.4. His ability to take on the spinners in middle overs and then accelerate at the end will be helpful in team’s cause of putting up a big score or chase down the runs with ease.

Then comes Shoaib Malik (369 runs in 2018), one of the greats of the game in the format, who will provide the stability and maturity in case of early fall of wickets. His handy off-spinners can be useful in breaking partnerships.

Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur RahimShakib Al Hasan (15 wickets and 248 runs in 2018) will be the all-rounder in the team, with his countryman Mushfiqur Rahim (397 runs in 2018) taking the wicketkeeping gloves. Both players are adept in batting according to situations and have the array of big shots in their arsenal.

Rashid Khan and Kuldeep YadavRashid Khan (22 wickets in 2018) and Kuldeep Yadav (21 wickets in 2018) will provide the spin muscle to the team, along with Shakib. Both wrist spinners have been wonderful in the format, with Kuldeep becoming the only bowler to pick up five-wicket hauls in all the three formats in the same calendar year (2018).

Andrew Tye and Billy Stanlake​​​​​​​Andrew Tye (31 wickets in 2018) and Billy Stanlake (25 wickets in 2018) of Australia will be the fast bowling specialists in the T20I XI of 2018. Tye with his variations and sudden bursts of genuine pace is handy both at the start of the innings and in the death, while Stanlake has the height and pace to either bounce out the batsmen or get them out using sheer pace.

COC T20I XI of the year 2018:
Shikhar Dhawan (IND), Aaron Finch (AUS), Rohit Sharma (C-IND), Glenn Maxwell (AUS), Shoaib Malik (PAK), Shakib Al Hasan (BAN), Mushfiqur Rahim (WK- BAN), Andrew Tye (AUS), Rashid Khan (AFG), Kuldeep Yadav (IND), Billy Stanlake (AUS)

 
 

By Jatin Sharma - 27 Dec, 2018

    Share Via