With the T20 World Cup kicking off tomorrow, we thought we’d have a little fun and try predict who we believe will end up in the Team of the Tournament come the end of the month. I have tried, as much as possible, to keep players in the roles that they actually perform for their teams. It would be easy to stack the XI with opening batsmen or wrist spinners, given they’re will likely dominate the top of the runs and wickets charts. But this should resemble a functionable side.
Picking just 11 players is always difficult, in a tournament where so many individuals are likely to have strong campaigns. A key factor is how far I expect teams to go. Historically the standout performers tend to come from the four semi-final teams. That said, it’s still not easy to predict. Subcontinent conditions may allow teams like Sr Lanka, Pakistan or Afghanistan to punch above their weight, and there will inevitably be individuals who come out of nowhere and make an impact. Even so, India, playing at home, will be extremely hard to beat and are likely to be the dominant force.
So yes – there is some guesswork, some hunches and a few personal favourites involved. But this is the XI that I am predicting as my Team of the Tournament.
1. Abhishek Sharma (India)
This might be the most ‘chalk’ pick of any. Abhishek is the number one T20 batsman in the world, and most are expecting him to be the star of this World Cup. While I’m not convinced he will finish as the tournament’s leading runs scorer, it’s hard to see him not having a major impact.
He goes from ball one, and scores at an astronomical rate. Even when he doesn’t bat deep, he can score 60 in the first eight overs and tilt the game heavily in India’s favour. There is definitely a strong case that Abhishek ends the tournament as its most impactful batter.
2. Finn Allen (New Zealand)
Arguably the most red-hot batter in the world, Finn Allen has been on an absolute tear at the top of the order over the past few months. He was the most destructive batter in the Big Bash, scoring 466 runs at a strike rate of 184 and hitting almost twice as many sixes as the next best.
That form has carried into the T20s against India, with a brutal 80 off just 38 deliveries. New Zealand are not a side with overwhelming firepower. Instead, they rely more on consistent performers such as Mitchell, Santner and Henry. Allen is their trump card though and the one batter capable of blowing a game open inside the space of an hour. If New Zealand are to push deep into the tournament, Allen maintaining this level of form will be critical.
3. Jos Buttler (England)
This is a little dubious, as Buttler will likely open the batting for England. But I feel okay bending the rules here as he has batted at 3 for England a lot over the last couple of years.
Partnered by Salt at the top for England, who will likely be more of the aggressor in the powerplay, Buttler will have the chance to anchor England’s innings and play the substantial knocks that he is known for. In an England side that doesn’t have huge amounts of experience behind him, his ability to control an innings becomes even more valuable. He knows Indian conditions as well as anyone, with seven IPL centuries to his name. I’m anticipating ‘Universe Jos’ to show up with a couple of defining innings and sit near the top of the runs.
4. Suryakumar Yadav(India)
I was surprised by the lack of standout options who will be batting at number four. Top teams will be fielding players such as Banton, Inglis, Mitchell and Chase, none of whom come even close to SKY, who is still the best batsman in the world, particularly in Indian conditions. There’s a reason we ranked him number 1 in our T20 batters power rankings.
India sends out their top three with the license to go berserk early, and then just let the Suryakumar do his thing when he enters the fray. Watching him, it often feels as though his bat is twice the width of anyone else’s, the consistency with which he just finds the middle. Expect some more freakish innings from the superstar.
5. Dewald Brevis (South Africa)
There is a debate around where South Africa is best to bat Brevis. Kevin Pietersen has suggested using him at 3, and it’s hard to disagree. Players with Brevis’ talent should be given the opportunity to play match winnings innings, as he showed with his hundred against Australia in August.
The Proteas are more likely to hold him back and deploy him in the middle order. I hope they don’t think of him as a finisher, as that could be wasting what is probably their best player, particularly as they already have the experience of David Miller in a similar role. Brevis is the biggest X-Factor in the tournament. When he’s at the crease, all eyes are on him. If South Africa are to make a deep run, they will need the young gun to properly announce himself on the world stage.
6. Sherfaine Rutherford (West Indies)
It’s a shame the West Indies won’t be fielding the likes of Narine, Pooran and Russell. But in Rutherford, they still possess a world class finisher. He is as good of a six hitter as there is and is likely to be used in a similar role to the one he played for the Pretoria Capitals in the SA20, held back until the closing stages.
I don’t necessarily expect Rutherford to rack up a huge run tally, as he simply won’t face that many balls. But when he does get in, he won’t be hanging around. He’s not there to be dealing in singles, or even fours. He is there to clear the ropes. Rutherford has the power to swing games in a matter of minutes. Expect plenty of sixes, and the odd match winning cameo along the way.
7. Hardik Pandya (India)
Pandya is the man most likely to contribute across all facets of the of the game. With the ball, India will use him early in the powerplay. With the bat, he remains their key ‘floater’, giving their middle order flexibility depending on match situations. If early wickets fall, India won’t hesitate to promote Axar Patel, as they did to great effect in the 2024 final. But if the top order gets off to a flyer, Pandya will be the next man in, tasked with pushing the run rate forward.
All-rounders often rise to the top of impact or MVP charts, even without eye catching numbers in either discipline. A couple wickets here, a quick 30 there, and it adds up quickly. We saw that with Sam Curran in 2022 (who was also in consideration), and I expect Pandya to have a similar impact this year.
8. Mitch Santner (New Zealand)
Putting this team together, I wanted to keep it realistic. In Indian conditions, most teams opt for two spinners, one of whom needs to offer something with the bat. Santner fills that role here. Not short of options, with other strong, subcontinental bowlers such as Axar, Hasaranga and Shadab all under consideration.
Santner is so consistent with the ball, varying his pace extremely well. He has also taken on greater responsibility with the bat recently, showing some real hitting prowess and playing match winning knocks at the back end. Now leading his country, he has huge responsibility with both bat and ball.
9. Adil Rashid (England)
This was the hardest selection for me. There are so many standout wrist spinners. Picking between Zampa, Rashid Khan, Varun Chakravathy and Adil Rashid is an impossible challenge. Its splitting hairs, as they are all some of the top bowlers in the world right now. I don’t think Afghanistan will have the overall quality to replicate their semi-final of 2024, which ruled Rashid Khan out for me. Chakravarthy is the number one bowler in the world, but the whole team can’t be Indian players. Rashid has taken 11 wickets in his last 5 white ball matches. He will be England’s go to through the middle overs, to both control the rate but also take key wickets. Zampa also very hard to leave out.
10. Jofra Archer (England)
Another tossup between the elite quicks. I still expect the likes Rabada, Ellis and Pathirana to have good outings. Watching Archer against Sri Lanka though, he looks to have shaken off the side strain picked up at the end of the Ashes. He’s bowling close to 150kmph, and he has been a standout in Indian conditions before, being the MVP of the IPL in 2020. If England can keep him fit – which is a big if – there aren’t many more dangerous, but also versatile bowlers. England will rely hugely on the duo of Archer and Rashid, because the rest of their attack is fairly middling, but I do expect both to deliver.
11. Jasprit Bumrah (India)
Bumrah was rightly the player of the tournament as India lifted the trophy in 2024. If they are to defend their title, he will need to be at his best yet again. Certain batters have gone after Bumrah in recent months, with De Kock and Finn Allen taking him for uncharacteristic returns of 0-45 and 0-58 respectively. But he is still the gold standard. Watching Bumrah against tier 2 batters in the group stage is going to be a total mismatch that might leave viewers feeling sorry for batters at times. Obviously, the important thing is whether he can deliver in the big games that India will no doubt be in, in the latter stages of the tournament. Bumrah has never given any reason to doubt him. He is still the best in the game, and I expect it to be no different this time.