With the T20 World Cup just around the corner, the excitement is starting to gain a lot of steam. All participating teams had announced their squads by September 10th which included a few eyebrow-raising selections. We have compiled a list of such names that you never saw coming. With that being said, here are the top five surprising picks for the T20 World Cup, 2021.
Have a look at Top Five Surprising Picks for T20 World Cup
5. Ravichandran Ashwin:
Ravi Ashwin’s inclusion was most definitely a head-scratcher; having not played white-ball cricket for over 4 years now. India selected 5 spinners in their 15-man squad out of which, the inclusion of Ashwin was the biggest talking point. The red ball wizard is expected to play a crucial role in turning the ball away from the left-handers. Given India’s group-stage fixtures consist of matches against New Zealand and arch-rivals Pakistan; who’s batting lineup predominantly consists of left-handers, this may very well be an underrated move of brilliancy by India’s selection committee.
Also Read: Top Five Players Surprisingly Dropped for T20 World Cup
4. Ravi Rampaul:
The by-gone CPL lit a fire under Ravi Rampaul that most of us thought no longer existed. Leading the wicket-takers chart with 19 wickets to his name, Rampaul worked hard to go from undesirable to undeniable. At 36, the right arm quick still has a lot left in the tank. This was reflective of his consistently decent performances with the ball in the CPL. Returning to the field after 6 years, it will be exciting to see Ravi doing what he does best for the Windies.
3. Tymal Mills:
The T20 World Cup will witness the return of the T20 specialist bowler from Essex, Tymal Mills. Mills is expected to lead the English bowling unit with Archer out due to injury. His awe-inspiring performance in the Hundred added a breath of fresh air to his career. Tymal had a prolific economy of 6.67, bowling constantly around the 90mph barrier. After missing out on 5+ years of International cricketing action, it will surely be interesting to see how well he adapts to the change.
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2. Hamid Hassan:
The Afghanistan Cricket Board was in the headlines recently when Rashid Khan stepped down from leadership duties under controversial circumstances. Rashid was disappointed with the ACB for not including him in the selection committee. Without Rashid, ACB made a few shocking changes to the squad. Fast bowler Hamid Hassan, brought into the squad despite having played his last iT20 back in 2016. The 34-year-old could prove to be the right fit in the Afghan bowling attack despite being an unpopular choice. Having a bowling average of 16 with ample experience, Hassan’s got what it takes to deliver on the big stages.
1. Keshav Maharaj:
South Africa’s first-choice red-ball spinner Keshav Maharaj made his way into the side despite playing just 3 iT20s. This was quite a bold move by the South African Board, choosing Keshav over veteran spinner Imran Tahir. With 3 wickets to his name in iT20s, Keshav would consider himself lucky to be a part of the squad. UAE’s slow-turner pitches would most definitely help him turn the tide for SA in the middle-overs alongside fellow spinner Shamsi.
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