The Best 11
Finally, 2018 has ended. It has been a great cricketing year. This year was full of surprises & new players. We have had many hits & misses in this year. I decided to recap the year gone by & select the best T20 eleven of the year in my opinion. Most of my team consists of people from the Asian subcontinent (4 Indians, 2 Pakistani’s). Surprisingly I have no Sri Lankans & Englishmen & only one player each from New Zealand & Australia. My team is a well-balanced squad which has people who have great adaptability skill. The team is being led by a young captain Rashid Khan.
While I was thinking of my best eleven, I kept following points into consideration.
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I need experience as well as nurtured young talent in the team
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I need players who have adapted well to any sorts of conditions & have blossomed outside their sub-continent.
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I need a few good allrounders who can bat as well as chip in with a few overs.
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I need two experienced spinners as well as two experienced pacers who had a consistent year.
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I need players who had a consistent year
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I need good fielders
So, let’s start with the top order
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Shikhar Dhawan
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Shikhar Dhawan had a great cricketing year. He had a lot of success in T20’s. This year in international T20’s he scored whopping 690 runs at an average of 40.59 runs per inning. He also had a brilliant IPL season this years scoring 497 runs at an average of 39.23. He was named the man of the series in Australia & had a good Niddahs Trophy. That shows his adaptability skills. This is why he fits the bill in terms of best opener of the year.
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2. Fakhar Zaman
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Fakhar Zaman a new find of the year scored 568 runs this year averaging 35 runs. He also had a great PSL with the Lahore Qalandars this year. He has played brilliantly in African & Australian conditions. He also has great adaptability skill & has a brilliant technique. He is also an agile fielder & saves lot of runs for the team. That is why he is my choice of the second opener alongside Shikhar Dhawan.
Other openers whom I considered for the opening slot were- Aaron Finch and Rohit Sharma.
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3. Colin Munro
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Colin Munro was the find of the year in T20s this year. He scored 500 runs in 12 matches this year for New Zealand averaging over 45. He also played very well in various leagues this year, like the CPL, IPL. He scored a scintillating T20 century this year which is a great feat. He is an experienced campaigner in the squad & his experience can prove to be vital. So, he perfectly fits the bill as the best number 3 of the year.
Now let’s identify a good middle order for the team
4.Babar Azam
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Babar Azam had a breakthrough year for Pakistan in all three formats. The 24-year-old scored 563 runs in 12 innings for Pakistan this year at an average of 60 plus. He also dominated PSL & the T10 league this year. He has played well in different conditions this year & has also played with great technique & maturity. He is well experienced & can bring stability to the middle order. That is why I have taken him in my best eleven of the year.
5. Rishabh Pant
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Rishabh Pant had one of the greatest year in 2018. He scored 684 runs at an average of 52.62 this year & can keep as well. He also had a good IPL this year. He was a new & nurturing talent who has the capability to achieve something big. He is a big hitter & can play well according to situation. Such a player is a must for the team, that is why I have selected him as a number 5 & wicket keeper batsman.
Other batsmen & wicketkeepers who were in consideration-Mushfiqur Rahim, Glenn Maxwell, Jos Buttler
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6.Andre Russel
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Andre Russel scored 625 at a strike rate of 181 in T20’s this year. He also took 35 wickets while not leaking too many runs. He is a capable & useful allrounder who has adapted to various conditions. He has played in many leagues across the world like the BBL, CPL, IPL, etc. He fits the bill for a hard hitting allrounder at number 6 who can chip in with 2 or 3 overs every match.
7. Hardik Pandya
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Hardik Pandya scored 393 runs this year taking 38 wickets this year. He had a good IPL season with both bat & ball. He is also a well experienced number 7 who can play big innings & also prove his worth with the ball. He fits the bill as another hard hitting allrounder who can chip in with 3 or 4 overs.
Other Allrounders in consideration were Dwayne Bravo, Mohammad Nabi, Sunil Narine
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Now that we have a good top & middle order, let’s get on to the bowlers
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8. Rashid Khan
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Rashid Khan one of the best T20 bowler of all time had a great year this time around. He took 21 wickets in international cricket & took 68 wickets in leagues around the world in 2018. Playing him would be a batsman’s nightmare. He also can hit the ball hard as he is an explosive batsman. He scored 293 runs this year. He fits the bill as a wrist spinner who can bat at number 8. He is calm, composed & a great leader. He is captaining this team though he has limited captaining experience.
9.Jofra Archer
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Jofra Archer participated in a lot of T20 leagues this year. In only 34 matches he took a whopping 55 wickets at an economy of 8.4. He is as an experienced wicket taking fast bowler who can adapt to any sort of conditions. He can also swing the ball very well. That is why he sealed his spot in my team.
10.Kuldeep Yadav
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Kuldeep Yadav is one of the youngest pick in this eleven. The 24 year old chinnaman took 38 wickets this year at an economy of 6.94. He certainly had a breakthrough year this year. He is an economical & wicket taking bowler. He deceives batsman very easily & his variations are unplayable. Left arm spinners are unique & difficult to play. He is one of them. That is why I have selected him in my team
11.Billy Stanlake
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Billy Stanlake has been the find of the year for Australian cricket. He has taken 47 wickets this year with an economy of 8 per over. He has played across leagues in the world & has played international cricket for Australia. He is a wicket taking bowler who can adapt well to any kind of playing conditions.
Other bowlers I considered but didn’t make it to my top 11-
Jasprit Bumrah, Shadab Khan, Andrew Tye
There is so much talent in cricket. It was tough to choose best eleven as nowadays there are so many options. So, this was my best eleven in T20’s for 2018. I know all of you who are reading this blog would have different thoughts on your best 11. So, please share your views on the best 11 of the year in the comments section down below. I will wait for your inputs. Thank you for reading this blog & have a great year ahead.