Harsha Bhogle has named Rohit Sharma the captain of his T20 World Cup 2024 Team of the Tournament. Bhogle revealed his chosen XI on Cricbuzz in a video shared on social media. India won the T20 World Cup 2024 by defeating South Africa in the final on June 29 in Barbados.
Harsha Bhogle began by picking the openers of his Team of the Tournament and named Rohit Sharma of India and Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz as his choices.
“No doubt about my first opener, and that was Rohit Sharma, who played some defining innings in this tournament, was always propping up India in a certain way, but also, had bought into this idea of batting with a very high strike rate, slightly higher risk compared to everywhere else. Gee, when he got going, he was sensational. So Rohit Sharma in and as captain because he just was that good in what he did.
Rohit Sharma was the second-highest run-getter in the T20 World Cup with 257 runs, while Bhogle’s second pick as opener, Rahmanullah Gurbaz topped the table with 281 runs.
I found it very difficult to look beyond Rahmanullah Gurbaz because he was in a side that, while the batting improved, was largely a bowling-driven side. It was his opening partnerships with Ibrahim Zadran that set the tone for some of their most famous wins, including that one against Australia. Rahmanullah Gurbaz is my other opener even though he’s right-handed and makes the team as the wicket-keeper number three was the peculiar one,” Harsha Bhogle said on Cricbuzz.
Bhogle then picked Nicholas Pooran, Suryakumar Yadav, and Heinrich Klaasen as his middle order.
“I also wanted a left-hander and that made it a little easier to look at Nicholas Pooran who played a couple of breathtaking innings. Some innings much like Pooran, you always wish for more. But on the evidence of what I saw, I thought Nicholas Pooran slotted in at number three.
Surya Kumar Yadav, but he produced a couple of match-changing innings. He played in his own style. His strike rate was excellent. And as soon as the matches moved to more predictable bounce kind of pitches, he was himself again.
I saw Heinrich Klassen batting in that final. That one innings was enough for me to convince me. I mean, he had a couple of other innings. It’s not that he didn’t have a good tournament, but I just saw that and I thought, nah, Heinrich Klaassen is my number five,” Harsha Bhogle added.
Nicholas Pooran was the bright spot in West Indies’ otherwise disappointing campaign. Suryakumar Yadav managed to etch his name in history thanks to his catch to dismiss David Miller in the final and played a couple of important knocks as well.
Hardik Pandya, and Marcus Stoinis as all-rounders, and Rashid Khan and Kuldeep Yadav are spinners in Harsha Bhogle’s XI
Harsha Bhogle then moved on to selecting his all-rounders, spinners, and fast bowlers in his T20 World Cup XI of the tournament.
He chose Hardik Pandya and Marcus Stoinis as his all-rounders. Stoinis made 169 runs for Australia and took 10 wickets. On the other hand, Hardik Pandya took 11 wickets and made 144 runs with the bat.
Rashid Khan and Kuldeep Yadav were Harsha Bhogle’s spinners in the XI, with Rashid taking 14 wickets and Kuldeep scalping 10 wickets in only 5 matches.
“Rashid Khan, I think, picks himself. And I pick Kuldeep Yadav as the second spinner, with his left-handedness making a difference,” Bhogle added.
As for the pacer, Bhogle went for the Indian duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, who picked 15 and 17 wickets respectively.
“Jasprit Bumrah was the easiest pick of the ball. And then I had to change Fazalhaq Farooqi with Arshdeep Singh as his 2/20 in the final was very important,” Bhogle signed off.
Harsha Bhogle’s T20 World Cup 2024 team of the tournament: Rohit Sharma (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Nicholas Pooran, Suryakumar Yadav, Heinrich Klaasen, Marcus Stoinis, Hardik Pandya, Rashid Khan, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh
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