Sportzwiki’s Year Review 2016 – Top 5 Unsung Heroes

Dec 19, 2016 at 1:58 PM

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Sportzwiki’s Year Review 2016 – Top 5 Unsung Heroes

In this glorious sport, we often associate the phrase “unsung hero” with an individual who has been an extremely vital cog in the success garnered by a team, but hasn’t been a centre of attention in the limelight. Over the years, several interesting cases of individuals can be understood, who have been the unsung heroes for their respective sides at a time when they were needed the most.

2016 was one such year, where several unsung heroes came to the fore, as a courtesy of some extremely consistent and vital performances. In this article, we thereby pay a rich tribute to those unsung heroes, who definitely deserve more attention for their contributions.

  1. Ashish Nehra:

2016 was a phenomenal year for India’s T20I outfit, as the Men in Blue won trophies one after the other. A key member of those successful outings was none other than the veteran Ashish Nehra, who at an age of 36, made a remarkable comeback to international cricket after a span of five years. Nehra was recalled for the T20I leg of the Australia tour, as the Indians struggled with wicket-taking pace options. The Delhi pacer provided that answer, as he struck frequently at the top for the Indians and made it a knack of picking early wickets with the new ball.

Nehra’s contribution to team India was so imperative that out of the 15 games he featured in, India won 12. In these 15 games, Nehra took 18 wickets, at a superb economy rate of 7.01. With Nehra leading India’s pace attack, they whitewashed Australia in the three-match T20I series, defeated Sri Lanka at home, lifted the Asia Cup in some style, and were the semi-finalists in the World T20.

Nehraji, as his mates call him with affection, might have played his last game for India, but his contribution definitely won’t go unnoticed.

Got motivated by the negative stuff - Marlon Samuels

  1. Marlon Samuels:

West Indies became the first side to lift the World T20 title twice, as they defeated England at Eden Gardens in April this year. That victory is often remembered for the sheer brute force of Carlos Brathwaite, who smoked Ben Stokes for four maximums in the last over. However, what goes unnoticed is the contribution of Marlon Samuels in that tournament win for the Calypso Kings. In West Indies’ first game, Samuels played second fiddle to Chris Gayle as he was on point with his 27-ball knock of 37. However, in a low scoring thriller against South Africa at Nagpur, Samuels stood up and resisted in the middle to ensure that his side had a chance at the end. His knock of 43 off 44 deliveries was the ultimate game changer for the West Indies.

But it all came down to the final against England as Samuels played an innings full of character and grit. With no one to support him for long, Samuels remained unbeaten on 85 off 66 deliveries, as his team achieved glory in some style. Had Samuels not played that knock, Brathwaite might have never got the opportunity to smash Stokes for those sixes.

Joe Root double century

  1. Joe Root:

Root is a leading member in the modern day Fab 4, as the Yorkshire batsman’s consistency is phenomenal. Across all forms of international cricket this year, Root averages a mesmerizing 51.28 with 2564 runs in 54 innings. England have achieved success in all forms of the game this year and Root has been their mainstay with the bat. His performance in the Test series in South Africa remained top notch as he helped England defeat the Proteas in their own backyard. He carried on the good form in the World T20, as his 44-ball knock of 83 allowed England to chase down 230 against South Africa at the historic Wankhede stadium.

Root made merry in the home summer against Pakistan as well, as the right-handed batsman recorded his Test career’s best score. The Test series against India was touted as his litmus test and he came out all guns blazing with a fifty-plus score in each Test of the series. Fair to say, Root has displayed all traits of a modern day batting great.

Kyle Abbott enjoys competition with Dale Steyn

  1. Kyle Abbott:

South Africa’s pace battery remains a highlighted package, with the primary focus on the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander. One individual in that camp, who deserves accolades for his performance this year has been Kyle Abbott. The pacer has been a great support for the Proteas, with 15 scalps in 8 ODIs. During his side’s whitewash of Australia in the ODI series, Abbott picked up seven wickets in three games and then followed it up with an even better Test series Down Under. In two games, Abbott picked up 13 wickets at a jaw dropping average of 14.84. Considering his impact, it is a no brainer to state Abbott deserves more attention after all.

Adam Zampa

  1. Adam Zampa:

The 24-year-old leg spinner has undoubtedly been the best find for Australia this year. Making his debut against New Zealand in February, Zampa was on the money right away with a respectable economy rate of 5.1 on the small New Zealand grounds. In Australia’s ODI triumphs in Sri Lanka and in the Tri-Series in the Caribbean, Zampa was a consistent performer and a pillar of success. In Sri Lanka, he grabbed five scalps in as many games at an economy of just 4.56. In the Caribbean, the wickets tally went up to 10. In an otherwise ordinary World T20 for Australia, Zampa impressed with five wickets at an economy rate of 6.27.

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