With only the World Cup final remaining, it’s time to put on the selector’s hats and come up with a team of the tournament.
The Indians have been dominant throughout the tournament, blitzing their way through the group stage and making it 10 on the trot with their semi-final triumph over New Zealand.
Australia, who they will face in the final, and South Africa have been the other in-form sides while developing nations like Afghanistan and the Netherlands have surprised the cricketing world with their improved performances.
Virat Kohli, Quinton de Kock, Adam Zampa and Mohammed Shami are in contention for player of the tournament honours with “King Kohli” the odds-on favourite after the star Indian batter topped the run-scoring tally with 711 in a new World Cup record.
After we came up with a Team of the World Cup so far midway through the World Cup, the Roar HQ cricket nuffies have finalised their their respective teams and we also eventually came up with a consensus XI.
The batting line-up was a relatively smooth process at the selction table.
Proteas keeper Quinton de Kock was an obvious choice as one of the openers after smashing four tons to trail only Kohli in the runs department while Rohit Sharma (550 at 55) surged ahead of Australian veteran David Warner (528 at 52.8) for the other spot.
Kohli, with three hundreds and five half-centuries in his 10 innings, is averaging an extraordinary 101.57 while New Zealand young gun Rachin Ravindra was the breakout star of the tournament with 578 runs at 64.22, including three tons.
His Kiwi teammate Daryl Mitchell reaffirmed his class with a similar output (552 at 69 with two tons) while Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell was an automatic selection for his whirlwind ton early in the tournament followed by his astounding double ton to sink Afghanistan.
Glenn Maxwell celebrates the greatest one-day innings of all time. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Choosing the other all-rounder or middle-order batter was problematic but after a verbal joust and a few threats of retribution around the selection table, South Africa’s Marco Jansen (17 wickets at 26.47 and 157 runs at 31.4) got the nod ahead of Indian duo Ravindra Jadeja (16 wickets at 22.18 and 111 runs at 55.5) and Shreyas Iyer (526 runs at 75.14).
In the bowling department, Mohammed Shami came from the clouds to gazump Adam Zampa as the Cup’s leading wicket-taker and holds a 23-22 advantage heading into Sunday’s final at Ahmedabad.
Indian spearhead Jasprit Bumrah (18 wickets at 18.33) and Sri Lankan left-armer Dilshan Madushanka (21 wickets at 25) snared the other two spots although Proteas seamer Gerald Coetzee proved he can be a long-term cornerstone of their attack by taking 20 wickets at 19.8.
| Paul Suttor | Tim Miller | Mike Meehall Wood | Consensus Team of the Cup |
| Quinton de Kock (wk) | Quinton de Kock (wk) | Quinton de Kock (wk) | Quinton de Kock (wk) |
| Rohit Sharma (c) | Rohit Sharma (c) | Rohit Sharma (c) | Rohit Sharma (c) |
| Virat Kohli | Virat Kohli | Virat Kohli | Virat Kohli |
| Rachin Ravindra | Rachin Ravindra | Rachin Ravindra | Rachin Ravindra |
| Daryl Mitchell | Daryl Mitchell | Shreyas Iyer | Daryl Mitchell |
| Glenn Maxwell | Glenn Maxwell | Daryl Mitchell | Glenn Maxwell |
| Marco Jansen | Ravindra Jadeja | Glenn Maxwell | Marco Jansen |
| Mohammed Shami | Gerald Coetzee | Shaheen Shah Afridi | Mohammed Shami |
| Jasprit Bumrah | Mohammed Shami | Mohammed Shami | Jasprit Bumrah |
| Dilshan Madushanka | Jasprit Bumrah | Dilshan Madushanka | Dilshan Madushanka |
| Adam Zampa | Adam Zampa | Adam Zampa | Adam Zampa |
How did we go? Who was lucky to make the team of the tournament and who should have made the cut?
Have your say in the comments below.
And for those wondering about moral victories, we have also put on our thinking caps to select the Moral Victory First XI in honour of defending champion England’s propensity for classing these “wins” above the competition table.
Bangladeshi skipper Shakib Al Hasan was a deserved selection for upholding the morals of the Laws of Cricket by ensuring the time-honoured Timed Out dismissal was given a run by appealing against Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews after his helmet malfunction.
England of course featured strongly in the rest of the team due to the way in which they plaeyd the game, never mind the fact that they finished seventh with a 3-6 record after looking like they’d finish last before jagging an actual win in their last dead rubber against Pakistan.
The Moral Victory First XI
1 Dawid Malan
2 Jonny Bairstow
3 Joe Root
4 Ben Stokes
5 Jos Buttler
6 Shakib Al Hasan (c)
7 Moeen Ali
8 Chris Woakes
9 David Willey
10 Adil Rashid
11 Mark Wood
Frodo
Roar Rookie
Choked in the big one, like most of his team mates.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
The same point I have made throughout.
matth
Roar Guru
It was just a tease. NZ is an admirable team
Polymath
Roar Rookie
NZ and its rugby mad population of 5 million do pretty well. Won the World Test Championship in 2021. By rights a country as small and with as few cricket players as NZ should never make the knock out stages of anything.
Polymath
Roar Rookie
Jamieson is a bit of a bogey man for the Indians as well. All too late now. Aussies far too good.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
It's a team based on performance at this World Cup. You can't seriously believe that Khan had a better tournament than Zampa.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
What point are you actually trying to make?
DTM
Roar Rookie
I think Paul's or Tim's version are better balanced.
Frodo
Roar Rookie
Zero respect for the man!
matth
Roar Guru
I’d like to see the “always look great and make the knockouts but never actually win XI”. 6 South Africans and 5 Kiwis should do it :stoked:
varun sharma
Roar Rookie
:laughing:
Vamsi K
Roar Rookie
Well, I am open for suggestions. I felt these were the best players in the respective positions and give balance to the team. In pace not many were as good and effective as Shami or Bumrah so they are there along with Madhushanka who was as good with both new and old ball. Iyer is the highest scorer in the middle order across all teams and he scored them at a good strike rate. I had the choice to select DeCock as WK and opener or KL Rahul down the order and take Rachin Raveendra as another opener. I opted for KL as he was very good with keeping and batting as well. This opened up opening slot for Rachin, who can give another bowling option. Kohli has been the best batsmen at no 3 this WC I had a choice between Maharaj and Jadeja and went with Jadeja as he also adds batting depth and a good fielder. So if there are better alternatives for the above positions I am interested to listen.
chaukspp
Roar Rookie
Adam Zampa is in contention for player of the tournament honours !!? Better include Rachin Ravindra in place of him.
chaukspp
Roar Rookie
Looks good. However, I would go for Rashid Khan in place of Adam Zampa who I think is overrated and is lucky to get a few wickets in this WC.
DTM
Roar Rookie
Good to see you are not as biased as your friend Varun - you only have 7 Indian players in your team!
DTM
Roar Rookie
You think 8 Indian players should be in the team of the tournament? You're not from India by any chance?
Good Game
Roar Rookie
Latham deserved to be there as his ODI form and record in the way that he can either rebuild or accelerate the innings is a fairly consistent factor in his game. He's also one of the more competent players of spin in the squad. He just didn't really turn up for tournament. Even then, I thought Chapman at 7 was probably the weaker link considering he didn't bowl. That said, Bracewell was clearly missed. I think based on the squad that they had, I would have given Conway the gloves from the Pakistan game onwards and perhaps put Jamieson/Sodhi/Young into the XI depending on the pre-game read of the pitch. I think the batting was good enough but it was the bowling that let us down so having Sodhi or Jamieson was a wiser choice. Easier to say in hindsight though.
varun sharma
Roar Rookie
Ask Haydos he had him as his opener..
Vamsi K
Roar Rookie
Nothing much to argue with those selections, though I feel some players, especially middle order may be playing out of positions. So my team would be Rohit Sharma (C) Rachin Raveendra Kohli Mitchell Iyer KL Rahul (WK) Maxwell Jadeja Shami Bumrah Madhushanka Dropping Zampa might look a bit odd but given how Maxwell is bowling he can play good support role for spin duties. And Rachin can be a useful bowler too if the pitch offers spin. And if it is a good batting track or assisting pace then I might gamble by taking Green in place of Maxwell. Paying with Maxwell is like playing 1 batsmen less or 2 batsmen more. On his day he easily is worth two additional batters and on his off day team will be less 1 batter.
Frodo
Roar Rookie
Bushman Bill hasn't done enough to warrant an opener's position.