Babar Azam and Jos Buttler, who will be leading Pakistan and England respectively in the T20 World Cup Final on November 13 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), have picked their choices for the player of the tournament. However, one may be surprised to know that Virat Kohli is not the choice for either of them.
Buttler discussed the performances of Sam Curran and Alex Hales, who are both among the nine players who have been shortlisted for the Player of the Tournament award. They could win Player of the Tournament for him if they perform well in the final game, Buttler added.
Buttler chose Suryakumar Yadav because of how freely he had batted throughout the tournament. Yadav is known for playing really freely. He, as per Buttler, has been incredibly captivating to watch among such a “star-studded line-up". The England skipper thinks it's amazing how he has managed to stand out.
Yadav's achievements in Australia served as a true prelude to his arrival on the world stage, and he also cemented his position as the top batter in the ICC Men's T20I Player Rankings. With a sensational strike rate of 189.68, Yadav scored 239 runs in six games. Against the Netherlands, South Africa and Zimbabwe, he also scored three half-centuries.
Shadab Khan was the choice of Pakistani captain Babar Azam. He has exceptional bowling, but his hitting has also significantly improved - as per Babar. The Pakistan skipper thinks Shadab is a strong candidate for Player of the Tournament based on his exceptional fielding and his three recent dominant outings.
Other contenders for the award, in addition to Suryakumar Yadav and Shadab Khan, include Virat Kohli, Jos Buttler, Alex Hales, Sam Curran, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sikandar Raza and Wanindu Hasaranga.
