India defeated South Africa by seven runs in a thrilling climax to clinch their second T20 World Cup title.
Promoted to the tournament’s opener, Kohli had a relatively quiet World Cup leading up to the Grand Final, when he sealed the victory with a 76-run smash off 59 balls and was named man of the match. Despite his heroics, Kohli was left out of the ICC XI.
Six Indian players were named in the ICC line-up, reflecting an overall good performance. India captain Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Akshar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh were all included. Rohit led the way, scoring 257 runs at an impressive strike-rate of 156.7 to become the second-highest run-scorer after Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz.
One of the standout performers was Jasprit Bumrah, who was named Player of the Tournament. Bumrah’s 15 wickets and, more importantly, his ability to limit the run rate was India’s trump card. His economy rate of 4.17 was the best ever recorded by a bowler in a single Men’s T20 World Cup tournament.
PTI reported that three Afghanistan players have been selected in the ICC squad following the historic semi-final conclusion. Left-arm fast bowler Fazalhaq Farooqui is the joint top wicket-taker along with India’s Arshdeep Singh with 17 wickets each. Wicket-keeper-batsman Rahmanullah Gurbaz topped the run charts with 281 runs while captain Rashid Khan has also been selected for Afghanistan.
Captain Rashid Khan led Afghanistan to a brilliant win, taking 14 wickets at an economy of 6.17 and showcasing his talents as both a leader and a player.
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Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis and West Indies’ Nicholas Pooran have been added to the squad, adding further balance to the squad.
Despite finishing as runners-up, South Africa had no players in their starting line-up, but fast bowler Anrich Nortje was selected as the 12th player.
Overall, the ICC’s ‘Team of the Tournament’ reflects a combination of individual talent and consistent performance across the event, highlighting standout players who made a major impact.
ICC Tournament Teams
Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Akshar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh (all India), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rashid Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqui (Afghanistan), Marcus Stoinis (Australia) and Nicholas Pooran (West Indies). 12th man: Anrich Nortje.