India-Pakistan Combined T20 XI: Pakistan defeat India for the first time in World Cup cricket last year when Shaheen Afridi romped through the Indian batting in Dubai. India will get their shot at revenge when both sides meet at the T20 World Cup this year at the iconic MCG.
Meanwhile, we thought of making the best combined XI among current players of the two nations. The stats for this XI – which is likely to raise some eyebrows – are kept in mind from 2019 – however, we are not necessarily sticking to just statistics. We have gone with six bowling options, hence the batting may seem a tad thin.
The Best combined India-Pakistan T20I XI of current players:
Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
Mohammad Rizwan was one of Pakistan’s best performers at the T20 World Cup, finishing the third-highest run-scorer in the tournament. Rizwan’s career has had a turnaround since being promoted to open.
Since the start of 2019, Rizwan is the second-leading run-scorer among the two countries in T20Is, but has a much higher average of 58 than top-scorer Babar Azam’s 40; he was the best T20 batsman last year. Mohammad Rizwan will keep the wickets in India-Pakistan T20 XI.
Rohit Sharma (c)
Rohit Sharma, now India’s full-time all-format captain, is the second leading Indian run-scorer in the said period, during which he has maintained an average of 31, but has shown keenness in starting off the innings briskly- that nudged out KL Rahul and Babar Azam in this eleven. He will also lead our India-Pakistan combined T20 XI.
Since the start of 2019, which is said to be the dip in Kohli’s form, in T20Is he averages 56 while striking at 140, slamming 11 half-centuries. He can play the anchor role in the middle overs before turning on his beast finisher mode in the death overs.
Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav has been a sensation for India since making his debut, aged 30, last year. His gobsmacking strike rate of 165 is the highest for any player among the two teams with at least 100 runs. Suryakumar is perhaps the most in-form T20 batsman in the country at the moment, someone who understands batting in the shortest format better than many, and has the range for it.
Rishabh Pant
This is where the statistics can be ignored. Rishabh Pant. In the said period – since 2019 – Pant averages a healthy 26 but his strike rate of 128 doesn’t do justice to his ability; his numbers still look better than those of Pakistan’s finisher Asif Ali, average of 13 and strike rate of 130.
Pant has been in a terrific form since regaining his place in India’s side early last year, and scores boundaries with ease. He’s also a quick starter but can also play the hanging around innings if early wickets fall. Pant also adds the left-hand break-up in this eleven which has a heavy right-handed top-order.
Ravindra Jadeja
Arguably the best all-format all-rounder in the world currently, Ravindra Jadeja has taken his batting to a new level in the past few years. In T20Is, since 2019, he averages a staggering 70 (the best among the two teams) while smashing at 152. Couple this with his bowling figures – bowling average of 19 and an economy of 6.44 – makes him a sure starter.
Shardul Thakur
Shardul Thakur has been trusted to bat at number 7 by the Indian team, and we will do the same. He has proved his power-hitting and can wallop some big hits towards the end of the innings. Albeit a tad on the expensive side, Thakur, with 25 wickets in 18 matches at an average of 21, is a utility cricketer to have in the side.
Hasan Ali
Hasan Ali has gone under the radar in the shadow of his other fast-bowling teammates. But Hasan has been brilliant with the ball since the start of 2019: 27 wickets in 21 matches, bowling average of 22 at an economy of 8.45. Hasan Ali adds batting depth to his eleven as he is well-known for his ball tonking ability with the bat.
Haris Rauf
With 41 scalps in 34 games, Haris Rauf is the leading wicket-taker since 2019 among bowlers of India and Pakistan. Rauf specializes in death bowling; his economy of 8.44 despite bowling about half of his overs in the death is laudable.
Shaheen Afridi
Shaheen Afridi blasted the Indian top-order in the World Cup encounter in Dubai. With 34 wickets, Shaheen is just behind Rauf and has a better economy of 7.83 compared to Rauf. The left-armer is absolutely menacing with the new ball and has emerged as one of the best new-ball bowlers in the world.
Jasprit Bumrah
India’s spearhead bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, in the said duration, has an average of 18 and a mind-boggling economy of 5.86. Bumrah is arguably the best death bowler in the world, having mastered the yorker, but also has variations of bouncers and a deceiving slower ball in his arsenal, adding to his stock hard length deliveries which are extremely difficult to hit.
