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Nicholas Pooran is the only West Indies player to make the cut as the ICC named their ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 Team of the Tournament on Sunday.
Six players from the title-winning Indian squad have been named in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 team of the tournament.
Rohit Sharma
Runs: 257, Average: 36.71, Strike-rate: 156.7, Fifties: 3
Setting the tone at the top of the order, Rohit Sharma embraced India's new approach in T20Is and showed the way with his brilliant ball striking. Scoring at a rate of 156.7, the Indian skipper made 257 runs in the tournament, the second-most by any player. With three fifties in eight games, Rohit showed consistency as well while maintaining a brilliant strike-rate. His best came against Australia in the Super Eight, when he bludgeoned one of the best attacks in the tournament for 92 in just 41 balls. In the semi-final, he once again made an impact with a 57 off 39 balls. Rohit also led the side admirably as a leader, taking the side to a historic T20 World Cup title win after 17 years.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Runs: 281, Average: 35.12, Strike-rate: 124.33, Fifties: 3
Alongside Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz forged an impressive opening partnership, scoring 446 runs as a pair, including three century stands and was critical to Afghanistan's run to the semi-finals of the tournament. Gurbaz shone with exceptional knocks against Uganda (76), New Zealand (80), Australia (60) and Bangladesh (43). He finished as the leading run-scorer in the tournament and was Afghanistan's star with the bat at the top of the order.
Nicholas Pooran
Runs: 228, Average: 38.0, Strike-rate: 146.15, Fifties: 1
Nicholas Pooran established his status as one of the best batters in the format with 228 runs in the tournament, scoring at a rate of 146.16. The next best West Indies batter made just 140 runs. Pooran finished as the sixth-highest run-getter despite his high-risk batting, and his knock of 98 against Afghanistan guided the team to an excellent win. It was also the highest score recorded by a player in the tournament.
Suryakumar Yadav
Runs: 199, Average: 28.42, Strike-rate: 135.37, Fifties: 2
With two half-centuries and a vital 47 in the semi-final against England, Suryakumar Yadav had a good tournament from the middle-order despite playing on some difficult batting wickets. He made his presence felt in both the knockout games, first with a crucial 47 with the team in trouble in the semi-final against England, and then with one of the best catches the tournament has ever witnessed in a pivotal moment in the final.
Marcus Stoinis
Runs: 169, Strike-rate: 164.07, Wickets: 10, Economy: 8.88
Marcus Stoinis was Australia’s x-factor player in the T20 World Cup, standing out with exceptional knocks against Oman and Scotland. In the game against Oman, he also delivered a crunch performance with the ball, taking 3/19. Despite Australia’s exit before the semi-finals of the tournament, Stoinis stood out with his ability to deliver under pressure.
Hardik Pandya
Runs: 144, Strike-rate: 151.57, Wickets: 11, Economy: 7.64
Hardik Pandya made impactful cameos down the order with the bat and made breakthroughs with the ball when the team needed him to. But his most important contribution came in the final, when he stopped a rampaging Heinrich Klaasen, deceiving him with a slower ball outside off-stump. Hardik went on to deliver an excellent final over to lead India to their title victory. Leading up to the final, he scored more than 20 in four successive matches from down the order, including a half-century against Bangladesh.
Axar Patel
Runs: 92, Strike-rate: 139.39, Wickets: 9, Economy: 7.86
Vital cameos with the bat, one of the best catches in the tournament, and crucial spells with the ball, Axar Patel did it all through the T20 World Cup. His ability to adapt to different roles and make impactful performances proved critical to India's title-winning charge. In the final, promoted up the order, Axar made a brilliant, counter-attacking 47 that helped Virat Kohli settle in and play the anchor role. In the semi-finals, he produced a Player of the Match performance against England, taking 3/23 with the ball.
Axar Patel takes ‘unbelievable’ catch to remove Australia’s captain | AUS v IND | T20WC 2024
Rashid Khan
Wickets: 14, Average: 12.78, Economy: 6.17, Best: 4/17
Rashid Khan led the Afghanistan team brilliantly, producing impressive performances with the ball as the team created history with a semi-final entry. Rashid took 14 wickets in the tournament, bowling at a brilliant economy rate of 6.17. The Afghanistan spinner finished as the fifth-highest wicket-taker with his clutch performance against Bangladesh (4/23 and 19*) helping the team reach the semi-final. He also took 4/17 in their win over New Zealand earlier in the tournament to inspire the team past the Group stage.
Jasprit Bumrah
Wickets: 15, Average: 8.26, Economy: 4.17, Best: 3/7
The Player of the Tournament and India's trump card in their title win, Jasprit Bumrah was unstoppable. More than the 15 wickets he took, his impact in restricting the scoring rate of teams made Bumrah India's most important player right through the tournament. His economy rate of 4.17 is the best ever by any bowler in a single edition of the men's T20 World Cup.
Arshdeep Singh
Wickets: 17, Average: 12.64, Economy: 7.16, Best: 4/9
Arshdeep Singh finished as the joint-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 17 wickets in eight matches. The left-arm fast bowler was the perfect foil for Jasprit Bumrah with the ball and shone with his early Powerplay spells. In the final, Arshdeep played a vital role in India's win, taking the big wicket of Quinton de Kock at a crucial point in the match and then went on to bowl a brilliant penultimate over, conceding just four runs.
Fazalhaq Farooqi
Wickets: 17, Average: 9.41, Economy: 6.31, Best: 5/9
The joint-leading wicket-taker in the tournament, Farooqi played a major role in guiding Afghanistan to a historic first semi-final appearance. His 17 wickets came at a brilliant economy rate of 6.31 and the left-arm quick made early inroads into the opposition line-up to put Afghanistan on top in several games. He took 5/9 against Uganda in the best spell of the tournament and also helped Afghanistan beat New Zealand with a four-wicket haul.
12th man: Anrich Nortje
Wickets: 15, Average: 13.4, Economy: 5.74, Best: 4/7
Anrich Nortje had a brilliant tournament with the ball, using his pace and extra bounce to keep batters quiet. Nortje began the tournament with a brilliant 4/7 against Sri Lanka and took at least one wicket in all but one match. In the final, he was the pick of South Africa’s bowlers with figures of 2/26 in his four overs.
Barbados Pride soar into CG United Super50 final after commanding 153-run win over T&T Red Force
Barbados Pride delivered a clinical performance to storm into the CG United Super50 Cup final, as they hammered defending champions Trinidad and Tobago Red Force by a massive 153 runs in their semi-final clash at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy on Wednesday.
This victory propelled the Pride—who last tasted glory in the 2016-17 season and reached their last final in 2017-18—into contention for their seventh title.
Scores: Barbados Pride 339-7 (50 overs); Trinidad and Tobago Red Force 186 all out (36.3 overs)
After being sent in to bat, the Pride’s openers, Zachary McCaskie and Leniko Boucher, laid the foundation with a scintillating 142-run partnership. McCaskie, the more aggressive of the pair, entertained with a blistering 94 off just 82 deliveries, smashing six boundaries and six towering sixes.
However, his departure, courtesy of Mark Deyal, did little to disrupt the Pride’s momentum.
This, as Captain Raymond Reifer joined the fray with a brisk 65 and added another crucial 50-run stand with Boucher, who contributed a steady 69 off 84 balls in a knock that had seven boundaries. Reifer's 60-ball knock, which included six fours and a six, epitomized controlled aggression that applied further pressure to the Red Force bowlers.
Even when Boucher fell to Deyal and Kevin Wickham (14) went to spinner Khary Pierre, Reifer, and Roston Chase (43), on return from West Indies duties, added another 50 for the fourth wicket.
Chase’s quick-fire 31-ball knock, which had only two fours and a six, ensured the Pride capitalized on the foundation laid by the top order.
Reifer eventually became Deyal’s third scalp, and Chase went to Shannon Gabriel, but the damage was already done as the Pride were at 297-5 at that point. The lower order contributed the remaining runs to the daunting total.
Deyal stood out for the Red Force with figures of 4-53, but his efforts were insufficient to stem the tide.
Facing a mountain of runs, the Red Force faltered early and never recovered. The only bright spot in their reply was a 68-run second wicket partnership between Tion Webster and Amir Jangoo (16). Webster’s aggressive 56 off 47 balls, which featured eight boundaries and a six, gave fleeting hope before he became the fourth wicket to fall with the score at 91.
After Webster’s dismissal, Deyal (34) and Isiah Rajah (28) added a brief 53-run stand for the seventh wicket, but the Red Force were ultimately bowled out for a paltry 186 in just 36.3 overs.
Dominic Drakes led the Pride’s bowling charge with 3-24, with Chase (2-40) and Kemar Smith (2-42) also doing some damage.
The Pride’s dominance sets up a highly anticipated final against the winner of the Jamaica Scorpions versus Leeward Islands Hurricanes semi-final, scheduled for Thursday.
Finish well: Andre Coley eyes redemption, momentum as Windies gear up for Bangladesh Test
West Indies Head coach Andre Coley is exuding quiet confidence as his team prepares for their upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh.
With the matches—scheduled for November 22-26 in Antigua and November 30 to December 4 in Kingston—marking the final home series in the current World Test Championship cycle, Coley is determined to see the Caribbean side end the year on a high note after recent setbacks.
The West Indies are coming off a disappointing tour of South Africa, where they failed to capitalize on key moments and eventually lost that two-match series 1-0 after the first game ended in a draw. Reflecting on those matches, Coley stressed the importance of learning from the past and seizing the opportunity to close out this series on a strong note.
“Coming off the disappointment of the South Africa series, we put ourselves in a position to close out that series, and we didn’t. So the opportunity is there for us to do so against Bangladesh now, and it is very important for us to come up with a winning result on home soil,” Coley said in a pre-series interview.
“We’ve always had exciting and challenging series against Bangladesh, and this series offers a chance to create momentum as we head into tougher assignments in Australia and Pakistan,” he added.
Coley and his team, which includes players from the regional 50-over tournament and recent white-ball series, are currently in Antigua fine-tuning preparations ahead of Friday’s first day.
Despite initial weather disruptions, Coley pointed out that the team has had productive sessions, with all players fit and ready for action.
While West Indies boast a strong home record against Bangladesh, Coley is keen to keep his squad grounded. He recognizes the challenges posed by Bangladesh and the added intrigue of familiar faces on the opposition side, including Bangladesh Head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, a figure Coley knows well.
“Each match brings a different opportunity. We have players who’ve been successful against Bangladesh, both home and away, but we also have some new players who wouldn’t have played in any of those series. So it’s an opportunity for senior players and emerging players to show what they are capable of and what we are capable of as a team,” Coley noted.
The series against Bangladesh serves as a vital stepping stone beyond the larger context of the World Test Championship, as West Indies sit at the foot of the standings in ninth on 20 points.
Still, with four matches left in the cycle, Coley is focused on building a cohesive unit capable of competing at the highest level.
“This series is about putting everything together from the last year and a half and ending the year in good form,” he declared.
That said, the Jamaican highlighted the importance of fan support, especially during the festive season. Cricket remains a unifying force in the Caribbean, and Coley hopes that fans will rally behind the team.
“I know that the West Indian fans really want us to do well and have been supportive in their own way because cricket means a lot to the region and the fans are very passionate about the game. Despite the nature of our squad, emerging and experienced players, everyone in the squad wants to do well, so I want to encourage the fans to come out and support us and give us that extra boost of encouragement at home,” Coley ended.
Global Super League announces schedule change ahead of 2024 Tournament
The ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League (GSL) has announced a schedule adjustment ahead of its inaugural tournament, which is set to take place at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence. The final will now be held on Friday, 6 December 2024, while the match between Hampshire Hawks and Victoria has been rescheduled to 10:00 AM on Thursday, 5 December 2024.
The tournament, featuring five teams—Guyana Amazon Warriors, Hampshire Hawks, Lahore Qalandars, Rangpur Riders, and Victoria—kicks off on Tuesday, 26 November 2024.
Sir Clive Lloyd, Chairman of the GSL, explained that the schedule changes were made in consultation with Cricket West Indies to avoid potential clashes with preparations for the West Indies' ODI series against Bangladesh.
“While the squads for the West Indies ODI series against Bangladesh have not yet been announced, we wanted to ensure that there was no chance of a clash between the conclusion of the GSL and the preparations for that series,” Lloyd said. “This decision has been made after discussions with Cricket West Indies to ensure the integrity of both the West Indies vs Bangladesh series and the GSL.”
Ticket holders for the affected matches can still use their existing tickets for entry. Those unable to attend the rescheduled games will be eligible for a full refund.
Revised Schedule for the 2024 Global Super League
26 November, 7:00 PM: Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Lahore Qalandars
27 November, 7:00 PM: Hampshire Hawks vs Rangpur Riders
29 November, 7:00 PM: Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Victoria
30 November, 10:00 AM: Hampshire Hawks vs Lahore Qalandars
1 December, 10:00 AM: Rangpur Riders vs Victoria
1 December, 7:00 PM: Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Hampshire Hawks
3 December, 7:00 PM: Victoria vs Lahore Qalandars
4 December, 7:00 PM: Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Rangpur Riders
5 December, 10:00 AM: Hampshire Hawks vs Victoria
5 December, 7:00 PM: Lahore Qalandars vs Rangpur Riders
6 December, 7:00 PM: Final – First Place vs Second Place
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