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• Pooran makes the cut as winners India has six players in ICC T20 World Cup 2024 Team of the Tournament

  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.

   

• England confirm squad for West Indies series ahead of Anderson's final Test

  England have confirmed their squad for the first two Tests of the three-match series against West Indies.

  James Anderson will bring the curtain down on his stellar career after the first Test at Lord's, which starts on July 10.

  Anderson has taken 700 Test wickets, the most of any fast bowler in the history of the format.

  But with the 41-year-old bowing out, England captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum also have an eye on the future of their bowling attack.

  Fast bowler Dillon Pennington and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith have earned their maiden call-ups, while Gus Atkinson could be in store for his first cap, after he was included in the squad that toured India earlier this year but did not feature.

  Chris Woakes, meanwhile, returns to the fold for the first time in a Test squad since last year's Ashes, and Shoaib Bashir has got the nod over Jack Leach.

  This squad will cover the second Test, at Trent Bridge, though a new selection is set to be made before the final match, which will start at Edgbaston on July 26.

  Ollie Robinson, Ben Foakes, Jonny Bairstow, Jofra Archer and Mark Wood have been left out, though the latter three have been involved in England's T20 World Cup campaign.

  England squad for first two Tests: Ben Stokes (captain), James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Dillon Pennington, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes.

• T20 World Cup final defeat 'hurts', but Markram proud of South Africa efforts

  South Africa are hurting after their T20 World Cup final defeat to India, but captain Aidan Markram said his team must be immensely proud of their efforts.

  The Proteas needed 30 runs from as many deliveries to clinch the title in Barbados on Saturday.

  Instead, the wickets tumbled as India won by seven runs to secure the crown for the first time since 2007.

  It was a case of so close, but so far for South Africa, who were playing in their first T20 World Cup semi-final.

  While the manner of the defeat stung, Markram refused to be too downbeat.

  "I think it'll take some time for us to have a really good reflection on a really good campaign that we've had," Markram said.

  "Obviously for the time being, it hurts quite a bit, but having said that, still incredibly proud of this group of players and everyone that's involved in this team.

  "A really good game of cricket, so on all fronts, really chuffed with the guys today. Not great to [not] get over the line, but incredibly proud of this group of people that we've got going here in our white-ball squad.

  "We got into a great position, which proves that we were worthy finalists and could have won the game today. Unfortunately didn't, but still incredibly proud of the group."

  India became only the third team to win the T20 World Cuo more than once, after West Indies (2012 and 2016) and England (2010 and 2022).