2018 T20I round-up: India's 5 most valuable players of the year

2018 is another year in which India continued to dominate in the shortest format of the game. The Virat Kohli-led Indian team saw a lot of success in the T20 format. India's first T20I series in 2018 was against South Africa away from the home, however, the Indian team has managed to clinch the series 2-1.

Their final T20I in 2018 ended with a win over Australia at Sydney. In between, they had also beaten Ireland, England and the West Indies. The Rohit Sharma-led Indian team also won the Nidahas Twenty20 Tri-Series in March 2018. Virat Kohli and co., who were unbeaten against Ireland (2-0) and West Indies (3-0), registered the 2-1 series victory over England.

In total, the Indian team played 19 T20I games of which they have won 14 games while losing four, thanks to the consistent performances of the Indian cricketers. There were six players - Shardul Thakur, Vijay Shankar, Siddarth Kaul, Deepak Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed and Krunal Pandya who made their T20I debuts for India in 2018.

Let us take a look at India's five most valuable T20I players of the year.

#5 Yuzvendra Chahal

The right-arm leg-spinner, Yuzvendra Chahal is at the fifth spot in this list. He has been India's mainstay in the shortest format of the game. Chahal, who has the best bowling figure of 6/25 in T20Is, could destroy any batting line-up in the world.

The 28-year-old did not get a good start in 2018 as he picked up just one wicket in two games against South Africa. However, the wrist spinner regained his form when he ran through the oppositions during the Nidahas T20 trophy.

In 2018, he picked up 18 wickets in 13 games at an average of over 25 and an economy of about 8. He is just behind Kuldeep Yadav, who has 21 T20I wickets in 2018, in the list of most T20I wickets by an Indian bowler in 2018.