6 players who have featured in all 7 T20 World Cups
The ongoing T20 World Cup, the seventh edition of the tournament, is being staged in the UAE and Oman. Originally scheduled to take place in Australia last year, the ICC event was postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
India were then supposed to host the World Cup this year. But COVID-19 once again played spoilsport and the tournament shifted to the Middle East, with the BCCI keeping the hosting rights.
Australia will host the eighth edition of the T20 World Cup next year.
The MS Dhoni-led Indian side were the inaugural champions of the T20 World Cup in 2007 in South Africa. The format has since become hugely popular and has led to the birth of several T20 franchise leagues across the globe.
West Indies have been the most successful team in the T20 World Cup so far, winning the title twice in 2012 and 2016. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India have each lifted the trophy once.
Despite the first edition of the tournament taking place almost 15 years back, there are as many as six players who have featured in all the editions, including the ongoing one.
On that note, let's take a look at the six players.
#1 Rohit Sharma (India)
Rohit Sharma is the only Indian player to feature in all seven editions of the T20 World Cup. Known for his explosive batting, the 34-year old has established himself as one of the most bankable batters in white-ball cricket.
His T20I debut for India came against England during the 2007 T20 World Cup. The match is famously remembered for Yuvraj Singh smashing Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over.
Rohit has thus far batted 26 times in the T20 World Cups, amassing 673 runs at a healthy average of 37 and a strike rate of 128. He has six half-centuries to his name in the tournament.
Rohit, who was dismissed for a duck in India's 10-wicket loss to Pakistan on Sunday, will be itching to get his and the Men in Blues' campaign back on track at the earliest.
#2 Dwayne Bravo (West Indies)
Veteran West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo is regarded as one of the most dependable players in the shortest format of the game.
The 38-year old came out of international retirement to feature in the T20 World Cup 2021. Bravo has achieved a lot of success in the T20 format, bagging over 600 wickets and scoring more than 7,500 runs.
Representing the Windies in T20 World Cups since 2007, Bravo has played 30 matches in the tournament so far, scoring 509 runs at an average of 23.13 and a strike rate of 129.
On the bowling front, he has scalped 25 wickets at an economy of almost nine. The two-time T20 World Cup winner will be gunning for his third title this year.
#3 Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh)
The legendary all-rounder is among the three Bangladeshi players to feature on the list. Undoubtedly, Shakib Al Hasan is the greatest-ever player produced by Bangladesh and has been dominant in all three formats.
Shakib is currently the leading wicket-taker in the history of the tournament with 41 scapls from 29 matches.
He is also just the second cricketer after Dwayne Bravo to score 40-plus runs and take four wickets or more in a T20 World Cup game.
On the batting front, Shakib has amassed 685 runs in T20 World Cups at an average of almost 30 and a strike rate of 127.
Despite Shakib having a decent outing against Sri Lanka on Sunday, Bangladesh succumbed to a five-wicket loss in their Super 12 opener.
#4 Mushfiqur Rahim (Bangladesh)
Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim is also making his seventh appearance at a T20 World Cup this year. One of the most experienced individuals in the team, Mushfiqur is a huge asset for the Bengal Tigers.
The 34-year old has played 29 T20 World Cup games so far, batting on 24 occasions. Mushfiqur has scored 364 runs at a sub-par average of 19.
He recently scored his first half-century in a T20 World Cup, smashing 57 off 37 deliveries against Sri Lanka. But Bangladesh ended up losing the Super 12 contest by five wickets.
#5 Mahmudullah (Bangladesh)
Mohammad Mahmudullah, popularly known as Mahmudullah, is the current limited-overs skipper of Bangladesh and has been a vital member of the team for quite a few years now.
The 35-year-old bowls tidy off-spin and bats in the middle order, mastering both skills.
In the 26 T20 World Cup matches, Mahmudullah has scored 294 runs at an underwhelming average of 17. On the bowling front, he has picked up eight wickets from 39 overs.
Following Bangladesh's disappointing five-wicket loss to Sri Lanka, Mahmudullah will be looking to help his side pull off some major upsets and qualify for the semi-finals.
#6 Chris Gayle (West Indies)
Chris Gayle is the second West Indies player to feature on the elite list. A T20 globetrotter, the southpaw is a nightmare for bowlers when he's on song.
Gayle, the highest run-scorer in T20s, has played 443 games, smashing 14,192 runs, including 22 centuries.
The 42-year old has an excellent record at the T20 World Cups. In 29 matches, Gayle has scored 933 runs at an average of around 40 and a blistering strike rate of 146. He has two hundreds and seven 50-plus scores to his name in the ICC event. Overall, he is the second-highest run-scorer in the history of the T20 World Cups, only behind Sri Lankan legend Mahela Jayawardene.
After West Indies' dismal performance against England in their opening match of the T20 World Cup 2021, Gayle and the Windies will be hoping to flip the script in the coming games.