Best T20I XI from the month of November
November saw the highly competitive T20 World Cup 2022, which made its place in the history books of the sport. With their special all-round performance, England lifted the coveted trophy after beating Pakistan in the final.
Due to the recently concluded mega event, the first half of November was jam-packed with T20 action. After the tournament, most major teams competed in bilaterals with longer formats of the game. However, New Zealand hosted India for a three-match T20I and ODI series, and they were the only two countries to feature in T20Is after the conclusion of the World Cup in November.
With 15 T20 internationals taking place in November 2022, numerous individuals stood out and stamped their authority against their respective oppositions. On that note, let's take a look at the best T20I XI from the month of November.
Openers: Alex Hales and Jos Buttler (c and wk)
Alex Hales and Jos Buttler were the chief architects of England's T20 World Cup 2022 triumph. While the two England openers endured a tough start to their T20 World Cup campaigns, they upped their game at the right end of the tournament and proved to be the best in their position, by some margin.
While Hales mustered 186 runs across four innings in November, Buttler scored 206 runs. Their unbroken 170 run partnership against India in the semifinals will surely be remembered as one of the best opening stands in T20Is. Buttler will also serve as the team's captain and wicketkeeper.
Middle-order: Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Ben Stokes and Glenn Phillips
While Virat Kohli didn't take part in the recent T20I series against the Kiwis, his contributions in the latter half of the T20 World Cup were enough to secure his place in this XI. With scores of 64* and 50 against Bangladesh and England, respectively, Kohli scored 140 runs at an average of 46.6 last month.
At No. 4 is a player who has enjoyed a dream run with his flamboyant batting and toppled records for fun this year. The highest run-getter in November, Suryakumar Yadav, complemented Kohli to perfection in the World Cup before smashing a handsome century in the second T20I against New Zealand.
Across five T20Is in November, Suryakumar amassed 229 runs at an average of just under 46 and at an immaculate strike rate of above 200.
Another Englishman on the list is Ben Stokes, who proved his worth on two big occasions for his country. In a must-win tie against Sri Lanka in Sydney, the left-hander dug deep to sail his country over the line before playing a historic knock in the final against Pakistan.
Against a fiery Pakistani pace attack, Stokes remained unperturbed and scored a match-winning half-century to hand his side their second T20 World Cup trophy.
Glenn Phillips completes the middle-order of this team. The BlackCaps' star played some clutch knocks for the Kiwis during the T20 World Cup and also scored a well-made 54 against India in the third T20I. Phillips accumulated 151 runs at a strike rate of just below 165.
All-rounders: Hardik Pandya Shadab Khan and Sam Curran
The third and last Indian in the XI is Hardik Pandya, who has been a key performer for the Men in Blue. While he didn't have much of an impact in the first half of the T20 World Cup in Australia, the all-rounder played one of his better knocks in the semi-final against England on 10 November. He also picked up four scalps across three innings in November.
In his last T20I assignment, Pandya came up with a fiery 18-ball 30* against the BlackCaps due to which India avoided defeat and the match was tied (as per DLS method).
The only spinner in the team is Shadab Khan, who was arguably the best Pakistani player at the T20 World Cup and delivered the goods consistently. His 22-ball 52 against South Africa (November 3) turned Pakistan's World Cup campaign upside down. Moreover, his wily leg-spin also yielded five wickets in November.
At No. 9 is Sam Curran, the youngest-ever Player of the Tournament at a T20 World Cup. With his outstanding usage of angles and pin-point yorkers, Curran proved to be a match-winner for the Jos Buttler-led unit. He picked up six scalps in four matches in November.
Bowlers: Shaheen Afridi and Tim Southee
If not for an unwanted injury at a crucial juncture against England, Shaheen Afridi could have powered Pakistan to an improbable win in the finals. Playing four T20Is last month, the left-arm pacer bowled with venom and picked up ten wickets - the most by any bowler in the said period.
Tim Southee will partner Afridi in the pace attack. The Kiwi pacer enjoyed bowling in Oceania as he scalped eight wickets in five games while conceding runs at an economy rate of 8.01.